Side by Side Club

[London Best]

I sold a 700 for the estate of a deceased friend about five or six years ago. He had bought it new in 1958 and not fired 500 through it. Also, he was a meticulous perfectionist. The gun attracted one customer and sold for £1000. In today’s market I would expect it to probably make less. Sad. You an I both know they are worth more, but they are not ‘in fashion’.

ps it was uncased.

Edited December 15, 2019 by London Best

[Lloyd90]

2 hours ago, London Best said:

Is that a split in the head of the stock???

On the one I posted? I did not see a split I thought it might be a knock but would need to have a closer look. 

 

I like the semi pistol grip stock on it and the nice open chokes for walked up shooting  

[London Best]

The chokes IMO are perfect for all game shooting, walked up or driven. Any more is too much, again in my experience.

Myself, I dislike anything other than a straight hand stock on a gun with double triggers. I find it interferes with slipping my hand slightly for the back trigger. But each to there own.

[Old farrier]

3 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

What is a decent price for a Webley and Scott 700? Particularly this one... 

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/shotguns/webley-scott/side-by-side/12-gauge/700-190830152934002?fbclid=IwAR1J-aB8maaMuUpYuIU5OvJt5o8ViHZ1mTcfX8RyYLROVUt8_spuIORbCtQ

Are you near Warwickshire?

[Lloyd90]

13 minutes ago, London Best said:

The chokes IMO are perfect for all game shooting, walked up or driven. Any more is too much, again in my experience.

Myself, I dislike anything other than a straight hand stock on a gun with double triggers. I find it interferes with slipping my hand slightly for the back trigger. But each to there own.

 

Interesting, I like double triggers I have moved my hand to select a tighter choke at times for a long shot and dropped some very good birds. Never shot a double trigger on anything other than a straight stock. 

10 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Are you near Warwickshire?

I’m in Bristol mate.

[Konor]

10 hours ago, button said:

 

[Konor]

10 hours ago, button said:

Thank you for coming back to me 

If it is HoB that would be ideal as I pass that weekly but for the sake of my finances tend not to stop!

What is your s/s, I quite fancy one with a pistol grip, AYA?

It’s as JohnfromUK says a Rey Pavon slip. They sometimes turn up in the Holts auctions but I got it from HoB about two years back . The gun is an AYA no3 magnum but 28 inch barrels and splinter fore end so a bit unusual. Thanks all for the compliments I also have a similar slip by John Chapman of Carlisle but it is a neater fit,more for a side by side or 20 bore over and under. I carry the gun to shoot in the take down slip then use a roll up Brady slip to carry it 

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

The chokes IMO are perfect for all game shooting, walked up or driven. Any more is too much, again in my experience.

Myself, I dislike anything other than a straight hand stock on a gun with double triggers. I find it interferes with slipping my hand slightly for the back trigger. But each to there own.

Improved cylinder being skeet - you use skeet and 1/4 for all your shooting? 👍🏻

[Old farrier]

Just now, Lloyd90 said:

Improved cylinder being skeet - you use skeet and 1/4 for all your shooting? 👍🏻

Improved cylinder is a touch tighter than cylinder and a bit tighter than skeet on most English guns 

 

[Lloyd90]

1 minute ago, Old farrier said:

Improved cylinder is a touch tighter than cylinder and a bit tighter than skeet on most English guns 

 

Tighter than both, or did you mean a touch looser than skeet?  

 

Are you near Warwickshire mate? Just checking why you asked? 

[Konor]

4 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

What is a decent price for a Webley and Scott 700? Particularly this one... 

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/shotguns/webley-scott/side-by-side/12-gauge/700-190830152934002?fbclid=IwAR1J-aB8maaMuUpYuIU5OvJt5o8ViHZ1mTcfX8RyYLROVUt8_spuIORbCtQ

That’s a good looking 700 and if the crack is just a scratch a great price. A similar new English boxlock would be eye wateringly expensive. And all for half the price of a decent silver pigeon.

[Old farrier]

Just now, Lloyd90 said:

Tighter than both, or did you mean a touch looser than skeet?  

 

Are you near Warwickshire mate? Just checking why you asked? 

A touch tighter 

your a bit far away from me however if you’re up for a sea voyage and a long drive I’ve got a webley doing nothing 30 inch barrels though 

[Lloyd90]

Just now, Old farrier said:

A touch tighter 

your a bit far away from me however if you’re up for a sea voyage and a long drive I’ve got a webley doing nothing 30 inch barrels though 

What are the specs on it please mate? Where are you  

Lloyd 

[Konor]

5 hours ago, wymberley said:

If you can do this:

you can probably do the other. Worth asking.

Nice looking slips Wymberley did you have them made specially for you

[wymberley]

21 minutes ago, Konor said:

Nice looking slips Wymberley did you have them made specially for you

Thank you. Yes. I sent off my soft leg o' mutton which was getting tatty and after years of sterling service it would have been a shame if it had let go and a gun was damaged as a pattern. Many on PW will recognise the craftwoman's hand in this. I expect it's obvious that the detachable sling was not fitted when I took the photo.

