Not familiar with the newer ones but the 'tween the war models were considered some of the better B'ham boxlocks. I have a couple and like them. Generally solid guns that were well priced when new. I have a couple of the higher grades and they are good guns. I also have a couple of reproduction catalogs of the period and they seem to have made a lot of grades with not a lot of differential between grades as to price. The big differential seemed to be between boxlock and sidelock and between extractors and ejectors. Within a classification you got a lot of increased quality for a few dollars. It still seems though that you see relatively few above the base levels. I would judge this one to be above average in quality but not a top of the range gun. The ones I have bought and seen sold tend to bring a little higher than the average B'ham boxlock but not an excessive amount. Prices seem to be driven by condition and features more than brand. I am working from memory on this but I bought a gun very similar to this in 20 gauge, no ejectors, a little older than this that was in nice shape but not refinished. I believe I decided it was a model 155or 165 with a 185 being the top grade in this line. I paid about 1700 for it a year ago on GB. Finish was a little thinner but condition was very good,looked good and was a small bore. This one looks to me to have been totally refinished, but to me is irrevelant in a British user gun. I don't think this whole class of gun is what I consider collectible in the historic sense so I consider that a plus. It is a 12 which I presume you want but they are much more common. A big thing to you I presume is that it is chambered and proofed for the longer higher pressure cartridge and would be a real plus as a practical matter when hunting.
These were one of the better guns that sold at a level well below the "name" guns and gave away little to them. You will have to decide what any particular gun is worth to you, but in my mind a Birmingham boxlock 12 has to be a really special gun to even consider bidding above $1500. If you are looking for a solid hunting gun, I would watch for a good mechanical condition boxlock British gun that has had new sleeved barrels installed and reproofed. A lot of these make the trip from England as there is little market there for them. They have new barrels and about any British game gun will have good dimensions and most likely IC and IM or Full choking, good stock dimensions and weigh right at 6-1/2 pounds.Itis pretty much the nature of the beast to hit close to those numbers. I have bought a couple of twelves with nice wood and good condition like this for $700-900 dollars. I bought an H&H boxlock 20 ga with new sleeved barrels done by Darlow (a well respected gunsmith) for less than $1500, a couple of pretty nice 12 gauge boxlocks by makers/finishers with good reputations and nice wood and engraving for the low teens and a few Scottish 20's for the mid teens. All these guns are popular but don't command a high price. When money gets in the multiple thousands it tend s to go toward sidelocks, which to me are heavier and don't add a lot of practical value to US hunting where you walk a lot. One big plus from a using/shooting standpoint is that the desig of the typical English boxlock leaves a lot of wood in the gripe area/headstock due to the working parts being more concentrated in the action so the 100 year old wood is thicker and more durable to the stress of a hunt.
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05-25-2024, 12:24 PM
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