London Best Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 hour ago, Konor said: A fitted McKay-Brown would be my ideal gun, a side by side in 12 bore for all my game/walked up shooting. Now I’m dribbling a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said: I just looked and the SO10 12's are rather over 8 lbs. (30" barrels). My SO6 (which I now find too heavy for me) has 30" barrels and actually weighs just an ounce under 8 lbs, so the SO10 will be slightly heavier still. Worst case scenario is as a loader I loaded for a gentleman with a pair of SO’s in a thick bridle leather double slip. Plus his 150 size cartridge bag. That and my loader’s size heavy leather cartridge bag with 250 32 gram cartridges was the most I ever had to carry as a regular loader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Just now, London Best said: Worst case scenario is as a loader I loaded for a gentleman with a pair of SO’s in a thick bridle leather double slip. Plus his 150 size cartridge bag. That and my loader’s size heavy leather cartridge bag with 250 32 gram cartridges was the most I ever had to carry as a regular loader. I used to walk up grouse with mine, carrying the gun, maybe 20 cartridges and (with luck) by the end of the day a game bag (partly) full of grouse ............ and we did that about 4 or 5 days in a week in Scotland every year. Sadly those days are over for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 22 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said: In fact my old SO is the base model (non EELL type), which had light scroll engraving. 30 years ago it was OK, but too much to walk far with now. Mine is the EELL model with the deep engraving and still heavy to walk around with I believe it’s built with extra metal in the action to accommodate the extra deep engraving before it is done so there probably the same weight finishing lovely guns though 😊👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said: I used to walk up grouse with mine, carrying the gun, maybe 20 cartridges and (with luck) by the end of the day a game bag (partly) full of grouse ............ and we did that about 4 or 5 days in a week in Scotland every year. Sadly those days are over for me. For myself I have preferred light guns since the mid ‘60’s when my Father bought himself a 26 inch side lock and I found how much more pleasant it was to use than my much heavier ( half a pound) 28 inch gun. 3 minutes ago, Old farrier said: so there probably the same weight finishing lovely guns though 😊👍 Certainly very well made and finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 minute ago, London Best said: For myself I have preferred light guns since the mid ‘60’s when my Father bought himself a 26 inch side lock and I found how much more pleasant it was to use than my much heavier ( half a pound) 28 inch gun. I do have a couple of very light guns (Wm Powell sidelock (6 lbs 4 oz) and Darne (6 lbs)) and my most recent grouse walking was done with my AyA No 1 (6 lbs 10 oz). i think my favoured weight these days is 6 1/2 to 6 3/4 lb with 28" barrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said: I do have a couple of very light guns (Wm Powell sidelock (6 lbs 4 oz) and Darne (6 lbs)) and my most recent grouse walking was done with my AyA No 1 (6 lbs 10 oz). i think my favoured weight these days is 6 1/2 to 6 3/4 lb with 28" barrels. My current H&H is 6lbs 2oz. The previous Wiseman was 6lbs 4oz. I also have an Ugartechea sidelock which weighs 6lbs 12oz but feels really heavy in comparison, so much slower to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Just now, London Best said: My current H&H is 6lbs 2oz. The previous Wiseman was 6lbs 4oz. I also have an Ugartechea sidelock which weighs 6lbs 12oz but feels really heavy in comparison, so much slower to use. Much depends on how the weight is distributed. `For example, my Henry Atkin feels as light or lighter than the AyA, but the scales have it as an ounce heavier. The Darne feels VERY light as the barrels have no lower rib. There was an interesting article by Bill Harriman) on the Thomas Turner featherweight 12's that weighed 5 lbs 9 oz, but the ultralights of the period were apparently made right down to under 4 lbs (William Ford Eclipse model). Article is in the Nov/Dec 2022 BASC magazine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 14 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said: Much depends on how the weight is distributed. `For example, my Henry Atkin feels as light or lighter than the AyA, but the scales have it as an ounce heavier. That’s what you are paying for when you buy a gun of that quality! Your average shooter doesn’t realise this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 On 01/01/2023 at 09:32, The_Engineer said: Arguably I'd take Blackpowder's gun 😆. I've been fortunate enough to shoot one and they are the definition of elegance and it handled like a grouse gun. Please post pictures @Blackpowder ! I will settle for my rizzini side by side.... for now. Perhaps mine will do instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 11 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said: Perhaps mine will do instead VERY nice indeed! A bit posher than my Dickson. 1865 with non-rebounding locks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylye Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Walking with an SO10? You must be joking. If I had one I would be carried everywhere and fed peeled grapes by dark eyed maidens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Just now, Wylye said: Walking with an SO10? You must be joking. If I had one I would be carried everywhere and fed peeled grapes by dark eyed maidens! I don't have an SO10, but I have walked many miles with my SO6 in Scotland's 'hill' country in my younger days. They were made to be used (and I bought it new to be used, though they were nothing like as expensive then) which mine has been, although not abused. Yes, the stock has gathered the odd scratch from the heather and knock from being conveyed in an Argo - and the grain has lifted slightly from many real soakings - but it is pit and rust free, tight and all works faultlessly. It's a personal thing, but whilst I admire fine artistry and craftmanship - a gold encrusted 'cabinet queen' that can only go out on pampered fair weather days is not ever going to be my 'most desirable' gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylye Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 It's all relative. There's a brilliant AYA No3 for sale on here for £150. If you had scratched and saved to buy that, your SO6 would seem like the ultimate, unattainable gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 47 minutes ago, Wylye said: It's all relative. There's a brilliant AYA No3 for sale on here for £150. If you had scratched and saved to buy that, your SO6 would seem like the ultimate, unattainable gun. Exactly! 1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said: I don't have an SO10, but I have walked many miles with my SO6 in Scotland's 'hill' country in my younger days. They were made to be used (and I bought it new to be used, though they were nothing like as expensive then) which mine has been, although not abused. Yes, the stock has gathered the odd scratch from the heather and knock from being conveyed in an Argo - and the grain has lifted slightly from many real soakings - but it is pit and rust free, tight and all works faultlessly. It's a personal thing, but whilst I admire fine artistry and craftmanship - a gold encrusted 'cabinet queen' that can only go out on pampered fair weather days is not ever going to be my 'most desirable' gun. I could buy an SO, but no way could I afford the gun carriage to move it about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Wylye said: It's all relative. There's a brilliant AYA No3 for sale on here for £150. If you had scratched and saved to buy that, your SO6 would seem like the ultimate, unattainable gun. That is true, although my point was more that I don't really have a desire to get a gun that I would be nervous to use on account of it's value/condition/craftsmanship/artistry. Part of the enjoyment is using them. I did save for many years for my Beretta, but it has been used from day 1 to when I began to find it too heavy for walking with. As mentioned earlier, my 'goto' gun is now an AyA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Engineer Posted January 15, 2023 Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 On 13/01/2023 at 10:01, Dave at kelton said: Perhaps mine will do instead That is gun pornography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBS Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 On 13/01/2023 at 10:01, Dave at kelton said: Perhaps mine will do instead Or even mine.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 5 hours ago, GBS said: Or even mine.... Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 I have never owned one, but the 'bar in wood' version of the Dickson/MacNaughton is absolutely beautiful. (Photo from a Bonhams catalogue) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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