doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E Smith and Sons, Birmingham

Boss made a self or assisted opener with a spring that bears against the cocking dogs inside the bar of the action. I have pictures of it in one of my books, if I can find it I'll post a description. I can't recall if it is one of their patents or they just used it.

Page 28 in Shotgun Technicana by McIntosch and Trevallion shows a Boss system with a V spring that lies under the long leg of the cocking dog inside the action bar. This spring exerts pressure pushing the rear leg of the cocking lever up and the other end of the cocking lever pushes on the forend iron. Sorry I can't post a pic

NITRAH, That sounds right and is what LeFusil suggested. Is it possible to take a picture of the Trevallion page ? I have the book, somewhere in three rooms of books, but cannot see it at the moment.

I can text or e mail a picture, just don't have a hosting site. By the way Hollan pattern sidelocks have a spring in the bar also to push pressure on the cocking lever, but it is a small light spring. I suspect the one in the Boss system is much stouter.

NITRAH, my email is in my profile. I can post your pictures.

That is a pretty gun, Daryl.

Merry Christmas.

Best,
Ted

Here is the referenced page:

I talked to Douglas Tate, author on British guns, and he suggested the following on Edwin Smith. Of course no records are known to exist, but this is his take. It seems that gunman might have been spot on when he "remembered" seeing the assisted opener on a Churchill.

"Edwin V. Smith was a gun action maker in the Birmingham gun trade who is unquestionably most famous today for his Patent 372,035 of 1931for an easy opening side by side. Drawings (page 181 Modern Shotgun Vol, I Major Burrard, attributed to Rosson) show a boxlock, but the broad concept can be adapted to sidelocks too.

It’s a system most often associated with the Connaught by Westley Richards, the Hercules, and Utility by E. J. Churchill, the Regent, Eclipse and Norfolk models by C. S. Rosson. These guns were made in Birmingham, some by Keene & Curry and some undoubtedly by Smith himself. They have longer than usual cocking dogs and that cock springs in order to get the fore-arm onto the gun. Does yours?"

As noted earlier the forend of the E. Smith is attached in the method outlined in Mr. Tates last sentence.

I asked about the possible engravers of the Smith gun and Mr Tate responded. I find his conjecture interesting on the time when the gun quarter was altered for roads.

"The game birds are bog standard Birmingham game birds of the era. Busby & Stockton or Harry Morris are likely candidates.

And now for some conjecture: Your proof marks date from exactly when the gun quarter was destroyed to make way for the ring road. The old chap likely decided to hang up his apron rather than retire. The unsold barreled actions intended for WR or Rosson would have been proofed, stocked and finished then sent to a dealer. I'm guessing that 's why you have a Smith with the Smith name on it."

Great thread Daryl! That last paragraph from Mr Tate sums up a lot! Glad you got some answers on your “new” gun.

If you ever take the locks off, please post pictures. I would love to see if the mechanism resembles the pictures posted by Parabola in the patent thread. Particularly the cocking dog configuration.