A Fine Selection of Best Quality Guns at the U.S. Agency

Barrels on the Asprey guns were done by Mick Kelly. This gun has 28” chopper lump barrels and 1992 London proofs for 2 ¾" (70mm) chambers, and have smooth, concave game ribs with the Maker’s name inlayed in gold a; the rest of the address engraved. The barrels incorporate Holland’s patented ejector system and self-opening mechanism.

Stocking guns for Asprey then was Stephane Dupile. This gun has a nicely figured piece of walnut with a straight hand grip, traditional drop points, and a 15” LOP over a leather covered pad.

These Asprey guns are well known among afficionados for their high quality and what tremendous value they offer. This gun is a good example of that. It was superbly made on all levels and is no doubt a “London Best”, just at a fraction of the costs one might pay for a well-known name.

 

Holland & Holland 12g Royal De Luxe Self-Opening SLE Two Barrel Set

Throughout Holland & Holland’s history the firm offered different models of shotguns based on its timeless Royalhammerless ejector bar-action sidelock. In the 1920’s,  Holland’s introduced a new model of shotgun called the Riviera. The gun was designed to serve as well shooting upland birds as it would shooting boxed pigeons, a fashionable sport at the time along France’s Mediterranean coast. Offered in Holland’s catalogs until the 1960’s, it is a model rarely encountered today.

Originally marketed as the Special “Riviera” Model Pigeon Gun, it was made as a two-barrel set and conceived for the sportsman who desired only one gun for game and sport shooting. Both sets of barrels were specified as 28”, but one set was choked relatively open and paired with a splinter forend and the other with tight chokes and paired with a beavertail style forend. Thus, one set of barrels for a day of walk-up shooting and another set ready for the pigeon ring.

Gun No. 40825 pictured here was completed in 1986 and is a modern interpretation of the Riviera model. In the same two-barrel set configuration as the original Riviera model, this gun was ordered as a Model De Luxe complete with game scenes and a deluxe bold scroll engraving.

The engraving features flushing rooster pheasants and a pointing dog on the right lock plate, a woodcock in a wooded scene on the bottom of the action, and Mallards flushing off the water on the left lock plate. A Bobwhite quail is engraved whistling atop a fence post on the guard bow. The balance of the gun’s action body and furniture are engraved in a deluxe foliate scroll.

The engraving is signed with the initials: “GLC” hidden in the game scenes. The action body and furniture are brushed bright to highlight the highly detailed engraving.

Same as the original Riviera, one set of 28” chopper lump barrels are paired with a splinter forend and choked .010” in the right barrel and .020” in the left. The other set of barrels are paired with a beavertail forend and are choked .031” in the right barrel and .037" in the left.

Each set of barrels have a smooth, concave game rib, 2 ¾" chambers and weigh exactly 2 lbs. 12.6 oz. Assembled the gun weighs 6 lbs. 9 oz with the splinter forend and 6 lbs. 12 oz with the beavertail forend; the slightly larger forend adding a few ounces of weight.

The gun is complete in its original Maker’s lightweight “VC” case for two barrels and remains in excellent overall condition.

A contemporary offering of a classic model from Holland’s and an exceptional gun on many levels.

 

Westley Richards 12g Best Quality Droplock

Here is an exceptional Westley Richards & Co. 12g Best Quality Hammerless Gun with Hand Detachable Locks completed in the mid-1950's.

Based on W.R.&Co.'s iconic scroll back action with all of Westley's upgrades...Doll's Head extension, Snap Lever work, Reliable One Trigger, and of course, Hand Detachable Locks and a manual "Beetle Back" safety. In addition, the gun was ordered with an extra set of locks.

The action body, cover plate, and furniture have House pattern engraving with the Maker’s name in flowing banners and inlaid in gold along with the Maker’s name and “Patent One Trigger” inlaid in gold on top lever.

The gun was ordered with a full pistol grip, Monte Carlo cheekpiece (a standard offering by W.R.&Co. during this era) and a beavertail forend with Deeley forend latch. The gun has a 14 1/4" LOP over a leather covered pad.

Ordered with 28" dovetail-lump barrels fitted with a raised hand-filed rib, single brass bead, original 3" chambers (as proofed in B'ham ca. 1954-1989) and are choked .040" in each muzzle. The gun was also ordered with provisions for a sling and includes the original handmade sling and sling swivels.

The gun is remarkably complete in its original Maker’s Oak & Leather case with canvas cover and includes a full complement of accoutrements ebony two-piece cleaning rod and ebony handle turn screws and chamber brush with nickel plated snap caps and oil pot. In addition, there are four other nickel plated jars included that are individually engraved: “Linseed”, “Preservative”, “Lubricant”, and “Solvent”. All accoutrements have the W.R.&Co. name on their caps.

This gun was completed around 1954 for Lt. John J. King, born in 1913 and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 5 October 1944 at Campo di Venino, Italy.

The initials "J.J.K." are engraved on the stock oval, the brass disk on the leather case, and the leather patch on the canvas cover.

Featuring virtually every option W.R.&Co. offered on a gun in the mid-1950's, this gun remains one of the finest examples of a Westley Richards & Co. droplock shotgun produced in this era.