doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Joseph Manton

Roy is correct. I have a Manton 450/400 that was built by Webley and sold through Manton's outlets in India in the 1920s. Nice quality gun like most of the Webley products.

Note that when it comes to Brit and Continental 12 bore SXS shot guns of the 1890-1960 period, the value is pretty well determined by Brand Value = 8 fold, Original Quality = 20 fold, and Current Condition = 20 fold. The Manton brand name falls into the Brand Value level three group. The Original Quality could range from best work(OQ1) to colonial/farmer (OQ9) grade. The Current Condition depends on use and care of the gun from manufacture to date (pristine is CC1 abd wall hanger is CC9). BV3 guns are usually valued at 2/3 the value of the seventeen BV2 makers and 1/2 the value of the four BV1 makers. Whatever OQ grade gun will then be about 1/2 the price of a similar grade gun with a BV1 name on it; CC level being equal. Lower BV level is where the bargain shooting of high grade guns is to be had.

The Manton at G & H is a Webley A & W Model sidelock.

Manton was known as the man who took Brit firearms mfg out of the blacksmith shops. Purdey was his first apprentice. Purdey started his own business in about 1814. Manton's problem is that he was enamored by the new caplock guns. He made them and some were not very effective causing him some lawsuits. He was also sued by copying some caplocks with patents by others. As a result, he went under and his great name was sold out to others...apparently time after time. His brother was also in the business. An original flintlock Manton would be the greatest toy I could imagine.

I have some pictures but have been unable to post them.can someone out there help

Rocketman:
Please email me at italianstallion@cox.net
Jim

Hello GMCS,

You can email me the pictures and I'll post them for you.
I have a dedicated email in my profile.

Best,

JC

I had a look inside the locks today. Their good quality but not a best gun. No jewelling or gold. similar to a Holland type lock with intercepting sears. and Holland style flat spring ejectors in the forend.
I do not think this a very old shotgun the stock had to be made on some sort of duplicating machine its too crisp at the inside edges. Engraving is not up to best gun quality but all in all its a pretty good gun. The forend catch has a crack in the solder. Gunter Pfrommer is going to get it squared away for me

GMCS -

The authoritative source for Manton serial numbers and dates are two books, written by W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back. They are: "The Mantons: Gunmakers," 1966, Walker and Company, Library of Congress No. 67-12527, and: "The Manton Supplement," 1978, The Scolar Press, Ltd., ISBN 0 900193 57 3.

Both books have been out of print for years. You may be able to find them through Inter-library Loan, however. They list all the known Manton guns (meaning known to the authors) at the time of publication, with a lot of other information, such as name of manufacturer, date of manufacture, serial number, gauge, style (single barrel, side by side, over-under), etc.

There were a number of legitimate "Manton" family companies, in addition to the spurious Mantons already mentioned, including one in Calcutta, India, believe it or not.

Hope this helps.

Bill

I saw the last 10 minutes of a Joseph Manton documentary on History International on Sunday morning, 11/15. the two high points were that Manton rarely had proofmarks on his guns (??!!), and that the British government stiffed him out of a contract for rifled artillery pieces, after he did all the experimenting and testing.
I'd like to see the rest of the program, but i haven't seen it listed in the next few days; anybody have any info on it?
sorry for the thread hijack.

Tom