Ivanhoe, that information is useful. Whenever I hear mention of a British pinfire game gun, I try to match the information to my list of potential pinfire makers. The list has been derived by dates, including gunmakers in operation between 1853 and 1870 who did not identify themselves solely as pistol or rifle makers. The list is but a starting point, as it will indeed include firms of this period that ended their business making percussion guns and never transitioned into the breech-loading era. It will also include firms that began in the 1860s, which started making central-fire guns only. Some makers on the list barely lasted a year, and their output is unknown. So I find it satisfying to find a match between known pieces and this list, which currently includes 922 names.

I note on your list a 14-bore pinfire by James Erskine of Newton Stewart, number 1619. The number is interesting to me, as the Erskine gun I have is not numbered. Also, the gun I have has provisional proofs only and no bore stamp. Did Erskine only number guns submitted to the proof house? How did he get away with selling a gun only partly proofed?

Also of interest in your list is William James Harvey of Exeter, in business between 1855 and 1870. In 1860 he patented a sliding-barrel action, which appears to have been made in two versions, one with an underlever rotating backwards, the other forwards. Without examining Harvey's sliding-barrel actions, it is impossible to be sure, but looking at photographs of these, they seem identical to the actions of the Bastin Brothers (lever rotating backwards) and Lambert Ghaye (lever rotating forwards), all of Liège. James Purdey built pinfires on the Harvey patent, and these look identical to the Bastin design. The sliding-barrel actions marketed by Henry Egg were of the Ghaye design. It may be that Harvey made slight modifications or copied the Belgian patent, which was not protected in Britain. The Bastin design was one of the first seen by sportsmen in Britain, taking part in the Field trial of 1858, on a gun carrying the Auguste Francotte name. It would have been interesting to see any other types of pinfire guns Harvey was making, as the catalogue listing you give does not denote an unusual action.

Here is the Bastin Brothers action:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

The Smith and Alden name clears up a matter. I had Thomas Smith, gun and barrel maker at 13 Little Compton Street, London, in my list. His earlier partner, Robert Alden, was not, as he died in 1836. I was not aware that Smith had continued the Alden & Smith name (also appearing as Smith & Alden), so this helps.