doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The pinfire game gun

There are outstanding reference works on British gunmakers and gunmaking. Some focus on histories of single makers, while others cover the entire range of makers and craftsmen employed in the dizzying variety of trades associated with the gun trade. Nigel Brown's three-volume set British Gunmakers is an invaluable resource of the latter type, as is Geoffrey Boothroyd's Revised Directory of British Gunmakers. Essential on-line resources include the Internet Gun Club database in the UK, records of official censuses, business directories, newspapers, birth-and-death records, and the collective knowledge of experts scattered amongst many discussion boards, such as this one. You would think that between all of these there are few surprises left, but every so often some new information turns up, like an address not previously recognized. It really shouldn't be surprising, as especially in the early days of breech-loaders, businesses were often small affairs where few guns were made in a year, and businesses could move location in between years that business directories were compiled or censuses taken. Barrel rib inscriptions and printed case labels might offer some tangible proof, but these are only as common as surviving guns and cases, and engraving and printing errors did happen to help confuse matters.

Today's gun, a 12-bore by George Fuller of London, is an example of a gun that doesn't quite fit existing knowledge, and is more than what it first appears. I believe it is a muzzle-loader-to-pinfire conversion, and I suspect past owners of this gun might never have noticed all of the scattered clues.

George Fuller was born in 1793 in West Ham, Stratford, London. He started his gun making business at 2 Dean Street, Soho, 1832 to 1834 (after working for or serving an apprenticeship under the great Joseph Manton). From 1835 to 1841 Fuller was at Caroline St, St. Pancras, and in 1845 he was recorded in business at 104 Wardour Street, Soho, where it appears he shared premises with John Evans & Son, Engine Lathe and Tool Manufactory (known to be a supplier of a percussion cap-making machine). George Fuller then moved to 30 Southampton Street in 1846, with additional premises in Maiden Lane. Around this time his son, William Charles, joined him in the business. In 1853 he took over the business of Joseph Wilbraham at 280 Strand, with additional premises at 404 Strand (Wilbraham had himself bought the gunmaking business at 280 Strand from William Child, in business 1826-1850). George Fuller's trade labels from 1857 to 1861 stated "Gunmaker to H R H The Prince Consort", so he was evidently a London gunmaker of reputation and quality to have obtained a royal warrant.

In 1857 and 1858 George Fuller advertised in The Field: "George Fuller, gunmaker, 280 Strand (having heard of the decease of Thomas Boss, the celebrated gunmaker of St James's Street) begs to inform noblemen and gentlemen, that he, having learnt the business of a gunmaker from the school of Joseph Manton, will be found equally competent to carry out every part of mechanical power as well as shape, weight, etc. to the precise model of T Boss's guns."

In 1872 the business moved to 15 Wynch Street, and in 1874 to 6 Newcastle Street. His final move was in 1878 to 3 Waterloo Road, but he continued living at 280 Strand where he died on 28 September 1881. The business was sold to Alfred Woods. Nigel Brown notes only three George Fuller guns are known, numbers 368 and 383 from the 1850s, and gun number 1068 dating somewhere from the 1860s to 1871. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is a fourth George Fuller gun, number 245, converted to pinfire.

On the face of it, it is a standard-looking double-bite screw grip rotary under-lever pinfire sporting gun, of typical form. Look more closely, and there is much, much more to this gun. It is number 245, much earlier than the three known Fuller examples (assuming his numbering system was sequential by date). The shortened 26 1/2" twist (not damascus) barrels have London proofs, and the early-style wide top rib is clearly signed "Geo. Fuller. 10. Wardour St. Soho. London." Already this poses a problem, as Fuller is not known at that address. There is a gap in knowledge for the period between 1841 and 1845, and he could have set up at number 10 before sharing premises with Evans at number 104... but that's just a guess. Number 10 is close to Leicester Square and is a much more exclusive location, and perhaps it proved to be too expensive to maintain, considering his next address was a shared occupancy with a machine tool business. The absolutely magnificent stepped back-action locks are signed "Geo.E Fuller", with acanthus engraving and the tails of the plates flawlessly chequered (imagine doing that with hand files!). The only other examples of similarly 'stepped' back-action locks plates I can recall have been on percussion sporting guns by Thomas Reynolds, who either apprenticed with, or worked for, Joseph Manton, which might further connect Fuller to Manton. The trigger guard bow has a worn game scene engraving, and the iron heel-plate has an extended tang and another worn game scene. There is an abrupt mismatch in border engraving where the lock plates abut the breech, suggesting slightly cut lock plates (it may have originally been an 'island' lock). The style of engraving on the action body and top strap does not quite match the style of engraving on the lock plates, trigger guard and butt plate tang, with the latter parts exhibiting more wear. As a conversion the breech parts are very good, with percussion-style fences, a long upper tang, a marked radius (curve) between the vertical breech face and horizontal action bar, a handsome under-lever, and nicely shaped hammers. The figured stock has a silver escutcheon engraved with the letters "F.L" in elegant script, but this is insufficient to trace an owner, which could date from the original gun or the conversion. The bores are pitted, and the gun weighs 7 lb 3 oz.

The twist construction of the barrels, their shortened length and wide sighting rib, the trimmed lock plates, the mismatched engraving styles, a game scene covered by the under-lever, an 1840s-era Fuller serial number, early styles such as a long butt tang, and a Wardour St. address all point to the conclusion this gun began as a George Fuller muzzle-loader and was converted to the pinfire system, by him or someone else with considerable skill. I have to say it is the best such conversion I have seen. Conversions of muzzle-loaders to pinfire, and even centre-fire, do exist, some makers specialized in such work, and the ones that have survived to this day often exhibit superlative smithing skill. I encountered this gun on a table at a southern Ontario gun show, and I expect it had changed hands several times previously as a "wall-hanger" before I came along. The seller did claim to having fired it, and I'm grateful it survived the ordeal. From a collector's standpoint I consider this gun a real "sleeper," and it goes to show how much interesting information can be gleaned from just another gun-show curiosity.