Any info on W. & J. Davis Hammer Gun

[Montefeltro]

Hello chaps,

 

I am new to the forum and this is my first post, I hope you can help..

 

I was looking for any information on a recent gun purchase…. I went to the CLA Game Fair on Friday and I bought a side by side Hammer Gun but I can’t seem to find much information on it.

 

It is a 12 bore side by side hammer gun made by W & J Davis of Birmingham, it has 30” steel barrels with 1/2 & 1/4 choking (not Damascus but may not be original barrels) and I was told it was made circa 1876.

 

It has had the barrels re-blued and has had the action ‘case hardened’. Apparently it has been stripped and checked over (replacing any worn parts) and then re-assembled. It looks in pretty good condition considering its age (few marks here and there) and I think it’s had new firing pins fitted. Its nitro proofed and has a Birmingham stamp on the underside of the barrels (makes me think they maybe original barrels). I’ve noticed that the hammer on the right hand barrel looks slightly bent (may have been dropped), it still hits the firing pin but the pin is not quite central to the hammer, maybe I can get this straightened by a gunsmith? I've attached a few pics..

 

 

I've read a few threads on this forum and I've manage to track down 2 of these guns sold or talked about on here.

 

There is a chap known as Wabbitshooter and he had one of these for sale and sold it to a chap know as Zapp, maybe if you are reading this thread you could tell me a bit more about these guns and possible a date of manufacture from the serial number.

 

I trawled the web and found very little information on the firm W & J Davis and very few guns like this for sale. the only info I could find is..

 

W J Davis: History:

 

W & J Davis claimed establishment in 1876. They were recorded in about 1900 at 31 Newton Road, Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham.

 

Amongst the models they sold were the "Defiance" (a cheap boxlock), the "Marsh" (an 8 or 10 bore wildfowling gun), and the "Balmoral" (an Anson & Deeley ejector).

 

The firm appears to have closed in about 1928.

 

I hope to put a few sheels through it on Sunday so I'll let you know how I get on

 

Thanks for taking time to read and any info or pictures of this make would be appreciated so I can build some history up.

 

Cheers....

[Zapp]

Hi

 

Yes you are right, I owned a practically identical W & J Davis back action hammer gun. Unfortunately my limited research only ever got as far as yours, ie the address and a very rough outline of the company history. It is sadly gone now, as a crack started to develop in the action. I got some very good use out of it though

[dogrun]

Hello chaps,hello there just looking at some old posts and found this one about a w&jdavies hammer gun,i'v got a w&jdavies myself and i'v been trying to find out abit about iti came across an old catalogue of the firm and i think im looking at your gun on one of the pages its called a stratford gun and it was selling for £3.12s 6d and they say its well worth £7.7shillings and its cash only,established 1870 something they say they've had 25 years success and this catalogue is sighned i think j,w,foulds 1901 the one i'v got is a boxlock and its beautiful a very well figured dark stock 29inch barrels i bought 22 years ago it belonged to a jeweller in monmoth and its in beautiful condition and all original i paid £900 for it and it was well worth it,its one of the pritiest boxlocks iv seen,cheers boys.

 

I am new to the forum and this is my first post, I hope you can help..

 

I was looking for any information on a recent gun purchase…. I went to the CLA Game Fair on Friday and I bought a side by side Hammer Gun but I can’t seem to find much information on it.

 

It is a 12 bore side by side hammer gun made by W & J Davis of Birmingham, it has 30” steel barrels with 1/2 & 1/4 choking (not Damascus but may not be original barrels) and I was told it was made circa 1876.

 

It has had the barrels re-blued and has had the action ‘case hardened’. Apparently it has been stripped and checked over (replacing any worn parts) and then re-assembled. It looks in pretty good condition considering its age (few marks here and there) and I think it’s had new firing pins fitted. Its nitro proofed and has a Birmingham stamp on the underside of the barrels (makes me think they maybe original barrels). I’ve noticed that the hammer on the right hand barrel looks slightly bent (may have been dropped), it still hits the firing pin but the pin is not quite central to the hammer, maybe I can get this straightened by a gunsmith? I've attached a few pics..

 

 

I've read a few threads on this forum and I've manage to track down 2 of these guns sold or talked about on here.

 

There is a chap known as Wabbitshooter and he had one of these for sale and sold it to a chap know as Zapp, maybe if you are reading this thread you could tell me a bit more about these guns and possible a date of manufacture from the serial number.

 

I trawled the web and found very little information on the firm W & J Davis and very few guns like this for sale. the only info I could find is..

 

W J Davis: History:

 

W & J Davis claimed establishment in 1876. They were recorded in about 1900 at 31 Newton Road, Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham.

 

Amongst the models they sold were the "Defiance" (a cheap boxlock), the "Marsh" (an 8 or 10 bore wildfowling gun), and the "Balmoral" (an Anson & Deeley ejector).

 

The firm appears to have closed in about 1928.

 

I hope to put a few sheels through it on Sunday so I'll let you know how I get on

 

Thanks for taking time to read and any info or pictures of this make would be appreciated so I can build some history up.

 

Cheers....

[Tim stephenson]

I have a w & j davis  hammer gun damascus barrels engraved on the top rib Reliance gun . The company was taken over by BOSS & CO