It's the middle of winter and the snow is deep. This is the time of year when the guns come out for detailing. I was going over the Henry Atkin, the camera was sitting there, and I thought what the heck ...
Charles Atkin was James Purdey's first employee. Charles worked for Purdey from 1814, the year that the famous firm was founded.
In 1833 Charles had a son, Henry. By the time Henry Atkin was 15 years old (1848) he was apprenticed to his father at James Purdey. Henry finished his apprenticeship in 1855. He continued to work for Purdey until 1865 and then worked for Moore & Grey (William Moore & Co) until 1875.
In 1875 an advertisement recorded the fact that Henry Atkin had set up his own business at 18 Oxendon Street, Haymarket, London. From that point on Henry Atkin (like Boss) was a maker of best guns only. After his death the firm produced some lesser guns, but quality was always the Atkin trademark.
In 1890 Henry moved to 2 Jermyn Street. In 1905 the company moved to 41 Jermyn Street because 2 Jermyn Street was to be demolished to make way for the building of Piccadilly Circus underground station. In 1906 he fell ill and died in March 1907. The firm, however, lived on.
On 1 April 1960 the businesses of Henry Atkin Ltd and Stephen Grant & Joseph Lang Ltd were merged. The business survives today as Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd.
The gun we are looking at here dates (I think) from about 1880 / 1885. This is my best guess, as the records published on the Atkin, Grant and Lang website start at 1899 with gun number 1100. This gun is number 375, so it is a fairly early example.
The inscription on the rib reads "Henry Atkin (from Purdey's), 18 Oxendon Street, Haymarket, London". So powerful was the Purdey name that even a veteran like Henry considered it worthwhile to advertise his association with the great company.
The bolting system is a conventional Purdey double underlug, operated by a side lever. The lever is a serpentine piece, flowing around the frame and arching under the hammer. It must have taken ages to make. It works very well. It is a natural, easily acquired habit to simply slide your thumb down to open the gun. The design has an operational benefit as the gun can be opened with the hammers cocked. (Many top lever hammer guns cannot be opened with the right hammer cocked.) You can carry a loaded, cocked gun broken open, and simply close it on the way to your shoulder.
And to the shoulder she goes! The 2 1/2 inch chambered 12 gauge weighs 6.65 lbs. but it feels more like 6. The gun is so lively that it practically jumps to your shoulder, but the 30 inch barrels keep the gun from being whippy or unstable. It is fast and well balanced enough to keep up with the twists and turns of a ruffed grouse in the forest. In short, it handles like a London best game gun should.
The barrels are worthy of mention in their own right. They are fine Damascus of a pattern I am unfamiliar with. Originally proven for black powder they received nitro proof sometime after 1924. Choked cylinder / cylinder originally, a previous owner had a "jug" choke cut into the left barrel and it now provides more like an improved cylinder pattern. Many cylinder bored barrels throw patchy patterns, this set throws nicely even patterns. It took a long time to make the fine Damascus tubes, and even more to finish the bores to the Henry Atkin standard.
I will let you judge the walnut and engraving for yourself, along with other details such as the hammers.
The gun is not 100% original. It has been refinished. At some point the Jeffries style fore end release lever was replaced. The new one is well fitted and functions perfectly, but it is blued steel and not engraved as I am sure the original was. The hammer pins appear to have been replaced as well, for while they are of the correct specification they are neither engraved nor nitre blued. Finally, the stock has had an extension added to bring the LOP to 15 inches. This extension was professionally executed as not only is the fit and finish perfect, but it does not interfere with the superb handling characteristics and balance of the gun - an impressive piece of work!
None of these repairs or alterations take away from the fact that this is not just a gun which bears the name of Henry Atkin, it is the handwork of the master himself. After more than 125 years of use the gun is still ready and able to go hunting!
The purpose of this post is not to brag about the gun (well, maybe just a little) but to raise awareness that these type of guns are out there. They may be the the best value available. You could not build a gun like this today, but if you could the cost would be over $100,000. Yet fine old examples of these guns are to be found for less than $3,000 - sometimes considerably less. While the guns are finicky eaters (it is basically a handloader's domain) what you get in return is all the quality, workmanship and handling that fine British doubles are famous for.
You will not often find guns of this type at your local gunshop. Mostly they are sold through estates or auctions. They are out there, but buyer beware and walk briskly away from any which display problems. Be discriminating, take your time and enjoy the search.
