England's provincial gunmakers

[mundaire]

England's provincial gunmakers

Check out this Shooting Times & Country Magazine article, some really familiar names there....

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[HydNawab]

Abhijeet,

This is an extract from the book Prince of Wales Sport in India by Bernard C. Ellison.

Rifles and Guns used by HRH The Prince of Wales and some members of HRH's staff during the shoots in India.

The list is 187 guns long so will short it down a little.

1. One 400 bore express double rifle No 21906 by J.Purdey and Sons, London.
2. One 400 bore express double rifle by J.Purdey and Sons, London, taking 3 inch case.
3. One 280 vore single barrel high velocity magazine rifle by Chas. Lancaster No 13097
4. One 450 bore rifle supplied by HH The Maharana of Udaipur
5. One 470 bore rifle supplied by HH The Maharana of Udaipur
6. One double barrelled 400-360 by EJ Churchill
7. One 256 Mannlicher
8. One Westley RIchards 470 high velocity double barrelled for big game
9. One 370 Remington Automatic , for small game
10. High velocity 470 cordite by Manton of Calcutta
11. One 450 bore rifle by George Gibbs
12. One 280 bore Ross single barrel magazine rifle
13. One 470 bore double rifle by Gibbs(This rifle was used by HRH when he shot his rhino.)
14. One 470 double barrel high velocity rifle by Rigby, Property of HH The Maharana of Udaipur
15. One 286 bore Mannlicher magazine rifle
16. One 450 HV by RIgby Double rifle
17. One 375 HV by Cogswell and Harrison Double Rifle
18. One 470 bore double barrel high velocity rifle by Chas. Boswell using 500 grains bullet.

"This was a first class all round weapon which could not be bettered", the author states.

19. One 350 bore single barrel automatic rifle, by Remington Arms Company, firing 200 grains bullet. Little used on this tour, but an efficient light rifle. Not recommended for normal all round use, owing to delicate mechanism beling likely to jam under unfavourable conditions of sand, etc.

20. One 450 bore express rifle
21. One 450-400 bore double barrel high velocity rifle by Watson Brothers, For tiger and rhino.
22. One 375 bore rifle by Watson Brothers, For Buck and gazelle.
23. One 475 rifle by WJ Jeffrey, London

Shotguns:

1. Two 16 bore double barrel guns by J.Purdey and Sons, London
2. One 12 bore by Holland and Holland
3. One 12 bore by William Evans
4. One 12 bore double barrel hammerless gun by Francis Scott, Birmingham
5. One 12 bore by Anderson

FIshing Rods:

The fishing rods used by the Prince of Wales, when fishing in Mysore, were 12 feet Mardock Steel Centre Rods by Hardy, the property of Mr. Eugen M. Van Ingen. The bait was atta or ragihittout large balls of a paste madeof meat with other ingredients.



Hope all you guys reading this.

Cheers

Ashar

[shooter]

The two guns were borrowed from Maharana sahab by The prince of wales at the suggestion of a famous London gunmaker (I think it was rigby) as there wasnt enough time to make the guns for him and as Maharana sahib was one of the biggest customers having one of the best gun collections in the world. I think one of the guns was a rigby and the other one was also a famous London gunmaker. Both these guns had their own Indian names and were returned with thanks along with another london best gun. Due to my advancing years, my memory fails me and need to look at my references- which alas lie thousands of miles away across the seas- for more details.