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William Powell Information,


redial
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If you contact them they have all their records and may help. I had this toplever on a hammergun, now sold, and picked up a copy of their day book. Not sure if they charge but worth asking.

i love this style and would love to own another. I regret selling but needed the money at the time. I would buy one if I saw a really good one. I expect this will date to late 19 century. A pal of mine has a top quality ejector see photos

my only comment is that seems a lot of money for a non ejector in this market. Good luck

B34F75CF-00D9-4F1C-8241-D9741FC6308A.jpeg

59770A68-7493-41DD-B8B9-B7A93320ECEC.jpeg

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Powell's lever or "snap" is quite unique. However it's quite unique for a reason. The same as why Perkes's ejectors are also quite unique. Simply there were better systems then available, or available contemporary to the era of those two systems, but these were protected by patent. But when those patents expired things like Powell's "snap" and Perkes's ejectors were abandoned as most every gunmaker adopted those now out of patent designs. And a "doll's head" is an absolute swine to ever get looking right if the gun has to be rejointed as this one will have to be at some time I'd think. Especially since the BASC lead shot nonsense came out on Monday. FWIW you will get a better, more usable, standard top lever...and ejector as well...for well under that £750. And an English BLNE now is fetching about £150 at the very most in the current market. On a Powell hammergun it's something special and well worth considering. But on a BLNE I'd pass it and move on to a more conventional design at a third the price. I really would.

Edited by enfieldspares
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I can't comment on price - other than to say look around because boxlock non ejectors are plentiful and have little demand, so gunshops won't touch them if they can help it.

Having said that, I have a Powell push up lever hammer gun.  It is a system that works well and is simple and generally convenient.  It can be a little less convenient with cold wet hands.

Powells (when David & Peter Powell were still there in Carrs Lane in Birmingham) produced copies of the records for me.  In those days there was no charge.  Now they are under new management in Banbury, there may be an admin charge, something many makers do.  The Powell push up lever was still made to special order after the more 'normal' lever was adopted as standard.  Powell guns have been made in all grades from 'best' sidelock ejectors' to plain non ejector boxlocks.  All I have seen have been soundly made.

As with anything 100 years or so old, condition can be anything from (rarely) very lightly used and original to very heavily used, worn and abused.  Because it is a fairly unusual action, getting work done such as tightening may be more costly than usual.

Being practical - restoration work on a BLNE is never likely to be economically viable unless it is very minor work on a very cheap gun.

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I looked at the pictures on the vendor's website. I wouldn't buy it at all. The stock was originally short and has been lengthened by means of a rubber pad. These are denser (so heavier) than wood. So although, yes, it may balance on its hinge pin it won't handle well. That rubber pad puts weight where it isn't wanted!

Image a three foot rod. Put a six pound weight (like a weightlifters weight) in the middle of it so that that weight is i  the middle between your two hands when holding that rod like a gun. It will also handle well. That is because the weight is centralised. But balancing a gun on a finger can also lie!

So now remove that six pound weight and instead put one three pound weight at each end of the rod. Yes, of course, it will still balance well at its middle. So the seller will put the gun on an edge or on his/her finger and say "Look how well it balances!" But the reality is it won't handle at all well. 

The situation is worsened by the fact that to keep the balance often when a rubber pad is fitted the stock immediately in front of it is drilled to take out weight. The stock still weights the same but that weight is now even more so on the end not all through the stock. So as said the balance looks fine but the handling is to pot.

I hope that it helps you make a decision to avoid that Powell.

Edited by enfieldspares
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I have issues with the idea that a guns "balance" is on the hinge pin  .I have held many many well handling guns that did not balance on the pin but mounted and pointed excellently . 

As long as the weight is  distributed between the hand an 1" either way should make no difference .

Long barrels can make gun nose heavy , a dense grained stock can make it stock heavy and in some case this can be to the shooters advantage .Try balancing a 32" O/U with multi cokes on its pin yet people swear by them . 

Years ago when an apprentice one of my tasks was to take the finished guns from the shop to the warehouse for packing ,all the same model all the same weeks production yet some guns seemed to be lively others dead in your hands . I have stocked many guns with longer than original stocks and changed barrel lengths with both sleeving and refitting  with  little noticeable affect on the guns handling  . So with out actually mounting the gun you can never really know .

Only point with this particular gun is that it is overpriced in today's market even for a comparatively rare old gun .

 

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6 hours ago, kenholland said:

still use my 1891 top lever hammergun 30inch imp / half , always used eley impax 6's sweet gun to shoot, had it sleeved in 1969 for £49 10 shillings, carr's lane in Birmingham was a good old shop.

My Powell hammer gun.  Exactly 20 years older than yours.

Powell Hammer 1.JPG

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On 03/03/2020 at 19:05, redial said:

I am going to see a W.P. at the weekend. It's a BLNE. the top lever is their patent 'push up lever'.

I don't have a model name or number. Nothing like it on Guntrader. Asking price £750.

Any information greatly appreciated.

 Thank you.

This was an early patent for Powell. Read about it here:  https://www.gunsonpegs.com/articles/lifestyle/the-story-of-william-powell-gunmakers I watched a nice Damascus boxlock go though an auction in Norfolk last week for a bit more than that. 

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23 hours ago, theshootist said:

This was an early patent for Powell. Read about it here:  https://www.gunsonpegs.com/articles/lifestyle/the-story-of-william-powell-gunmakers I watched a nice Damascus boxlock go though an auction in Norfolk last week for a bit more than that. 

A very interesting read, thank you.

What a fantastic period of time.

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