Old Double Barrell Information

martygirl

Wondering if anyone could offer me information on an old double barrell gun i inherited. Not sure how old it is. It says W. Blesset, Regent St, London on it. Googled that but couldn't find anything. Any info anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.

patdahat

can you get a few picture's of it up?

Cass

Side by Side?
Hammers?
Any other markings?
Date?


Wondering if it's anything to do with John Blissett & sons and Tomes?

Longranger

Give Peter mcgee in Newport, co. Mayo a shout. He knows a shed load about English guns, especially doubles. His number is on the rfd list at the top of the page.

martygirl

Sorry for delay just trying to figure out how to get the photos up. There is a piece missing around the trigger.

tac foley

The part you have missing is called the trigger guard.

The details of the gun can be found by taking the barrels off and looking at the flat part of the action and the barrels. There you should see all the proof and inspection marks, dimensions of the cartridges and chokes and so on.

Please take photographs for us to see that is there, and we'll be able to tell you a lot more about this gun, which, to my eyes, appears to be continental, rather than English. I'm betting that it is actually Belgian - carved stocks are not an English gunmaker's 'thing', nor are prominent pistol grips to the stock - English guns tend to be straight-wristed.

BTW, have you got it licensed?

tac

martygirl

Thanks,. I'll try do that now. No licence. My father got it decommissioned and got a new gun under his license years ago.

martygirl

Thanks again. As you can see I don't know much about guns. Knew I
should be able to find marks but wasn't sure where to
find them. Hope you can make them out.

martygirl

Cass

Midland Gun company "Demon" double barrel 12 bore shotgun.


Maybe?

TriggerPL

Cass wrote: »

Midland Gun company "Demon" double barrel 12 bore shotgun.


Maybe?

Beat me to it

Cass

The logo gave it away. Too distinctive not to be recognised.

i'm assuming it is one of theirs.

tac foley

Found this - Midland Gun Company were located at Demon Gun Works, Bath Street, Birmingham.
They sold the "Demon" Hammerless gun in various guises and my 1933 catalogue shows this model at £9.00 for the border engraved model.
So far as I can figure out they first used the "Demon" name sometime between 1896 and 1904.
If your gun has English marks....then the very sketchy Midland records would date it before 1960 but after 1904.

I'll do a bit more digging. The visible proof marks is that of the Birmingham Proof House - they should be a LOT more.

tac

TriggerPL

It should have midland gun company down the rib , and should have a proof stamp like this , I think

TriggerPL

Dam u tac lol

tac foley

More -

Here is a brief IGC break down on the history:

Midland Gun Company was established in 1888 at 77 Bath Street, with additional premises in Price Street. The founders of the firm are not known, but their intention was to compete with others, such as BSA, for good quality economically priced machine made guns.
By 1902 the company was owned by H Ludlow England who, in that year, bought Holloway's shareholding in Holloway & Naughton.

The company may have left the Price Street works in 1890 and moved to 81 Bath Street, but in 1900 they were recorded back in Price Street (at No. 81?). These and some subsequent changes of address may reflect changes of the principal offices of the company rather than actual acquisition and disposal of premises.

In 1910 the company was recorded at 77 Bath Street, and by 1930 it had taken over the adjoining property of 76 Bath Street. It seems that by this time the factory was called the "Demon Gun Works"; the company had adopted a naked male demon as its logo (engraved on the butt plate), they applied the name "Demon" to their top grades of guns and cartridges.

At about this time (1930) the company had an office in London, and they sold a wide range of guns, pistols and shooting equipment by British (BSA rifles) and foreign manufacturers. They had a small wholesale export market, and they made components e.g. actions for the trade.

Between 1937 and 1945 the company moved to 74 Whittall Street, but it may have retained the 77 Bath Street premises.

In 1952, the company, then a shadow of its former self, was bought by Parker-Hale. Some reports say that the company traded until the early 1960s, other older reports state that Parker-Hale continued to use the Midland name on its guns up to about 1970.

Most of the Midland stuff I come across is in the mid-to-low grade but they did indeed make some very nice quality 'Demon' grade guns. I have a 12-bore hammer gun by Midland in at the moment.

They make good sound, inexpensive field guns, even in the lower grades, if you can find one in decent condition.

More -

Quote - I have a 72 page Midland Gun Company catalogue circa 1890. At that date their address was ;
Midland Gun Company, Demon Works, Bath Street, Birmingham.
At some later date Bath Steet, was crossed out and Vesey Street, was added. The catalogue gives a wonderfull insight into Midlands business. Their lowest cost double sold for 39 shillings [ Less than 2 pounds stirling]. This gun was a 12 G Hammer,30 inch twist barrels, back action locks and top lever opening. It was sold as "The Rabbit Gun"The best gun ever offered at 39 shllings!" By comparison the most expensive gun in the catalogue was a 12,G Boxlock ejector at 20 pounds,this they claimed to be half the cost of the competition.
The also sold Winchester and Stevens rifles , pistols, ammo; and all that pertains to guns and shooting.
In the late 1940 early 1950s Midland still had a business on Bath Street but also had offices on St Marys Row, Birmingham. At that time they were producing a high grade single barrel gun for the African[Colonial] market, the sale of double guns into these markets being illegal.

End quote.

tac

tac foley

TriggerPL wrote: »

Dam u tac lol

:P

tac

TriggerPL

tac foley wrote: »

:P

tac

I copped the Birmingham stamp !

That's what got me digging

martygirl

thanks for all the info. i'll go examine the gun now to see are there more marks. i know my grandfather bought it second hand. he was born in 1896 and i'm sure he was an adult when he bought it.

martygirl

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Thanks again for all the help. From someone who doesn't know anything about guns.

martygirl

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TriggerPL

It could be the start of a relationship ! With shooting ! Everyone should shoot a gun once in there lives ! Unless ur marrying them !

tac foley

Hmm. Proofed for nitro cartridges - not as old as it looks then. However, crossed sceptres over V = no later than 1904.

tac

rowa

Parker hale used the midland name on some of their cheap (but still excellent) centrefire rifles, i had one in .22-250, but wasn't as old as 1970.