double gun classics...metal finishes -- john gillette engraving -- ken hurst shooting instruction --...

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D D o o u u b b l l e e G G u u n n C C l l a a s s s s i i c c s s March - April, 2007 www.doublegunclassics.com Volume 2, No. 5

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Page 1: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

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March - April, 2007 www.doublegunclassics.com Volume 2, No. 5

Page 2: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

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Editor:John Campbell

Editorial Office:Double Gun Classics,

PO Box 75, Howell MI 48844 USAPhone: 517-552-1600

e-mail: [email protected]

Contributing Editors:British Gunsmithing -- Kirk Merrington

Metal Finishes -- John GilletteEngraving -- Ken Hurst

Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske

The Cover: This 12 bore SxS is a sidelockejector pigeon gun by Austrian master gun-smith Phillip Ollendorff, and features a bar-

in-wood design... as do many of Phillip’srifles and shotguns. Photo by Marc Gilsdorf. 2

March - April, 2007 www.doublegunclassics.com Volume 2, No. 5

Departments:3 Both Barrels. -- Animal Snuff Movies.

7 Classics Revisited.-- B’ham Memories

42 Provisional Proof. -- Orphan Barrels

53 Double Talk -- Breaking Even

55 Good Tools. -- CCL Stock Finish

57 How It works. -- WR One Trigger

In This Issue:8 The SCI Show, 2007.It’s a festival of fine guns and fine people.

17 Fitting A Silver’s Pad, II.It should have the texture of cream in the end.

20 Joel Settle’s Pair, Part II.The dark side of this man’s past is revealed.

26 The H&H Factory Tour, III.The action shop holds many wonders.

33 A Broken Striker Tip, III.We finally get the hammers out with good tools.

38 Scott Premier Take Down IV.Sidelocks only look complicated.

48 Poor Man’s Purdey, Part VI.

Double Gun Classics is copyrighted and published bi-monthlyby PAC Associates, PO Box 75, Howell MI 48844. On-line

subscription, $18 per year at doublegunclassics.com Pleaseaddress all correspondence to Double Gun Classics, PO Box75, Howell MI 48844. All content, advertising, products or

services reflect only the opinions or experiences of the authors,or companies, and do not constitute an endorsement by Double

Gun Classics or PAC Associates. No part of Double GunClassics may be reproduced by any means without permission.The reader assumes all risks and responsibilities. Please, donot attempt featured projects if you are not confident in your

skills. Consult a competent gunsmith instead.

Page 3: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

If there’s anything in North America thatapproaches the scope and sophisticationof England’s Game Fair, it’s the Safari

Club International convention in Reno,Nevada.

While SCI isn’t even a tenth of GameFair’s vast acreage, it is certainly geared tothe upper crust of hunting and shootingenthusiasts. In fact, a lot of famous namesthat have long been a fixture at Game Fairare also on hand at SCI. As you walk theisles of the Reno convention center, you’llnotice booths by Purdey, Holland & Holland,Westley Richards, Boss, Halloway &Naughton, W. J. Jeffery, Kynoch, and more.

The continent is well-represented too withnames such as Merkel, Fabbri, HEYM,Rizzini, Berretta and a host of others.

And of course, the premium gunmak-ers of the United States are there in fullmeasure. One can linger at the booths ofGriffin & Howe, Ballard, Champlin, DavidMiller, Kimber, Weatherby, and Rigby.

All in all, it makes for an overload ofexcitement for any maven of the classic dou-ble gun and rifle. And you soon realize that aone-day visit is simply not enough. If youare to truly immerse yourself in the fine gunsthat are available to see, discuss and handleat SCI, two days should be considered the

The SCI ShowThe SCI Show..20072007

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Page 4: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

Above, the Galazan Model 21 with titanium frame. A steel frame at left, and titani-um frame at right. Below, a motor-cased pair of Purdey’s at the Roosevelt & Drakebooth. They were made made for the Earl of Guilford... and sold for $54,000 at SCI.

Page 5: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

In my view, about 98% of all recoil padinstallations are bodger jobs. And just soyou don’t feel too badly about that, I’ve

been guilty of a few of them myself… in myyounger years.

But once you’ve seen a real high-endrecoil pad installation, you’ll never forget it.And the memory of its perfect fit and flaw-less texture will ruin you forever. Nothingbut the finest will ever be suitable again. Thequestion is: How do you create it?