[Konor]

6 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Thank you. Yes. I sent off my soft leg o' mutton which was getting tatty and after years of sterling service it would have been a shame if it had let go and a gun was damaged as a pattern. Many on PW will recognise the craftwoman's hand in this. I expect it's obvious that the detachable sling was not fitted when I took the photo.

I find the leg of mutton size cases handy for carrying in the car and while I have a couple of cased side by sides rarely use the case to transport them. There’s something nice about a cased gun with all the fittings ,oil bottle cleaning rods and such.

[London Best]

1 hour ago, Lloyd90 said:

Improved cylinder being skeet - you use skeet and 1/4 for all your shooting? 👍🏻

Yup, everything from snipe to geese. Seems to work for me. .004 thou and .010 thou right and left. Although, to be fair, my main driven game gun does have .015 thou left barrel, but I find it seems noticeably tighter. Choke lightens the bag IMO.

[JohnfromUK]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Choke lightens the bag IMO.

I would agree with you for the vast majority of 'normal range' game shoots, combined with No 6 or even 7 shot.  My game guns are mostly improved and quarter, although I do have some 1/4 and 1/2. 

There are some of the 'ultra high bird' specialists who use large shot sizes (no 4 or even No 3) through a very tight choke to get sufficient pattern and striking energy for the ranges that are involved.  However such people don't tend to uses s/s.  My AyA Senior has an additional set of very tightly choked  30" barrels that are never used.  the 'primary set' are 1/4 and 1/4.  I believe the additional barrels were made for 'high pheasants'.

[London Best]

I have two Spanish guns that were bought as half and full. The cheap box lock ejector I had taken out to true cyl and quarter and have never regretted it for the last forty five years. The side lock ejector I had opened to imp cyl and quarter. My H&H came as imp cyl and three eights choke and I have never bothered altering it. People seem obsessed with having tight chokes and dare not open them for fear of losing effective range.  I have never noticed the difference, except that I put more game on the floor.

[Lloyd90]

51 minutes ago, London Best said:

I have two Spanish guns that were bought as half and full. The cheap box lock ejector I had taken out to true cyl and quarter and have never regretted it for the last forty five years. The side lock ejector I had opened to imp cyl and quarter. My H&H came as imp cyl and three eights choke and I have never bothered altering it. People seem obsessed with having tight chokes and dare not open them for fear of losing effective range.  I have never noticed the difference, except that I put more game on the floor.

 

How much is it to open up chokes? 

I might just have this cheap Spanish Master opened up, currently sat at 1/2 and full choke. I have shot some cracking long birds with it, but then missed some very close ones that you would call easy 😞 ... I like it as it was my mates, and also as its rough so I don't mind taking it out training the dog (in case I have to throw it on the floor) lol. 

[London Best]

My Ugartechea sidelock was done earlier this year. I paid £30 (mates rates) for the two barrels, but I had bought a Dickson hammergun from him too. I know that was a very cheap job indeed.

[wymberley]

10 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

How much is it to open up chokes? 

I might just have this cheap Spanish Master opened up, currently sat at 1/2 and full choke. I have shot some cracking long birds with it, but then missed some very close ones that you would call easy 😞 ... I like it as it was my mates, and also as its rough so I don't mind taking it out training the dog (in case I have to throw it on the floor) lol. 

Be careful down at this end of the range. Comparitively speaking, there's a big difference in the choke needed at reasonable ranges between a pheasant and a pigeon which is half the size. Many think that a TC barrel will throw 40% at the 40 yards, but there is a consensus of opinion which I share through experience that this is misguided and that these figures were devised just to keep things tidy. A truly TC barrel is more likely to throw something in the mid to upper 30% area and a couple of points are often needed to reach the 40 and is best kept for starshot type targets.

[Old farrier]

11 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

How much is it to open up chokes? 

I might just have this cheap Spanish Master opened up, currently sat at 1/2 and full choke. I have shot some cracking long birds with it, but then missed some very close ones that you would call easy 😞 ... I like it as it was my mates, and also as its rough so I don't mind taking it out training the dog (in case I have to throw it on the floor) lol. 

It’s easy to miss a close bird equally easy to wait for a second or two and let it get further away to make it a better shot 

[Centrepin]

11 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

How much is it to open up chokes? 

I might just have this cheap Spanish Master opened up, currently sat at 1/2 and full choke. I have shot some cracking long birds with it, but then missed some very close ones that you would call easy 😞 ... I like it as it was my mates, and also as its rough so I don't mind taking it out training the dog (in case I have to throw it on the floor) lol. 

I have similar, non ejector, half & full, I asked 2 RFDs one said £35 per barrel. The other said £100 - £120 for both barrels. The difference, one will take about a week to do it, the other overnight. 

[Lloyd90]

3 hours ago, Centrepin said:

I have similar, non ejector, half & full, I asked 2 RFDs one said £35 per barrel. The other said £100 - £120 for both barrels. The difference, one will take about a week to do it, the other overnight. 

The gun is probably only worth about £100 not worth spending £70 on the chokes 🤣