Sharptail
Charles Atkin was James Purdey's first employee. Charles worked for Purdey from 1814, the year that the famous firm was founded.
In 1833 Charles had a son, Henry. By the time Henry Atkin was 15 years old (1848) he was apprenticed to his father at James Purdey. Henry finished his apprenticeship in 1855. He continued to work for Purdey until 1865 and then worked for Moore & Grey (William Moore & Co) until 1875.
In 1875 an advertisement recorded the fact that Henry Atkin had set up his own business at 18 Oxendon Street, Haymarket, London. From that point on Henry Atkin (like Boss) was a maker of best guns only. After his death the firm produced some lesser guns, but quality was always the Atkin trademark.
In 1890 Henry moved to 2 Jermyn Street. In 1905 the company moved to 41 Jermyn Street because 2 Jermyn Street was to be demolished to make way for the building of Piccadilly Circus underground station. In 1906 he fell ill and died in March 1907. The firm, however, lived on.
On 1 April 1960 the businesses of Henry Atkin Ltd and Stephen Grant & Joseph Lang Ltd were merged. The business survives today as Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd.
The gun we are looking at here dates (I think) from about 1880 / 1885. This is my best guess, as the records published on the Atkin, Grant and Lang website start at 1899 with gun number 1100. This gun is number 375, so it is a fairly early example.
The inscription on the rib reads "Henry Atkin (from Purdey's), 18 Oxendon Street, Haymarket, London". So powerful was the Purdey name that even a veteran like Henry considered it worthwhile to advertise his association with the great company.
The bolting system is a conventional Purdey double underlug, operated by a side lever. The lever is a serpentine piece, flowing around the frame and arching under the hammer. It must have taken ages to make. It works very well. It is a natural, easily acquired habit to simply slide your thumb down to open the gun. The design has an operational benefit as the gun can be opened with the hammers cocked. (Many top lever hammer guns cannot be opened with the right hammer cocked.) You can carry a loaded, cocked gun broken open, and simply close it on the way to your shoulder.
And to the shoulder she goes! The 2 1/2 inch chambered 12 gauge weighs 6.65 lbs. but it feels more like 6. The gun is so lively that it practically jumps to your shoulder, but the 30 inch barrels keep the gun from being whippy or unstable. It is fast and well balanced enough to keep up with the twists and turns of a ruffed grouse in the forest. In short, it handles like a London best game gun should.
The barrels are worthy of mention in their own right. They are fine Damascus of a pattern I am unfamiliar with. Originally proven for black powder they received nitro proof sometime after 1924. Choked cylinder / cylinder originally, a previous owner had a "jug" choke cut into the left barrel and it now provides more like an improved cylinder pattern. Many cylinder bored barrels throw patchy patterns, this set throws nicely even patterns. It took a long time to make the fine Damascus tubes, and even more to finish the bores to the Henry Atkin standard.
I will let you judge the walnut and engraving for yourself, along with other details such as the hammers.
The gun is not 100% original. It has been refinished. At some point the Jeffries style fore end release lever was replaced. The new one is well fitted and functions perfectly, but it is blued steel and not engraved as I am sure the original was. The hammer pins appear to have been replaced as well, for while they are of the correct specification they are neither engraved nor nitre blued. Finally, the stock has had an extension added to bring the LOP to 15 inches. This extension was professionally executed as not only is the fit and finish perfect, but it does not interfere with the superb handling characteristics and balance of the gun - an impressive piece of work!
None of these repairs or alterations take away from the fact that this is not just a gun which bears the name of Henry Atkin, it is the handwork of the master himself. After more than 125 years of use the gun is still ready and able to go hunting!
The purpose of this post is not to brag about the gun (well, maybe just a little) but to raise awareness that these type of guns are out there. They may be the the best value available. You could not build a gun like this today, but if you could the cost would be over $100,000. Yet fine old examples of these guns are to be found for less than $3,000 - sometimes considerably less. While the guns are finicky eaters (it is basically a handloader's domain) what you get in return is all the quality, workmanship and handling that fine British doubles are famous for.
You will not often find guns of this type at your local gunshop. Mostly they are sold through estates or auctions. They are out there, but buyer beware and walk briskly away from any which display problems. Be discriminating, take your time and enjoy the search.
Sharptail
