doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com George Bury, double, London?

This morning at my gun club a guy showed me an old gun he said was in his basement...and I am wondering if anyone might know about this double...I looked into several books I have including the 3 volumes I have on the British Shotgun by Crudgington and Baker including the Greener book on the shotgun as well as Wieland and McIntosh...nowhere do I find a " George Bury".... I am including some photos I took...it appears to be Birmingham proofs...and someone in the past painted the metal black....the picture I did not take was the rib, which had " George, or Geo, Bury, London".. I even checked the Greener Story book because the engraving of the dog , although hard for you to see, looks very much like a dog engraving on some Greener guns...and reactions would be appreciated sine he wants to know if it is worth restoring....the wood looks pretty good and although the checking is severely worn one can see it was hand done...interestingly the wood stock has some lead shot embedded in it....I will post the pictures ASAP.





The proof marks are on the barrels and not in the usual place.

I could only find one Bury on Internet Gun Club and in Brown Vols I & II. John, in Birmingham in the 1830s, so too early for your gun.

Perhaps Geo Bury was an ironmonger and bought in guns from the trade to mark up in his own name.

Tim

Thanks Tim...that is what I am thinking right now...google search showed a George Bury who , from a British location or city I do not remember right now was involved in the inventions of some weaving equipment...I will try to check the serial number with some makers...but it is a long shot.

Jules Bury was a very successful Liege, Belgium, maker. He was one of the four makers credited with setting "best work" standards for the Belgian trade and elevating them to higher respectability. I have noidea if there could be a family connection.

DDA

I just check that Cabelas listing...to bad no pictures....the gun I saw was in tough shape,....rusted bores and the barrell hinge pin or hook was broken off.......that is helpful since it may eliminate the possibility that it was engraved by an owner....it was 2 1/2 chambered...I told him that he should save it as a wall hanger....I think they are not Damascus barrels...but hard to tell. Thanks again.

Ps...just scrolled down and saw that information about the manufacture of these guns....will keep searching Bury now.

Condor,
The gun in question was made in Birmingham,circa 1890; as indicated by the proof marks.[It is not of Belgian manufacture].Many Birmingham guns made for the trade, had the word "London" engraved on the rib,this was simply a "sales ploy" and not an indication as to location of the retailer.As suggested by others G Bury was almost certainley an Ironmonger selling guns, made in Birmingham,engraved with his name.
Many examples of Guns made for Ironmogers have been recorded on this forum.A recent post was a gun engraved with the retailers name and also the name of the town in which their business was located.From the towns historical business directories it was confirmed that the retailer was indeed an Ironmonger[Hardware store].

Thak you Roy ,and the other responses,...I was even checking to see if it was a sporting goods store and came up short...and looked at Cornell's publication of British Gun smiths and came up short there.....that's the answer ..thank you again. I will do a search using "ironmonger"...and learn more..