William Evans 12 gauge arrived
 

Got my Boxlock from Kirby at Vintage Shotguns today. It is a staggering departure from my Parkers. Now, that is not to say it is better, they are just different....very different.

I am not going to bog this down as a comparison as I am going to enjoy my side x sides for what they are.

The "Best" (William Evans term not mine) grade boxlock has 30 inch barrels, ejectors, ribanded fences(which I do like), a straight stock(my first), freshly blacked barrels, a screwgrip(likely made by W C Scott), a 14.5 inch LOP, checkered buttstock with toe clips, bushed firing pins, and double safety sears. The engraving is very well done and quite full, double trigger, gorgeous wood, and I must say I love the button on the end of the forearm for taking it off the barrels.

The weight of the gun was shocking. It actually ways less than my parker 16 gauge and the action feels small in comparison to my Parker 12s. The balance is superb and the gun feels quite lively. Haven't shot it yet, but have some RST rounds ready to try her out.

The gun was made in January 1909 for Mr. A. G. Hogg, a somewhat famous Scottish clergyman who is credited with the rebirth of the missionary movement in the early 20th century and who had just published a book on missionary work just prior to this date, so one may assume the matched pair of guns he ordered in January 25 1909 were a bit of celebration?

Anyway, I seem quite happy with the gun, do not yet have the courage up to get my fancy screwdrivers out and explore its inner workings, but I can't wait to shoot it when the weather clears.

Bill,

The checkering is really messed up in the wrist area and some of the coloration I am seeing in there makes me suspect that the wrist may have been broken and repaired on it at one time. At the very least, someone botched up a recut on the checkering. Inspect it REALLY closely and make sure you are happy in that respect.

Yes, it has had a wrist repair I was aware of.

Mr. Holcombe:
Discount the naysayers.

You have a wonderful gun there! Treat it with respect and modest loads, and it will serve you for decades. It's beauty is superb for all to see. Plus, it has a worthy provenance.

The "button" forearm release you have is called an Anson latch. It's second only to the Deeley latch in popularity. BTW... the Parker latch is NOT a proper Deeley latch. It was configured as it is to narrowly avoid patent infringement.

If you can ever find the No. 2 gun, but it!

Naysayers?

Well... I would not expect anything else from you John.

Excuse me for making sure that Bill was aware of a repaired wrist break on the gun.

Perhaps a morning Irish coffee is not such a good idea for you...

Brian as always I appreciate your thoroughness in evaluating stock condition on guns and John I appreciate your compliments on the gun as well. I knew going in this gun wasn't in pristine condition, however if I only bought pristine guns I would have a lot fewer ones to enjoy.

John I don't quite get this comment?

As was said in the thread comparing Parker’s with English “best”, they made guns that were often shot thousands of rounds every season. There aren’t many English guns to be had that don’t show the wear of use. That’s a beautifully gun with deep engraving, a killer stick of wood that might weight 6.5 #’s, and it’s not even a “Best” gun. It’s a hell of a gun by any measure. Congratulations.

From what I have read in 1909 it would have been considered a best boxlock by William Evans but I don't have a clue.

What is a screwgrip?

Now Brian, John helped me quite a bit in informing me that an Aston Martin English car was far superior to anything else. We have a lot of black mud up here in northern Minnesota and some of the county roads are pretty deep. I was slipping and sliding the other day in the Ford truck with four wheel drive while thinking that if only I had that fancy English car I could go anywhere on the back mud roads, even up to International Falls. So go easy!!

A screwgrip is a Webley Scott design that qmong other things causes the top latch to basically screw down on the dolls head extension when it is closed.

Mr. Day I never compared, I said they were different and they are. I like both and I drive an F150 myself on our sandy roads and pastures in north Texas but have to get by without 4 wheel drive.

Finally put a few rst 1 oz 2.5 shells through her. I will say the smaller action and lighter gun does make it fly. I do not know if it is the light weight or the straight grip which I have never fired before, but there is a bit more kick with this gun then there is with my even mildly heavier parkers. Probably a combination.

Anyway I am well pleased.

Bill:
That surely is a beautiful gun.

In my copy of Diggory Hadoke’s THE BRITISH BOXLOCK GUN & RIFLE, page 200 (which book I see open on your desk in your photos) I read that the classic William Evans gun is a “high quality, finely scroll engraved, top-lever game gun with intercepting sears, screw grip third bite and a highly-figured straight-hand stock. He also says that this grade of an Evans gun would typically have a “Shouldered forend wood”; drop points on the stock and ribanded fences.

Your gun appears to have all that in every way, assuming I am seeing a “shouldered” forend, a characteristic I have not been able to find a definition for. If that is the style of forend in your hand, would you please describe it and how or when it might be advantageous to have it as a feature?

Mr. Holcombe's Evans does not appear to have a "shouldered" forearm. But the only pic of the forearm I can see is not too clear.
What Mr. Hadoke refers to as a "shouldered" forearm is something I've called "tulip paneled." Just as my descriptive term of shape at the base. Although others on this forum may find fault, this is the style ...

Yes, that was the description I was going by. Although I had no idea what a shouldered forend is. Diggory also has a post on the DGJ forum where he said a good way to determine Best or not on early 20th century William Evans were if it had ribanded fences that were engraved which mine does.

However, based on Mr. Campbell's description of a shouldered forend it does not. So who knows. I am very pleased with the gun regardless.

That is truly a beautiful gun built the way only the English built them. The checkering is not a big deal. It can be fixed without taking it down, to an extent, or just left as it is. Your gun is among the best box locks ever built. Congratulations, that is one fine gun anyone would be proud to own.