Gun Engraving

[Pinfire]

Interesting similarities in the engraving on those Spanish guns.

Londonshooter's Horsley demonstrates how the shaping of metal can be best shown off by NOT having engraving! It is an unusual Horsley to be sure, as he had very good engravers work on his guns, like this one from 1866.

 

[Londonshooter]

Steve, have you a gun featuring the Green Man?

 

[dilly]

I thought I'd throw in some examples. Pinfire, please feel free to comment or extrapolate on my examples.

My Sauer drilling. Engaving in 'Duralumin". It seems like it has a lot of chatter. Not sure if that is because they used a power graver or the material is chippy.

Another showing some stippling.

My Thieme and Schlaglemiltch "Nimrod". Seems to be a convergence of styles giving it almost total coverage.

Another...more stippling

'Where's Nimrod?"

A modern Ugartechea sidelock with roll stamped engarving and a bit of sloppy hand work.

Looks fine unless you start looking at it up close.

An interesting "Crandall built" Tobin. I cant tell if the sides are all rolled or not.

Another showing a dog motif on the bottom. Clearly a freehand job ( I think ).

 

[Pinfire]

John, are you referring to the Dougall with an interesting demonic face on the top strap? Sadly it's not mine... And forum rules keep me from providing a link to another forum. I'll ask the owner if I can reproduce his photos in this thread. Having sinister gargoyles hidden in the engraving is a peculiar twist!

Dilly, those are fine pieces, and great photography. I had never considered the difference between engraving steel and alloys, not having any of the latter. I suppose it is a very different medium for an engraver. Nice design!

The punch work/stippling is also good to look at up close. It looks like it would be easy, so I'm guessing it is the opposite in practice, quite difficult to get it looking that good. Great work on the "Nimrod", the total effect is very attractive. I could be wrong, but the Tobin side plate looks like handwork to me, and I have to say it is the nicest Tobin I've ever seen. Those scrolls and little border flourishes make all the difference.

More early stuff, acanthus leaf on a tired Joseph Lang:

 

[sillymike]

I thought I'd throw in some examples.

My Thieme and Schlaglemiltch "Nimrod". Seems to be a convergence of styles giving it almost total coverage.

What's the two brass/golden pins. Something to indicate the hammers are cocked?

 

[dilly]

What's the two brass/golden pins. Something to indicate the hammers are cocked?

Yep, cocking indicators. The drilling has them too. Three of ‘em.

 

[brybenn]

I'll leave it to others to describe and assess the quality and style of some of the engraving I'm posting here. I'm still at the stage of "I know what I like". And these are some of the engraving I have liked the best on my guns.

An early 1890's Army & Navy. Doesn't look quite as worn in real life.



A higher grade Pieper that I never should have sold. Wonderful gun.



My Manufrance Ideal 6R EE





More to come.

Love the hound and rabbit engraving. I grew up hunting cottontails over hounds

 

[brybenn]

Jd dougal

Huglu 20ga. Said to be hand engraved im not sure though

Another huglu with same engraving pattern 410

 

[brybenn]

I do love fine engravings but i find myself more attracted to minimal engravings and bright true case colors such as this dickinson
I do love acanthus scroll and traditional floral designs as well as bulino style but its found on guns generally outside my price range

 

[Pinfire]

Brybenn, that side-lever Dougall is oozing with class and style… Wonderful full fine scroll coverage. Gorgeous gun.

 

[brybenn]

Brybenn, that side-lever Dougall is oozing with class and style… Wonderful full fine scroll coverage. Gorgeous gun.

Thank you. It absolutely hammers pheasants with the fluid steel barrels. I didnt get the time to get it out for turkey with the damascus barrels this spring though

 

[Ashcroft]

In their glory years, late 1860's to early 1890's nobody in Britain made finer guns than JD Dougall. In their later years after Dougall Sr died the company lost their way and finally faded out about 1910. Because they have been gone for so long and their guns are scarce and virtually unknown today the name means little now. Here is the engraving on a Highest grade Patent Lockfast 16 gauge from 1881-2. Never buffed or polished, the engraving is still crisp and sharp to the touch. You can see the similarities in the engraving on the later hammerless gun from the early 1890's posted earlier. I apologize for the mediocre photography, I'm just using my i pad and normal room lighting.

 

[Pinfire]

Stunning engraving, Ashcroft. Beautiful composition, great scrolls, and crisp borders, and wonderful shaping of metal. The curl of the lever loop is a fantastic detail!

The firm of J. D. Dougall is certainly under-recognized as one of the greats.

You know me, I never miss an opportunity to throw in gunmaking trivia. The Dougall family business started in Glasgow in 1760, making fishing tackle. In 1841 James Dalziel Dougall, a fish hook maker, took over the business from his father at 22, making fishing tackle and selling guns. By 1851 the tackle business employed eight men, as well as a gunmaker employing six men. By 1854 James Dalziel Dougall described himself as a gunmaker and fishing tackle maker, a reversal of priorities! In 1864 James Dalziel and his son, James D. (age 14), opened the London shop, at 59 St James’s Street, alongside Boss & Co., James Woodward, Stephen Grant, John Rigby, and Charles Moore. The London location and 1864 are where and when Dougall made this gun, a 16-bore pinfire with the Lockfast action. They still favoured open acanthus leaf scroll engraving at this time, with shaded backgrounds.

 

[Pinfire]

An American friend is kindly allowing me to include in this thread pictures of his 10-bore pinfire by Richard Jeffery of Guildford, with the J. D. Dougall patent Lockfast action made by John Wilkes, Dougall's actioner. Londonshooter, is this the 'green man' you referred to? Truly remarkable engraving.

 

[Londonshooter]

Yes, Pinfire. That's him!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man

 

[Rebel Till Death]

New addition to my collection

 

[brybenn]

The engraving of the dougals is very similar

 

[brybenn]

Pictures dont do it justice. The engravings really are sharp and clean

 

[Ashcroft]

Brybenn I believe our guns both have what would be Dougall's house engraving style for their 'HIGHEST' grade guns. Incidentally I once owned your gun and foolishly let it get away. It's a long story. Yours is one of three of these that I've seen which is quite remarkable since it's estimated that no more than 50 of them were ever made. Yours was the only two barrel set that I know of.

 

[brybenn]

Brybenn I believe our guns both have what would be Dougall's house engraving style for their 'HIGHEST' grade guns. Incidentally I once owned your gun and foolishly let it get away. It's a long story. Yours is one of three of these that I've seen which is quite remarkable since it's estimated that no more than 50 of them were ever made. Yours was the only two barrel set that I know of.

It belonged to a good friend of mine. He was the man who got me into double guns so it has an added sentimental value on top of being a great upland gun. Funny how guns travel and where they end up. Mine is the only one ive seen with a silver inlay leading to the rib. A feature i truly love. Ive been watching other gun sites like guns international but have only seen one similar appear and it had a price of 12 grand usd with only one barrel set and lacked the inlaid line on the receiver