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

Tinker, aren't you glad you picked up that Purdey when you did? It is so easy to pass on a special gun, and wait for another to come along.

In my early collecting days I tried to only add guns that would add knowledge to the collection, either with actions and patents I hadn't seen before, or examples that marked milestones in the evolution of the breech-loader. It meant passing on guns that duplicated or were too similar to what I already had. While it kept me to spending only slightly more than what I could afford, I had not yet realized a Great Truth: every pinfire adds something, even if it isn't immediately obvious. That mistake cost me several guns I dearly would like to own now, as I realize I'll never see another.

Today's gun is an example of a 'typical' pinfire I might have passed up in the past, but is in reality quite a rare gun, while still being 'ordinary' in pinfire terms (i.e. a ubiquitous Jones-type double screw grip). I am much obliged to the very kind gentleman who recently decided to part with it!

In the mid 1860s there were over 500 gunmaking firms operating in the Gun Quarter of Birmingham (an area north of the city centre bounded by Steelhouse Lane, Shadwell Street and Loveday Street). Most are names unremembered today, yet their workshops built the guns the more famous firms got the credit for. When not filling orders for such firms, they could put up sporting guns under their own name, and increase the recognition of their work. But it is worth remembering the annual output of sporting guns from any maker would have been small, in the tens of guns, not hundreds or thousands as with the sought-after military contracts.

George B. Allen established his business in 1828 as a lock maker, furniture forger and filer, and from 1838 advertised himself as a gunmaker. In 1848 he was recorded as occupying 15 Weaman Row, St Mary's Square, in Birmingham. Thomas Birkett had a lock making business at 31 1/2 Whittall Street, having begun in 1855. In 1864 George Allen retired or died, and Henry Allen (presumably his son or a relative) went into partnership (as a junior partner) with Thomas Birkett, trading as Birkett & Allen, from 15 Weaman Row. In 1866 Thomas Birkett left the partnership to open up as a lock and action maker at 2 Whittall Street, and Henry Allen continued to run the business, but under his name alone. In 1880 Henry Allen appears to have closed shop, and Thomas Birkett continued his business until 1894.

Today's gun is marked Birkett & Allen, so this alone dates the gun between 1864 and 1866. It is a 12-bore double-bite screw grip rotary-underlever pinfire sporting gun, with no serial number. The top rib is signed "Birkett & Allen St. Mary's Square Birmingham", and the back-action locks are signed "Birkett & Allen". The 30 1/8" damascus barrels have London proofs. Both hammers have tips as stylized cap guards, and the sharp-eyed amongst you will have noticed that the right hammer is a replacement, possibly a period one. The gun has an elongated top strap, and bold foliate scroll engraving. While the owner had his initials added to the silver stock escutcheon, these are now too worn to be read, and the owner remains unknown. On the face of it, this is a standard quality mid-1860s pinfire game gun made by skilled -- but not famous -- hands. The actioning work and the locks may have been done by Thomas Birkett, no need to hire outworkers when this work is your speciality! The gun was probably never in royal company at any of the great shooting estates of the day, but it is nicely decorated and it was certainly someone's pride and joy.

As to how many sporting guns Thomas Birkett and Henry Allen may have built together in their two or so years of operation one can only guess, but it will have been a small number, hardly worth the effort of numbering. How likely is it to come across another Birkett & Allen pinfire? Not very.