Just came across this post.
According to the published book British Gunmakers, Volume One - London, by Nigel Brown, pg. 47, "Harrods Stores Ltd. 87-105 Brompton Rd., was marked in the trade directories as being gunmakers only between 1898-1900. The probability is that the first of those dates is when it started its gun and ammunition department.....stopped selling guns c. 1968. Although advertised in the directories as gunmakers, Harrods did not in fact itself make guns but, as was common practise in such circumstances, had them made up to its specifications by the British gun trade or imported foreign weapons from their manufacturers." Pg. 113, "The company retains firearms registers covering the period 1920-54 approximately and a stock book which covers the sales of new and some second hand guns, rifles, pistols and revolvers between 1909 and 1929, but has no other firearms records. It seems that there was no in-house numbering system put on firearms retailed by Harrods and that the numbers on the individual weapons were those placed on them by the actual makers, who presumably so numbered them in accordance with their own system."
Harrods Stores Ltd. became Harrods Ltd. c. 1921. The gunmakers who produced firearms for Harrods, in 1921 -1927 was JT Hartwell, 1921-1922 was H. Soley & Co., 1924-1925 were C. Bowerman, The Midland Gun Co. and Rickarby & Palmer, Gunmaker in 1925-1927 was Bint & Co., 1926-1928 was Ward & Co., 1928 was Darlow (?).
Hope this is somewhat helpful.
