Sourcing of barrels... Now there's an interesting subject. There were a number of forges capable of putting out welded tubes, but that was only part of the process towards a finished gun barrel. While water- and steam-powered machinery was in use at the time, the process of producing damascus barrels involved a great deal of twisting and hammering by hand, before grinding and polishing. The Rose Brothers of Halesowen patented a system by which damascus barrels could be produced by machine, and such barrels, which appeared on some pinfires, are stamped "Roses Patent" or just "Roses", often with a "No. 20". I have several of these, and that will be the subject of another post. As to actual sourcing, the easy answer is that both British and Belgian tubes were used in British gunmaking. In 1882 John Henry Walsh (Editor of The Field) wrote "We think that quite three-fourths of the tubes used in Birmingham are Belgian make, and nearly all the London trade use them, with this difference, that they use the best quality, which are no doubt harder than the cheaper kinds, but are still softer and less durable than those of English make, and cost as much."
But for today, I'll stick to the subject of provincial gunmakers.
There are many provincial gunmakers for which remarkably little is known, yet a variety of their guns have survived. Robert Watmough was born in Lancashire in 1821, and he and his wife Elizabeth had a daughter named Anne on 5 November 1845. Robert worked for the gunmaker Thomas Conway, who operated at 4, and later 15, Blackfriars St. in Manchester. Conway was a well known gunmaker who was renowned for his pistols. Whether Watmough apprenticed under Conway, or was a journeyman in his employ, is not known. Robert Watmough set up his own gunmaking business at 13 Blackfriars Street in 1854, closing in 1869. That is about all than can be traced for this maker.
Thankfully a few of his guns survive. Here is a 16-bore double-bite screw-grip rotary-underlever pinfire sporting gun number 4029, made 1865-1869. The 27 3/16” damascus barrels have Birmingham proofs, and the top rib is signed “RobT. Watmough. 13. Blackfriars. St. Manchester.” The barrels also have a maker’s mark “W.M”, which I believe is for W. Marshall, gun barrel maker of 10 & 14 Vesey St., Birmingham, who was in operation from 1865 to 1868 – which helps to date the gun. The back-action locks are signed “R. Watmough” and are nicely decorated with dog and game scenes (curlews and pheasant). The bores are still very good with only slight pitting at the breech, and the gun weighs a slight 6 lb 8 oz.
Despite its obvious attractiveness, game scenes are uncommon on pinfire guns, with acanthus leaf patterns predominating. Price may have been a factor, though I don’t think so – talent came at very little cost back then. A similar Watmough pinfire recently sold at auction in the US, so perhaps game scene engraving was part of a ‘house style’, as it was for John Blissett of London. When executed well such scenes are very attractive and, when done crudely… Um, to paraphrase comments on another board, who wants to look at flying turnips?
But for today, I'll stick to the subject of provincial gunmakers.
There are many provincial gunmakers for which remarkably little is known, yet a variety of their guns have survived. Robert Watmough was born in Lancashire in 1821, and he and his wife Elizabeth had a daughter named Anne on 5 November 1845. Robert worked for the gunmaker Thomas Conway, who operated at 4, and later 15, Blackfriars St. in Manchester. Conway was a well known gunmaker who was renowned for his pistols. Whether Watmough apprenticed under Conway, or was a journeyman in his employ, is not known. Robert Watmough set up his own gunmaking business at 13 Blackfriars Street in 1854, closing in 1869. That is about all than can be traced for this maker.
Thankfully a few of his guns survive. Here is a 16-bore double-bite screw-grip rotary-underlever pinfire sporting gun number 4029, made 1865-1869. The 27 3/16” damascus barrels have Birmingham proofs, and the top rib is signed “RobT. Watmough. 13. Blackfriars. St. Manchester.” The barrels also have a maker’s mark “W.M”, which I believe is for W. Marshall, gun barrel maker of 10 & 14 Vesey St., Birmingham, who was in operation from 1865 to 1868 – which helps to date the gun. The back-action locks are signed “R. Watmough” and are nicely decorated with dog and game scenes (curlews and pheasant). The bores are still very good with only slight pitting at the breech, and the gun weighs a slight 6 lb 8 oz.
Despite its obvious attractiveness, game scenes are uncommon on pinfire guns, with acanthus leaf patterns predominating. Price may have been a factor, though I don’t think so – talent came at very little cost back then. A similar Watmough pinfire recently sold at auction in the US, so perhaps game scene engraving was part of a ‘house style’, as it was for John Blissett of London. When executed well such scenes are very attractive and, when done crudely… Um, to paraphrase comments on another board, who wants to look at flying turnips?
