doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Joined Oak Box ID Help

I bought this box at auction last week. The top is quartersawn oak, the bottom is nailed on, and the sides are joined with hand-cut dovetails. There is a lock on the front for which I have no key.

The measurements are roughly 7x13" and about 3" deep

I'm posting here hoping someone has an idea about the original purpose of this box.

(Edit: I found some info on dates: it seems that W. Richards produced guns at his Tithebarn Street address between 1907 and 1917.)

Looks like a cartridge box

I considered that, but I have a hard time seeing it. Most cartridge boxes I've seen are designed for the shells to lay on their side.

would they go upright like in the one picture? (other pictures for size reference)

No idea what it was intended for or when it was made, but I'd have bid on it on general principle.

Regarding having no key... Years ago, I bought an ancient small walnut jewelry box at a flea market for $3.00. No key. Unscrewed the upper and lower lockworks from the box and brought them to an old school, full-service locksmith shop- the kind that can be hired to open bank vaults and whatnot. They looked at it, snorted, and told me to come back the next day. They were able to cut me a key for the price of a hamburger and a side of fries. (Which is, nowadays, the price of a box of premium 12-gauge target loads, yes, but still...)

Woodreaux,
What about rifle or express rifle cartridge's?
Karl

I'm like Fudd. I would have been on it just for the heck of it, also. I would guess that it's just a parts box. If it was first ammo- it would be rolling all over the place. So I doubt if it was for that.

Fudd and Jimmy W, that's exactly what I did. I couldn't figure out what it would be for but it's a handmade oak box with a makers label in it... I never expected to use it as originally intended, necessarily, but couldn't pass it up.

I paid $23 for it, so even if it's just a decorative piece, I'm happy with the purchase. But it would be cool to figure it the original purpose.

Karl, I suppose it could be for bullets, but I can't imagine how they would stack in without rolling all over the place

The problem with that is that finding those kinds of skilled tradesmen is not so easy in this epoch of cheap and disposable. I'm not even certain we have a real locksmith left in Baton Rouge.

On that cynical note... Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Best Quality donut box.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Ted

If the bottom is nailed on it is unlikely to be a cartridge box of any kind. Nails would work loose under the weight of the ammo. The ones I have seen are almost always made with dovetails, or finger joints for the more inexpensive cases.

W Richards Liverpool was a fine maker. Not to be confused with the multitude of continental junkers utilizing the Richards name to capitalize on Westley Richards’ reputation. William Richards was the real deal.