Midland 16 Gauge 30"

[Eric Grims]

I have been patiently searching for another 16 Gauge and was close to pulling the trigger on a WC Scott - higher grade and a little pricey for my current gun fund, but beautiful. I went and looked it and some other guns over but kept coming back to shouldering these 30" barrels. Of particular liking was the cylinder and full chokes (via a Galazan gauge .005 on the right by measure) which was actually a choke configuration I was seeking. Back and forth for an hour between the two but went with the shooter; very solid with a real easy price tag. Need a pad to increase LOP and will do the wood and checkering this winter.
Still have the Scott in my mind and have some seed remaining in the gun fund so who knows. Took the gun and went straight to the sporting clays course. Put a Gamekeeper pad on and crunched them better than I have been lately.

[Mark Garrett]

Beautiful gun,, and 16ga makes it that much better.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Nice gun, good decision. I have never heard of a Midland--where are they made?

[Eric Grims]

They were made starting in or around the 1880s in Birmingham England.

[Rick Losey]

Actually - Midland is a known maker - I have seen some other nice examples of their boxlocks

Some info here

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=37882&page=1&fpart=2&PHPSESSID=

[John Campbell]

If you don't mind a contrary opinion, I would not add a pad to this gun unless it already has one. What's more, the wood and chequer seems fine for the gun and its age. It's your gun. For now. But some day it will move on. And I'd hate to see a grand English gun "improved" for no good reason. If this were a Parker, I'd have the same view. No slight intended of course.

BTW, your gun is built on a Webley & Scott action... commonly used by Midland.

[Eric Grims]

No slight taken. The gun has had some wood finish work done in its hundred years or so that needs to be removed but your point is well taken. I'm a novice with the English guns but it seems to me that the British have a different approach as to servicing their guns and have them worked on more and at a more involved level of restoration. A club member who frequents their gun culture and spends time there shares that it is quite common to return guns annually for maintainance and changes are common. I am cautioned that it is a different gun culture and I tend to see that myself. For example I see a number of very nice British guns with wood extentions for LOP. When I see this I tend to run for the door. On closer look they tend to show some very nice matching and workmanship and those few people I meet who have a lot of experience tend to not have much of a reaction. Still not for me though.
I am very recently retired and will be turning over some modern guns and enjoying the search for an original or close to original Parker and see what these English guns have to offer. The quality and variety is very impressive.
Thanks much for your input.
Regards
Eric

[Andy Kelley]

Eric, I am relatively new to British game guns and started buying them about ten years ago. At any given time ,I have about 12 or so because I like to sell and trade them. My first criteria when examining any gun is it's shooting condition and fit. This leads eventually in some case to a red pad being installed to increase LOP so that it fits me. I do so without any sorrow that I am tampering with keeping the gun in original condition. I must warn you becoming interested in British doubles is like an addiction. Have fun and good luck! Regards, Andy

[John Campbell]

If one must add a pad to this, or any good British gun with an original butt, it is most wise to have a pro do the work. And by this I mean Trevallion, G&H, etc. With such skills, a complimentary repro pad and/or extension can be made to fit the original butt sculpting for added length without sawing it off to "flat." In this way, the gun can always be returned to original with a turnscrew...