Well, I must admit that I’d long agofigured out how to fit the pad pretty well…but finishing it down to that creamy-smoothand scratch-free texture was an elusive thing.Then I met a ‘smith who’d apprenticed atPurdey’s. I asked him how they managed toget the finish of their pads so absolutely per-fect.

“No trick to it really,” he said. “Youjust work them down with progressively finer

grit paper… finishing with 1000 grit.”Fantastic. All you did was work hard

at it. I could do that. But the sad truth is,that many of today’s gunsmiths don’t. Theyjust grind away, blow off the rubber dust, andpresto… a completed pad installation. Thisis not good enough for a fine English gun.

With the Silver’s pad properly roundedoff per our previous work, the next step is tofinish the “clean up process” if you will.This should include the removal of those nig-gling little casting risers from the back faceof the pad. They look like small teets. Andthe only way to get rid of them is by sandingwith fine grit paper. A grit of 400 or finerwet-or-dry generally works well.

Now it is time to cut and install theplugs. You do this by measuring the correctdepth from the screw head to the surface ofthe pad with an undersize dowel. Transferthis measurement to the plug, and slice 17

ParPart IIt II

Fitting The Silver’s Pad:It Should Have The Texture Of Cream.

Page 6: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

To quote Marc Anthony’s famous linein Julius Caesar, “the evil that men dolives after them. The good is oft

interred with their bones.” So, it may havebeen with Joel Settle.

But no one knows for sure. Or, at leastno one in Alsager, England, who is in a posi-tion to shed any light on the subject is aboutto talk.

What we do know is that the man whobought this fine pair of Westley Richardsboxlocks was a Horatio Alger of sorts. JoelSettle worked his way to fortune in a rough-and-tumble mining town, then fell to the bit-ter hand of fate at the very end. But duringhis salad days, between 1903 and 1925, heowned the Westley Richards guns that are the

centerpiece of this tale.As far as I’ve been able to discern, the

story of Joel Settle begins with his birth inthe English town of Saue Bolton in 1863.From that point until 1902, we know little ofhis life. But he eventually turned up in theMidlands town of Alsager (pronounced al-sage-er). In 1902, Settle became manager ofthe coke plant at the Bignall Hill/Jamage col-liery (mine), near Alsager, and installed acoal washing plant at this colliery. It musthave made him a pretty penny.

In 1903, he purchased WholehouseFarm from the very wealthy Mellor family,and renamed it The Hill. He also acquired ageneral engineering and coal wagon repairshop… and took delivery of a very nice pair

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Page 7: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

When I entered the action shop ofHolland & Holland, I immediatelywondered how many fantastic

guns and rifles had been created there. Whatroyalty, captains of industry, celebrities andmore had their most prized sporting arms fin-ished and assembled in this very room?

Given enough time to consider thethought, a complete answer would certainlyboggle the mind.

Nonetheless, this section of the H&Hfactory is not that large. And only Godknows how many incredibly skilled crafts-men have trod its ancient planked floors.Still, the environment is kept surprisinglyclean and neat. And although both sides of

the room have windows, the work benchesare all positioned along the street side of thebuilding, overlooking Harrow Road andKensal Green Cemetery on the opposite side.

In a more focused view, the shop’s in-process rack provides a tempting hint at thefirearms finery that is presently composedhere… and which will soon find its way intothe collections of the world’s elite. On thisday, side-by-sides edged out the over/undersby a small margin. But each gun was a fasci-nating object lesson in fine gun building.

Some were in the final shaping stage.Others were in polish. And a few were readyfor blacking and case hardening. Most hadtheir pins standing proud since indexing and

Inside British Gunmaking, Part IV:

Holland & Holland:The Factory Tour, Part III.

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Page 8: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

Above: An half dozen fine Hollands ready for various stages of advance finish. Onlytwo over/unders in the mix here. Below, the sinuous lines of a Holland & Hollandover/under are evident in the action’s sculpture. Pins are still high and proud here.

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Page 9: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

The Anson & Deeley boxlock is one ofmankind’s most simple inventions. Infact, it is so straight-forward and reli-

able that it has become the standard basis forthe vast majority of the world’s side-by-sideshotguns.

But rue the day you have to get thehammers out of one.

In this department, the old A&Ddesign is a bit of a bugger. Well, at leastcompared to a nice sidelock. But, if youknow how to handle things, hammer removalon this Westley Richards boxlock is moredrudgery than it is terrifying.

