Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums  

Go Back   Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums Non-Parker Specific & General Discussions General Discussions about Other Fine Doubles

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
G C Lewis
Unread 11-30-2019, 08:50 AM   #1
Member
Daniel G Rainey
Forum Associate
 
Daniel G Rainey's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 547
Thanks: 986
Thanked 451 Times in 180 Posts

Default G C Lewis

A friend and I were visiting Steve Barnett Shop last week and handled a G C Lewis 12 bore that fit me like a glove. Seemed to be a nice English boxlock with nice engraving that handled well. I do know much about G C Lewis only that they made rifles for the Confederate Army, My friend said it was damn shame they did not make automatics. All joking aside, are Lewis's good guns ?
Daniel G Rainey is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11-30-2019, 09:27 AM   #2
Member
mobirdhunter
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Garry L Gordon's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,648
Thanks: 13,081
Thanked 9,468 Times in 3,042 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel G Rainey View Post
A friend and I were visiting Steve Barnett Shop last week and handled a G C Lewis 12 bore that fit me like a glove. Seemed to be a nice English boxlock with nice engraving that handled well. I do know much about G C Lewis only that they made rifles for the Confederate Army, My friend said it was damn shame they did not make automatics. All joking aside, are Lewis's good guns ?
A reputable maker. Just not one of the "bigger" and more well known ones. Guns that fit "off the shelf" don't show up all that often.
__________________
“Every day I wonder how many things I am dead wrong about.”
― Jim Harrison
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
Garry L Gordon is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Garry L Gordon For Your Post:
Unread 11-30-2019, 09:39 AM   #3
Member
Daniel G Rainey
Forum Associate
 
Daniel G Rainey's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 547
Thanks: 986
Thanked 451 Times in 180 Posts

Default

Thanks. Just considering this gun, What do I need with another 2 1/2 inch 12 bore birdgun ? Am aware that want and need are not the same and I do not own an English shotgun.
Daniel G Rainey is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11-30-2019, 09:53 AM   #4
Member
Kensal Rise
PGCA Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,768
Thanks: 580
Thanked 2,575 Times in 925 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel G Rainey View Post
...I do not own an English shotgun.
That alone is reason enough to acquire the Lewis. And as you've already discovered, an English gun has magic in its nature!
John Campbell is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to John Campbell For Your Post:
Unread 11-30-2019, 12:35 PM   #5
Member
mobirdhunter
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Garry L Gordon's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,648
Thanks: 13,081
Thanked 9,468 Times in 3,042 Posts

Default

Daniel, my references are for G. E. Lewis. There was an E. C. Lewis, but I assume the gun in question is by G. E. Lewis.

From Nigel Brown's "British Gunmakers:" George Edward Lewis began work as an engraver around 1850 and began making guns under his name in 1859. His shop was located in Birmingham at first, but apparently he had "agencies" in London. In 1989 the firm relocated to Price Street in Birmingham, and it moved again in 1996 to West Midlands (so you can get a ballpark date by the address on the gun). G.E. died in 1917 and left the firm for his sons to carry on. The firm was sold in 2003.

There are serial number records in the Brown book dating from 1871 to 2000.

Again, a reputable gunmaker.
__________________
“Every day I wonder how many things I am dead wrong about.”
― Jim Harrison
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
Garry L Gordon is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Garry L Gordon For Your Post:
Unread 11-30-2019, 01:35 PM   #6
Member
Daniel G Rainey
Forum Associate
 
Daniel G Rainey's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 547
Thanks: 986
Thanked 451 Times in 180 Posts

Default

The gun is a G.E. Lewis. The serial number is 10,000 range.and the sleeved barrels have Birmingham address.
Daniel G Rainey is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11-30-2019, 01:57 PM   #7
Member
mobirdhunter
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Garry L Gordon's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,648
Thanks: 13,081
Thanked 9,468 Times in 3,042 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel G Rainey View Post
The gun is a G.E. Lewis. The serial number is 10,000 range.and the sleeved barrels have Birmingham address.
Daniel, The 10,000 range runs from about 1897-98 to 1903-04. If you have a more specific number, that can be narrowed down a bit more as Brown lists the number range by year. If the Birmingham address is specific, that might narrow the sleeving down some (assuming the rib is new, but it might not be), and I assume the re-proof marks can help establish the year of the sleeving.
__________________
“Every day I wonder how many things I am dead wrong about.”
― Jim Harrison
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
Garry L Gordon is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Garry L Gordon For Your Post:
GE Lewis
Unread 11-30-2019, 03:37 PM   #8
Member
davidboyles
PGCA Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 422
Thanks: 10
Thanked 369 Times in 202 Posts

Default GE Lewis

I owned A game scene engraved Lewis and it was beautiful 20 gauge. Sold to a good friend who just had to have. Yes they are very well made and a beauty to operate. Sleeved means that it should be nitro proof. Ck proof marks to see what load it will handle could be you might shoot bismuth for ducks. These English guns are wonderful on doves. Good luck. I have my eye on a Lewis 16 Hammergun ..
davidboyles is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to davidboyles For Your Post:
Unread 11-30-2019, 03:54 PM   #9
Member
Opening Day
PGCA Lifetime
Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,862
Thanks: 11,113
Thanked 2,073 Times in 1,190 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Campbell View Post
That alone is reason enough to acquire the Lewis. And as you've already discovered, an English gun has magic in its nature!
Careful John took me down this path, and it's way more expensive then you would think ! But I'm glad I went down that "path"................
Eric Eis is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Eric Eis For Your Post:
Unread 11-30-2019, 05:09 PM   #10
Member
Rick Riddell
Forum Associate
 
Rick Riddell's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 653
Thanks: 339
Thanked 658 Times in 186 Posts

Default

From Charlton Hall Auctions

George Edward Lewis was born in Birmingham in 1829. He was apprenticed in the gun trade, and established himself in 1850 in Bath Street, Birmingham as a gun engraver. In 1851 census he was described as a gun finisher employing 5 men. In 1859 the firm occupied a large factory at 32-33 Lower Loveday Street. In 1862 the firm exhibited their guns in London and in 1867 they exhibited in Paris. Initially, the firm was a trade manufacturer which also did repair work, re-barrelling etc., but typical of major Birmingham manufacturers they exported guns to the Confederate army in the US Civil War (1861-1865) and developed export markets in the USA, India and Australia. They also built military rifles for the French during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). In 1871 the firm began to sell direct to the public as well as to the trade. They exhibited in Vienna in 1873, and in Paris in 1878, where they introduced their "Gun of the Period"; a high quality gun made in hammer and hammerless versions. G E Lewis introduced a type of recess choke boring, and popularised magnum small bores (12 and 20 bores with 2 3/4" chambers). From about 1873 until 1905 the firm had two showrooms in London and they exhibited in Sydney in 1879/80, Melbourne in 1880/81, and Calcutta in 1884. In the 1901 census G E Lewis was recorded as a widower aged 72 living at 2 Cambridge Crescent, Edgbaston, with G E Lewis (II) and E C Lewis, and three of his daughters and in 1909 the name of the firm changed to George E Lewis & Sons. G E Lewis (the founder), died on 17 January 1917 and the sons inherited the firm. G E Lewis (his son), handled the management of the firm until his death in 1988, when the business was sold to John Harris who stocked guns for the firm. In December 2003 the name, goodwill and records of G E Lewis were sold at auction in London to Grant Dempsey of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.
Rick Riddell is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Rick Riddell For Your Post:
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:14 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 - 2023, Parkerguns.org
Copyright © 2004 Design par Megatekno
- 2008 style update 3.7 avec l'autorisation de son auteur par Stradfred.