The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Do we have any forum members shooting true matched and numbered pairs of shotguns and if so, what have you got? :)

I personally don't, but a few people on our syndicate do, only ever bringing one gun as a big day for us about 20 birds! They tend to be family heirlooms so relatively short barrelled (26' or 28")s/s Purdeys, Hollands and I want to say I've spotted a Cogswell(?) and Harrison.

I always think the gold inlayed gun number on the rib looks smart.

I shoot/shot a pair of 30" 2.75" chambered Cogswell & Harrison's choked 1/4 & 1/2 on the No1 and 3/4 & Full on the No2. I only really take the No1 for syndicate use and seldom use the back trigger. Mine were collected on July 19th 1913 by a Mr Gillham from New Bond Street and are beautiful and as close to original as you could hope to get.

Deep down I suspect I have shot them for the last time. A move, buggered eye and impending lead ban have seen to that. As the custodian of them is it wrong to say I still love them dearly :)

I had a late friend up in Scotland who had a very well made round bodied and I believe number 2 of a pair. He occasionally searched for No.1 and finally found it in the USA and spoke with te owner in te possible hope of buying it - from memory the US owner made a silly, very high, counter offer to buy my friends gun - in perfect condition though, so it finally went to the US and reunited.

I also shot (and still occasionally do) with a couple who owned a sequentially number pair - cannot really say matched, even though te stocks were: his was a 12 and hers a 20. Looked identical apart from size!

I used to work on a numbered pair of SxS single mechanical trigger Woodwards a few years ago, they were fun as the triggers are quite flaky, a bit like the single trigger Avant Tout's of the same era. Always interesting to regulate and set the triggers.

I also had a very unusual turn of the century side lock Westley Richards (No1 gun) in for some work earlier this year. It went from "In your own time old chap" to "Wahhh I need it now" Luckily it was finished. Turned out the passenger in the expensive looking blacked out window Overfinch had the No2 gun....

so what exactly is the difference in the guns? remember I don't shoot clays or birds at all. what makes one a no1 and how is it different from the 2?

bradaz11 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 4:41 pm so what exactly is the difference in the guns? remember I don't shoot clays or birds at all. what makes one a no1 and how is it different from the 2?

Tends to only be the choking - or sometimes not. It was a sign of success/wealth to have a matching pair of SxS, you would have one and your loader the second and you quickly switch between you and it allows you to shoot are a greater number of birds with no need to relaod your self. Some people would have one gun with "open chokes" and the other with "tight chokes" giving a choice on which they wanted for specific targets/birds.

A good gunsmith will have made both to be exactly the same weight, point of balance, aim, pull weight &c - on a high quality pair, for lessser quality you would find variation.

Even after near 110 years my two are identical in balance and within a couple of mm on drop and cast which I think is exceptional as they are just London guns. Even the trigger pulls are as close to identical as I can measure. I seldom missed with them.

Was listening to the Holts auction today, their matching pair shotguns were selling for very strong prices, many were way over estimate !

Ovenpaa wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 5:13 pm Even after near 110 years my two are identical in balance and within a couple of mm on drop and cast which I think is exceptional as they are just London guns. Even the trigger pulls are as close to identical as I can measure. I seldom missed with them.

no wonder you only shoot one, I can't see Christel being your batman