This is mostly due to the strength ofthe mainsprings involved. They are generallyhell for stout, and put a lot of pressure on the

hammers. And this pressure must be safelycounteracted while the hammer pin isremoved. But there’s more to it than that.Not only must the mainspring pressure beopposed, but both the spring and hammermust be controlled during removal. This isthe sticky part. If things get out of hand,parts can easily fly across the room at super-sonic speeds and into limbo (another namefor the darkest recess under the most heavybench or machine).

To make this stage of the dismantlingprocess more civilized, one must make ahammer removal block/tool. This can be cre-ated from good hard pine… but is more sen-sible to make out of hardwood. A 2x2” blockapproximately the length of a lead pencil is

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Page 10: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

When you first look at a sidelockmechanism, it seems as complexas a Swiss watch. But the longer

you study it, the simpler it becomes. Andtaking it apart merely requires care and atten-tion to detail.

There are two major concerns in thedisassembly of a sidelock. The first is aproper set of screwdrivers/turnscrews. Thesemust fit the slots at hand perfectly if they areto work properly. A tight screw will onlybugger if you don’t have the right screwdriv-er blade in place and the proper downforce tokeep it there.

The second key factor in taking downa sidelock is a spring compressor. These canbe purchased commercially (although com-

mercial ones are a bit “clunky”) or they canbe made up by a good machinist. The otheralternative that you’ll see illustrated here is apair of needle-nose Vice –Grip pliers. This isnot a proper tool, but it is sometimes a handyand available tool. You can even find themat the local hardware store. The only modifi-cation you may need to make is to grind thenose down a bit more “skinny” than the fac-tory contour. This may be necessary to getinto certain tight spots… say for the intercep-tor spring that is part of these Scott Premierlocks.

Oh, yes. You should also have somemasking tape and/or small plastic “zip lock”bags to keep your parts sorted out. Eachpiece is specific to each lock, left and 38

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Page 11: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

There is little glamour in sanding a gun-stock. But if you’re working on aPurdey, there is a lot of precision in

the job. In fact, there is so much precisionrequired that you simply must sand undermagnification.

Yes, magnification. If you don’t havean Opti-Visor or magnifying work lamp, getone before doing any sanding on a Purdeystock.

The reason why is that the wood/metalfit points of a Purdey are so critical is thatthere is literally no margin for reduction ofthe wood. There are literally no wood/metaltolerances in a Purdey. Everything is fit per-fectly the first time. No “proud” wood standsanywhere. Hence, if damage does befall thewood, you either live with it or live withreducing the fit slightly. (Purdey factoryservice has another solution but it’s farbeyond the capabilities of any hobby crafts-man)

As a result of this Purdey precision,

some faults in the wood must be left slightlyvisible because you’d have to remove toomuch wood to dispense with them.

Neither does it pay to sand a Purdeystock with course grade of abrasive. I wouldnot start the job with anything more aggres-sive than 220 grit. The reason for this is thatonce a stock is sanded with coarse paper, youmust re-sand to remove to remove thescratches from the previous grit. If they’retoo heavy you have to remove too muchwood to achieve a proper level of smooth-ness. This becomes especially problematicalaround metal fit areas. And whether youknow it or not, the final sanding stage for aPurdey is 1000 grit.

And it goes without saying that alledges and surfaces must be kept true andsquare. Absolutely no rounded off anythingcan be tolerated. Virtually all sanding isdone with a series of hard backers.

Checkering is next. This is another jobthat should not be attempted unless you

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PPPPoooooooorrrr MMMMaaaannnn’’’’ssss PPPPuuuurrrrddddeeeeyyyy....Part VII.

ByJohn Campbell

Page 12: Double Gun Classics...Metal Finishes -- John Gillette Engraving -- Ken Hurst Shooting Instruction -- Pat Lieske ... “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred

Jamestown Toolworks

Excelling in the Craft of Fine Woodworking Tools

Custom tools at no additional charge Will construct any plane, scraper or chiselin any profile, length, or width

Phone: 208 884-4455 Email: [email protected]

Pictured above is a Jamestown replica of a Norris mitre plane in bronze and rosewood

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Coming... In The Next Issue:To Morrow and To Morrow...

Apologies to The Bard of Avon, and you. It will be in the next issue.

Broken Striker Tip, Part IV.With the strikers out it’s time to make a new tip.

Poor Man’s Purdey, Part VIII.There’s only one way to refinish a Purdey stock: The right way.

A Visit To Holland & Holland’s Factory, Part IV.The engravers, stock shop, and more are on your next leg of the tour.

Joel Settle’s Pair, Part III.The idea was to restore their matched glory. This is the first step.