London Best

I am merely a child compared to some of you lot, but even I remember the shilling gas meter in the fifties. And the proper dustmen and galvanised bins. And the rag and bone man giving kids goldfish. I remember Grandma washing using a ponch and dolly tub, and a rubbing board, in her outside wash house with it’s built-in boiler, coal fired of course. (Very posh!) My wife’s father was still delivering coal on his back in hessian sacks from his old Bedford three tonner when we met in 1970, and he retired in ‘73. I was born in 1948 and my Father at the time had a milk round which he delivered on a three wheeler trike. So my birth certificate reads: Father’s occupation: milk roundsman. I suspect many more should read the same!

I thought you were against the larger bag shoots?

Thanks.

And what/which imaginary god did the Arabs worship before Islam invented another one in the 7th century?

Maybe I read it wrongly.

It says free delivery on the website.

Hope the gun is alright? It sounds as if I would dare to buy a well looked after secondhand car from you, but wouldn’t want to buy your gun!

Great stuff. I’ve done a few Baboons but never at really close range.

Agreed! They are pretty carp (too dry) unless fried properly.

I wasn’t thinking of the EELL models, which as you say are just better finished silver pigeons. And very nice they are too. I was thinking of the expensive guns produced by the same company, some of which in the SO range sell for some £70,000 plus I believe.

Certainly the PW post of the year so far.

There is no such thing as a part time gamekeeper!

Define a ‘big bag’. Is it just one which is twice the bag you normally shoot?

Ah! The ‘60’s, when common sense ruled. If it was red it was a heavy load, 4, 8, 10 or 12. Standard load 12’s were orange. Blue and it was a 16. Yellow/beige was 20. Colour coding. Far better than all the colours of the rainbow. Yes, I have bought many, many thousands since the ‘60’s.

Thank you for posting, Sir. Sounds just exactly like one of my American holidays. Been in over 20 states. Seen pretty well everything in these pictures. Back again this Summer. If it is amazing to a life long resident of the USA such as our friend Nobodyimportant, just think how wonderful it is to us parochial British. Go and do it lads. You will not regret it.

Is there another colour, then?

Yes, I was just backing your post.

Thanks Conor.

But it’s not a 12 bore and the whole point is you cannot expect the same performance.

In 1975 I had a cheap Spanish LIG ejector bored out from half and full to TRUE cylinder and quarter choke. I have never for one second ever regretted that decision. I still have the gun and use it for all my rough shooting/duck/geese . You would be amazed what you can kill with a true cylinder barrel.

You need to realise that these are only the entry level guns from these makers, built to a price so that they can carry a prestigious name. The better guns from these firms cost many tens of thousands of pounds each!

Many years ago I remember the .410 being quoted as having 6% of the cartridge market. In those days it was fairly rare to see anyone using one. Today it has become much more popular and doesn’t raise any interest when spotted in the field. Plus there are now two major .410 clay competitions in the U.K. But I have not seen any recent breakdown of it’s market share.

Which nobody can estimate to a bird in the air!

Looking at the price for two barrels it would be better to order each barrel done individually.

Thanks Stu.