Both Webley & Scott and Bonehill used machinery to a greater extent than your average British gunmaker. But there was still a decent amount of handwork involved. BSA, on the other hand, built military arms. So post-WWI, they had idle machinery. Why not turn out a double made much the same way as their military arms? So they did . . . in 1922. Cost difference? Per Doug Tate in "Birmingham Gunmakers", BSA offered " . . . the basic model for 11 guineas, or less than half what a basic handmade gun cost at the time." The Ejector Deluxe went for 19 guineas. And they didn't cut corners on materials. But, says Tate: "The gun appears to have been a modest success in the colonies, but it never really caught on in England." Major Burrard described it as "a clumsy gun". Think a comparison between a Stevens 311 and a Parker Trojan, Fox Sterlingworth, Elsie or Ithaca Field Grade. Except in the case of your typical British double, there was less machine work than on our American classics.
