doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What is the golden era of SxS guns?

There was a time, when I owned a newish high condition, but poor quality Westley Richards gun. It was just a gun at most, and made the Winchester M21 look like a best - and thats saying alot coming from me. There are periods in a gunmakers lifespan to pass on.

Agree with SB - 1870 to CIB!! The makers have all had various "periods" of better and worse, more and less reliable quality, etc. The number of high original Quality grade guns as a % of total production has also varied due to local, country, and global economic cycles. One needs to judge guns against the time frame of their production, the use they have seen, and their current utility. The current spread in prices suggests that there is a sufficinet supply of most guns. Very high condition American guns may be something of an exception in terms of supply. The number of shops, makers, and size of auctions suggest that there is a healthy demand, also. As for new guns, well the trade has molted from local to national and into pretty much a global trade.

Early 1800's to 1920.

Interesting. That statement seems to fit with my conservator friend's statement. He fixes, restores, creates, "old stuff", lots of Tiffany, Gorham and other silver. Was summoned by the Royal family of Saudi to create something or another for them. Quite a guy, really. Anyway, he once said it was cheaper to buy old crafts of these makers than create new. The costs to create/re-create it surpass buying good condition old art, even though it can be done today.

I would define the best years as 1895 to 1905-ish.

It's whenever your Brit was built!
It's a jamsession out there!

OK, I admit that I tend to march to the beat of a different trumpet player but without a doubt, IMO, 1810 to 1825. A more beautiful and gracefull firearm was never made by the hand of man than the best of the late flint sxs'x.

OK, so everyone's got an opinion, but this is getting silly.

The original question specified British, so why not defer to David Baker's "Heyday of the Shotgun", which pretty clearly defines the period as from around the turn of the last century up till WWI.

Jonathan Ruffer, author of "The Big Shots" likes to go a bit earlier, but by no stretch of the imagination did the so-called 'Golden Era' pre-date the breech-loader!

I think you had it nailed down in your very first post, Ken!

I don't quite get why it matters. It's like "what are the boundries of tornado alley"?

I could not agree more, with Chuck, Marrakai & Dig.
I think that 'the golden era' was probably prior to WW1 (1914)this was when the breechloader had reached it's Zenith in form & function.
But there is no doubt in my mind that providing you are prepared to pay, and wait, you could have a superb piece of craftsmanship built for you today using tools, technology and materials that our greatgrandfathers could not have imaginedSuch is the march of progress.
But personally a titanium barrelled, aluminium actioned, carbon fibre stocked, kevlar forended firearm leaves me cold, even though the calculations to programme the CNC machine would leave me awe struck, and the images of the proposed gun on the CAD machine twirling and rolling through 360 degrees would be impressive sales technology.
No, Gentlemen, what we are talking about here is the days of 'The Shooting Party'prior to WW1, when you managed your diary to shoot on every opportunity from August 12th until the end of January before going off to St Moritz tobogganing, and skiing.
Oops! must sign off now they await me on the 'Cresta'I was awfully fast yesterday, must try harder today, Smiffy is catching me.Wot.