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GB
Barrett57
3/3/2018 10:02am
3/3/2018 10:02am
Edited Date/Time
3/6/2018 3:18pm
Hi guys, after a bit of help identifying a gun that was given to me. I figured some of you lot know your stuff, and even if we can't figure out what it is you might enjoy seeing it.
So here it is, its got Thatham London inlaid in what appears to be gold. Thats all I know about it. I was told it could of been a ladies or childs gun but im not sure to be honest. Ive only ever owned shotguns so this is new to me.
So here it is, its got Thatham London inlaid in what appears to be gold. Thats all I know about it. I was told it could of been a ladies or childs gun but im not sure to be honest. Ive only ever owned shotguns so this is new to me.
I have a lot of interesting stuff from the first and second world war as well, if only hey!
I've only been able so far to find out that Tatham and Egg London made some high quality firearms, good enough that Lord Nelson (who smashed the French and Spanish at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805) owned a pair of Tatham pistols.
The Shop
I presume it qualifies as an antique or deact, though I would advise getting it checked out just in case (back of Gunmart will list a dealer). Obviously don't try and fire it. On rare occasions these are sometimes loaded by grandad etc donkey's yrs ago and decades later everyone just assumes it isn't, so I would probably stick run a rod down it (carefully) and see how far it goes just in case.
Thanks for posting it regardless, very nice.
It came to me from someone who had spent a decent amount of time in the British Army and spent a long time around antiques, although evidently he never told me what he knew about it unfortunatly.
I'm also pretty sure it falls under the antique gun laws but yeah thats a good idea, I will get it checked. Funny isn't it, I've got two 12 gauge shotguns but this old thing might be illegal for me to own
But yeah, anyway, I can't imagine it isn't an antique, the only danger would be if it was a modern live firing repo. If you've already got a Section 2 for your shotguns then go a bit further and get a Sec 1 so you can fire it Edit: My bad, I assumed rifle. Obviously not applicable for a shotgun, doh.
Well I found out more about Tatham and Egg, not sure what time period this puts my gun?
"In 1801 he (Jospeh Egg) entered a partnership with one Walker at 59 Frith Street as “Gunmakers and Patent Spring Truss Makers”, but that same year he was also recorded as having being in partnership with Henry Tatham as Tatham & Egg at 37 Charing Cross. That partnership was dissolved on the 8th of September, 1814."
The partnership ended and Jospeh Egg carried on making guns, and so did Henry Tatham, when they died (both around the 1835 mark) their sons carried on making guns. Who both died in 1867 and 1869, after that i'm not sure what happened to their gun making businesses.
If the Tatham business ended in 1869 with Henry Thatham the seconds death, then that puts my gun at no later than 1869.
I also found out that Tatham guns did make firearms and swords for royalty: "He appears in 1808 as "Tatham and Egg, Gun-Makers and Sword-Cutlers to His Majesty, 37, Charing Cross", He made swords for George the Third (I'm sure you Americans know who that bloke was ) and Guns for the Prince of Wales.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/consultation-launched-on-laws-around…
And yeah, our laws are stupid. I have no problem with the law in regards to getting a firearm, the vetting process seems to be very good at stopping nutters and moronic chavs getting guns. It's the complete rubbish afterwards thats annoying.
Like motocross83, he's obviously responsible enough to own firearms, so why on earth should he be limited in what he can have once he's been vetted and approved?
Couldn't agree more.
I don't want to risk derailing another harmless thread, so I'll leave well alone after this, but that's ^ pretty much the entirety of my stance on legal gun ownership within the UK. I believe in heavily vetting the individual you permit ownership to, not pointlessly banning a certain firearm because it was the chosen tool of someone sick in the head.
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