Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Murphy
Art, who is the maker of your light eight?
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Bill
Sorry, I completely missed this question. It is a P. Webley. made before the joining of the two companies. When I purchased it I learned a lot of the proof and marking history while researching it. The whole educational factor is one of the things I really enjoy about the hobby. I often find that one tiny mark on the action or barrel can divulge a ton of information about the gun. One very rare German gun had one proof mark only used on one day that revealed much info about it.
I once purchased a relatively old small Martini that preceded the whole Cadet period. Beautiful gun that was actually built in Australia by the largest gunmaker and and gunsmith business in all of Australia in the 19th century. The entire history of the maker is a study of fortuitous events and timing and led to a major player in the firearms field. I amassed several hundred pages of background info. I also through the proofmarks and cryptic action marks was able to determine the supplier of the rather rare small action that was used as a basis for the gun. That's one reason I gravitate toward oddball guns. They tend to be unique and often have interesting histories and stories.