W.W. Greener 12 guage info requested
- Thread starter tokguy
- Start date
Is anybody out there an expert on WW Greener shotguns. This on is missing a hammer but is otherwise in good shape.
Is it worth the trouble to refit a hammer or should it be sold as is?
Thanks tokguy
It's hard to tell from the photo, but the gun doesn't appear to be in particularly good condition overall. High quality British guns that remained in the UK were often sent back to the manufacturer to be inspected, cleaned, and restored at the end of each season. Benefiting from this annual attention, many of the old English pieces are in enviable condition to this day.
Examples of the same guns that were exported to the America's were seldom so lucky. Yours appears to be one of those that wear the ravages of the years. If you could afford to send it to Greener to have it restored, it would come back a very valuable piece, indeed. But the work would not come cheap and this all presupposes that the barrels aren't severely pitted to the point of having to be replaced.
When it comes to Greener, Purdey, and/or Holland and Holland, I'd say if you can afford the restoration, you would at least recover the cost of the restoration in the increased value of the gun. Whether you'd get that plus the original cost of the gun depends on whether you paid too much for the gun originally.
Simply fixing the hammer and not having it done by Greener, would add little value to the gun, except at least making it shootable (assuming it is shootable now other than the missing hammer).
Have to agree. A good maker, but suspect condition. Double guns are a fairly discerning market and hammer guns even more so. I really struggle with this one being a collector gun vs what is available on the open market. I can pick up a nice specimen with some heritage for probably less than making this a nice shooter.
And on par with H+H and Purdey? Maybe, but that seems a stretch.
Honest, wear, by honest use of an honest gun, I would suggest that you list it without any high expectations. Unless you have a real connection with this one, best leave it to someone who is partial to taking orphans under wing.
Now, having said that - with a fair bit of work, I would be proud to take a couple of grouse with an old hammer gun like this (if I could hit the little buggers!)
And on par with H+H and Purdey? Maybe, but that seems a stretch.
Honest, wear, by honest use of an honest gun, I would suggest that you list it without any high expectations. Unless you have a real connection with this one, best leave it to someone who is partial to taking orphans under wing.
Now, having said that - with a fair bit of work, I would be proud to take a couple of grouse with an old hammer gun like this (if I could hit the little buggers!)
Thanks for your help. Grand-dad is sure the entire collection is worth more than (I think ) it is.
But there's 8 - 10 doubles, mostly hammer guns; some damascus; one drilling.
Lots of good names too...Parker, Greener, L.C. Smith,J. Blanche & Son; its pretty cool actually.
Again thanks for your help
tokguy
But there's 8 - 10 doubles, mostly hammer guns; some damascus; one drilling.
Lots of good names too...Parker, Greener, L.C. Smith,J. Blanche & Son; its pretty cool actually.
Again thanks for your help
tokguy
- Location
- Algoma region
Beautiful looking hammer gun, Doesnt seem to be any major rust, looks really good from the limited image we have here.
For a pittance of price and a bit of work you can have it shooting for the next hundred years... far more classy then most of the new disposable stuff being made now
If the bores are good I humbly suggest hand loading up some black powder shot shells and going to town.
A set of newly made hammers can ----easily---- be found , all you will have to to is clean then up "remove casting marks and flash" and fit them.
Cheers
Rob
For a pittance of price and a bit of work you can have it shooting for the next hundred years... far more classy then most of the new disposable stuff being made now
If the bores are good I humbly suggest hand loading up some black powder shot shells and going to town.
A set of newly made hammers can ----easily---- be found , all you will have to to is clean then up "remove casting marks and flash" and fit them.
Cheers
Rob
That particular Greener looks just like one I had,it was a standard grade gun made at the turn of the century or slightly before, not of any huge value I was told by Greener when I researched mine. I remember that they told me the original selling price was 9 Guineas back in the day. FS
Take a good piture of the other side with the hammer and maybe some one has one, lots of old belgium hammers around., also size of the sq. pin.
Try Western gun parts in Edmonton and Kerry Higgins at Saskatoon Gunsmith shoppe ( K & E GunParts) Same people . Longshot, but you never know.
This looks to be a better grade than the usall Greener I see.
That Parker would be nice to see. Any Purdey's?
Try Western gun parts in Edmonton and Kerry Higgins at Saskatoon Gunsmith shoppe ( K & E GunParts) Same people . Longshot, but you never know.
This looks to be a better grade than the usall Greener I see.
That Parker would be nice to see. Any Purdey's?
You're missing a bit of bottom of the stock near the action.
Normally that happens when a spring or swivel breaks but might not be the case here.
http://www.blackleyandson.com/acatalog/English_Cartridge_Hammers.html
Search on this site for one that matches, now if you're clever you'll buy two instead of wasting valuable time matching one up to the other .
Done up properly, which will require a lot of work and cost more then the gun is worth , it will be worth having.
Some people don't mind doing that though.
Normally that happens when a spring or swivel breaks but might not be the case here.
http://www.blackleyandson.com/acatalog/English_Cartridge_Hammers.html
Search on this site for one that matches, now if you're clever you'll buy two instead of wasting valuable time matching one up to the other .
Done up properly, which will require a lot of work and cost more then the gun is worth , it will be worth having.
Some people don't mind doing that though.
I had a WW Greener with two mismatched hammers myself. I purchased a pair of hammer blanks from Dixie Gun Works http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=11466 Unfortunately, they would not work with my particular gun as the offset was not quite right. I traded the gun some time ago and then I used the hammers as a part trade at Epps. You might want to give Doug (the gunsmith) a call - he might still have the hammers and they just might work with your gun. They will need fitting as nothing from that era is standardized. It's a bit of a long shot but it might just work for you.
