DOUBLE-BARREL SHOTGUN: A PROCESS OF EVOLUTION
The double-barrel shotgun as we know it today, was in my view perfected in England during the years 1860 to 1914. Owners of fine European- and Japanese-made shotguns may disagree vehemently, but as I will attempt to explain, there is sound reason for my belief.
During Victorian and Edwardian times, shooting was many a well-heeled gentleman’s favourite sport and at the time a perfectly acceptable indulgence. In those days many of the good game shots were idolised in much the same way that we idolise sport personalities today. People like Lord Ripon and Lord Walsingham became known for their prowess with a shotgun as well as for their writings, much of which is still relevant today. For the many fine British gunmakers of the time, it was a great marketing coup to be able to proclaim in advertising literature that some or other member of the aristocracy had ordered a pair of their guns and was completely satisfied with the guns’ performance. In a few instances, gunmakers were even holders of a Royal Warrant, regarded as a sign of quality and exclusivity.
THE HAMMERGUN
From the invention of the breech-loader to the 1890s, the hammergun was the one to own in England and on the Continent.
