William Evans 12 gauge arrived

[King Cobb]

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.

[stumpstalker]

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?

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by Russell E. Cleary

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?

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.