doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What's the deal with calling guns "Best"....

"Best gun" was never exactly defined. It is a catchy phrase that sounds really good in advertising. However, the Brit gun trade did not come to a definition. It was/is generally understood that craftsmen worked to a price and most had enough production capacity to accept orders for less than best work/design/materials to fill their books. That is to say, most craft shops were quite happy and willing to supply whatever quality grade product the customer was willing/able to pay for.

Craft made guns are most clearly understood if you look at three characteristics: Brand Value level (BV), Original Quality grade (OQ), and Current Condition level (CC). BV represents a price premium assigned by the current day market and is not an absolute indicator of quality. OQ is THE indicator of quality; note that it is independent of maker's marque. OQ can often be identified from old maker's catalogues or advertising. CC is entirely dependent on the care and use the individual gun had during its life to date.

"London best" is most usefully understood as a certain style (SLE, stocked to the fences, no thru lumps, high % engraving coverage, high quality (but not necessarily highly colored or figured) wood); and assumed best workmanship. "Best work" should be understood as a gun made to a very high standard and priced accordingly. A "best work" gun can come with any maker's name on it. Many very fine craftsmen worked as out-workers (not a factory employee). Gun shops were typically run by master gunmakers. The Master's job included knowing who did high quality work, what was a fair charge for it, and who was available. Few shops had all aspects of the gunmaking process covered with in-workers at all times; gun orders cycled up and down and workers came and went.

So, the trick here is to learn to identify a best work gun based on examination, not on brand name.

As good a time & place to ask; if a gun was valued at 100 lbs in 1883, what would it cost today to produce a gun of equal quality? Taking into account all aspects eg. labour & material costs etc. A ball park $ value will suffice. Thank you in advance for any imput. --- John Can.

The exchange rate was about 5:1 so the gun would have cost about $500. $1 per day was a decent pay for a laborer back then, so that gun would have cost the average working Joe nearly 2 years pay.

Some time back, someone posted the following definition - "Handmade is not perfect - Best is just closer".

Where's the old Lord of Glenthorne ?

How long would that be for the average hOmeless jOe???...he has some nice gear...
Where is Lowell G??
Also if a gun was 100 lb in 1883..a gun of similar quality today would still be way too bloody heavy
Franc

LeFusil,
I take it by asking just who might I be, the new Lowell Glenthorne, that was not meant to be complimentary.

Best guns are best for reasons, many of which have been already posted here on this thread. All the rest, are not. No need to attempt to insult because you may not like that.

And, no, not all need to have been made in London, though most were.

Every company or maker out there produced an offering which may have been their best, yet, not be a Best Gun.

Seems silly to try to make a silk purse from a sow's ear, and also to think a gun which isn't can be one, by calling it one.

If I owned Darnes I'd be unhappy too....

Dustin is out of Darnes right now. I don't believe he has any regrets about them, and, if the right one came along, I'm pretty sure he'd be game, but, he is a lefty from birth, not from Momma dropping him on his head, like you, jOe, and a lefty Darne is pretty rare. I think I'll leave him mine when I pass.
Per usual, your facts are askew, jOe.
Another thing comes to mind as I'm sitting here thinking about you, jOe-a sleever, any sleever, isn't a best. It may have been, once, but, it 'ain't now.


Best,
Ted

See there's another Darne unhapppy guy....