Fine double gun shops in Eastern and Central Canada

While I'm contemplating purchase of a ridiculously expensive shotgun, I'm wondering that the rich folks who own them do for insurance coverage. I would think a special rider on the home insurance is a good ideal, but what do people know and do? I've asked my agent and haven't heard back but what is a fair annual amount for a gun costing say around, say, $10,000 new?
 
Big Bad said:
With a double gun, I shop for fit as much as anything, meaning will it point automatically if quickly mounted to my shoulder. It's the reason, or at least the original reason, why people started buying custom made guns. The only way to test a gun for fit is to handle it. Of course production guns are predictable if the gun hasn't been altered by an owner, so once having handled one I could buy that same model online, so thanks.
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Call Chris Dawe and have him build you a custom or buy a vintage double and have him completely custom restore it.

He is currently doing this for me on a 1932 Fox A Grade and I was looking previously in the 8k-12k ish range for a really nice double. I will be somewhere in that range when I am done. But you get a custom fit and a custom degisn and custom wood made by an artisan.

Alternatively if you want a modern double and don't want to wait you could head to one of those stores mentioned. The Beretta 486 is sick if you like SXS. My uncle just got one in 12 gauge. I would get a 20 gauge. The Fox savage is nice too. 1 or 2 triggers. blondes or brunettes. what's your poison? :)

Also, if you like Beretta you could head to the Beretta store on Madison Ave in NYC. Some fine doubles there, great clothing and the manager (I cant remember his name but I had a drink with him at the SCI show In Reno at their booth this year) is a wicked guy. I nearly bought a 687 EEL for my father from him while I was in NYC with my wife for the opera in December but ended up chickening out because of the wait time to get it home. It was a mistake I should have purchased the gun it was a special piece and has since been sold.

No matter what, enjoy the experience.

Or better yet....buy something to tide you over and then start a custom. you should always have at least 2 fine doubles in case one breaks or needs attention. Just ask Canvasback on this forum...he is the Yoda of double guns and taught me a lot ...he has "a few".

best.

Adam H.
 
Big Bad said:
While I'm contemplating purchase of a ridiculously expensive shotgun, I'm wondering that the rich folks who own them do for insurance coverage. I would think a special rider on the home insurance is a good ideal, but what do people know and do? I've asked my agent and haven't heard back but what is a fair annual amount for a gun costing say around, say, $10,000 new?
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get an appraisal and put on your house insurance. bust their balls on the premium.

I have all my wife's jewellery and my watches and guns on my insurance.
 
Adam, you are too kind and you exaggerate. Hahaha! There are many on here who are extremely knowledgeable and who are also happy to share that knowledge.

I am still learning all the time. If anything, what I know now helps me to understand how much more there is to learn. There are worse ways to spend your time.
 
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canvasback said:
Adam, you are too kind and you exaggerate. Hahaha! There are many on here who are extremely knowledgeable and who are also happy to share that knowledge.

I am still learning all the time. If anything, what I know now helps me to understand much more there is to learn. There are worse ways to spend your time.
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Guys like canvasback just make me realize that I'm still an amateur!


My insurance people just want a list of the more expensive guns that I keep around, no extra premium.
 
209jones said:
Anyone dealt with Nick Makinson?
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An experienced member on CGN that I have done a lot of trading with uses Makinson exclusively and highly recommends his work. I had a BSS Sporter 20 gauge that he opened from F/M to LM/SK, and he did an excellent job.
 
My understanding is that Makinson is on his way to retirement and not taking on new work. I haven’t spoken directly to him on this but I do know he does outstanding work and often has some lovely guns to sell.
 
sillymike said:
If you're in Montreal, check out Dante... Not only have they got a great selection of fine shotguns. Shopping there is an experience.
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Looking at the location, I think I was there once or twice when I was a penniless student in Montreal, meaning in the long ago. I remember a whole rack of FN FAL rifles, which is to say those were the good old days before Allan Rock stuck his foot in. If/when I'm back in MTL with enough time I will certainly keep Dante in mind, thanks.
 
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My understanding is that Makinson is on his way to retirement and not taking on new work. I haven’t spoken directly to him on this but I do know he does outstanding work and often has some lovely guns to sell.
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Nick lives about 15min from me and I can tell anyone who is interested, he is semi retired and somewhat selective in what work he takes on.
 
At one point in my grouse hunting career, in the 1980s, I was saving up for a fitted bespoke gun by Malin, who as I recall was working out of London, ON. I didn't even have the deposit saved though before word came out that he was out of business for using Spanish parts in place of what he;d claimed were British made ones. That was the story anyway, as told both in the States and in the UK. I was personally very disappointed because I wouldn't have much cared about the parts' origins once the price was adjusted, but anyway Malin did seem to disappear and pre-internet I had no real way to look for confirmation of any of those stories.

People here must know though, what about Malin guns?
 
Frank Malin made guns under his own name and as well he apparently owned the Charles Boswell name and at one point ( not concurrently) made them under this banner. His operation grew big enough that he brought in a number of time served gunsmiths from Britain to sustain it and some of these craftsmen's names are among the most respected in the trade in Canada and the US today. Of course he didn't smelt his own iron, dig his own coal or grow his own walnut trees, he bought in major components in various degrees of completion and finished them mostly in house, the same as the British gun trade has been doing for over 200 years. He made extensive use of Webley and Scott boxlock actions and AYA sidelock actions, and while he didn't advertise this fact he didn't try to deny it either. All shaping, fitting, polishing, engraving, finishing was done by Malin on his better guns. He was just doing what most British gunmakers were doing at the time. He got into legal trouble because he tried saving some time and money by stamping his own ( spurious) British proof marks on his finished products and this cost him reputation, business and a considerable amount of money resulting in him going bankrupt and moving his operation to USA for a few more years. I've had the pleasure of owning one Malin made Boswell, closely examined two more and seen pictures of many others both as Boswell and Malin and I can honestly say that the quality of all of these guns was, within their respective grades, easily the equal of anything coming out of Britain at the time and better than most. I have read that after he moved south of the border the quality of his guns slipped which makes sense because he no longer had most of his skilled work force. He left behind a lot of angry customers who were stiffed on deposits and angry employees who were stiffed on wages and this resulted in more damage to his reputation. The fact remains, he made a lot of very fine guns, in Canada and proudly marked as such. They are today greatly undervalued because of his personal reputation and rumour surrounding quality resulting from this reputation.
 
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