September 5th 2010

Holt's Catalogue on-line

Atkin, Grant & Lang

Diggory Hadoke writes.... 

CASE LABELS  have unearthed over 220 case labels taken from scrap cases over the years so if you have a gun in a case but need the correct label, let me know. I have them all alphabetically stored and listed and priced individually. Just e-mail me with the name you need and the address, if you have preference for a particular period, for example a Purdey label with the Oxford Street address rather than the post 1880 Audley House address. I have plenty of big name label but also some pretty obscure ones.

HOLT'S catalogue is now on-line for the September sale. Southams likewise and Scotarms should be sending out a catalogue any minute.

ATKIN, GRANT & LANG, gunmakers since 1821, has passed into the hands of a new owner. Me! I took operational control of the firm at Windmill Road, Markyate, St Albans, today. Ken Duglan stays on in an advisory capacity for as long as necessary to ensure a smooth transition. I have great plans for developing the business and a fantastic team of gunmakers and administrators to help me do it. Fear not, I retain vintageguns.co.uk and will split my time between Markyate and London. Onwards and upwards for both companies!

Gavin Gardiner's results are now on Auction News page.

Eight new guns in. I just collected some very good hammer guns by Frederick Baker, Stephen Grant and John Blanch, a very nice William Evans 20-bore boxlock, a William Powell sidelock, a Churchill boxlock and very nice 17-bore muzzle loader. I will photoraph them for illustration in FOR SALE section in the next couple of days, in the meantime you can check the spec there now.

SHOOTING ABROAD. I got back from South Africa on 17th. Fantastic bird shooting and exciting plains game hunting. Here are some yellow billed teal. I Took part in the Athina Hunting Tours challenge cup, winning the shotgun competition and runner-up in range shooting the rifles: full bore and .22. This is an event to look out for next year. See details at the bottom of this page.

Every day we got up early and shot spurfowl and guinea fowl over a pair of German short-haired pointers. Then we returned for a late breakfast and headed out to the sunflower fields to shoot pigeons and doves until late afternoon, when a fresh pair of dogs would come with us for more walked up game shooting and a crack at the ducks on the dams. After a week of that we went to the competition sites and hunted game animals, like blesbok, impala and warthogs, both sitting in the high veldt and stalking in the thick bush. I especially enjoyed the fowl and pigeon shooting and took my J. Thompson 12-bore with me. The old girl never missed a beat and killed a lot of birds on her third African trip.

 In New Zealand I have been shooting some of the highest driven pheasants I have ever seen. I also managed to get out and shoot a few goats and a pair of Sika deer. The quality of driven shooting in  the North Island around Hawkes Bay is outstanding. I expect to put together some groups for 2011 so we can extend the game shooting season into May-August, when most of us in the UK are without sport.

 Those wishing to shoot birds in England until February can then go to New Zealand in June and Africa in August to get a real variety of quality shooting. day rates in South Africa are excellent value and now we have identified operators who know what we want and can deliver it, we can offer shooting breaks there which will work for us and our clients. This year we took nine people. Next year we plan to take a lot more.

The quality of accommodation is excellent, as is the food and scenery. No time was wasted and the variety of game and pigeon shooting in the same day makes great use of available time. We fired upwards of 200 shells per gun per day as an average.

Mike Yardley just put together this little info film on shooting for public consumption in the wake of the Cumbria shootings and the general public ignorance about shooting that may see a backlash against it in the UK.

I think he has made a decent job of it. 

BRAND NEW BERETTAS We have been given the opportunity to sell some brand new Berettas, in-box with full Beretta guarantees. Available for immediate delivery. We have all the guns below for immediate delivery instead of the 14 month waiting list everyone else will quote you for factory pairs. When they are gone, they are gone!

PAIRS 

A pair of 687 EELL Diamond Pigeon game guns, 12-bore, 30" barrels, multi-chokes £10,500

A pair of 687 EELL Diamond Pigeon game guns, 20-bore, 30" barrels, multi-chokes £10,500

Two pairs of 687 Silver Pigeon 3 game guns, 20-bore, 28" barrels, multi-chokes, long stocks £4,800

Two pairs of 687 Silver Pigeon 3 game guns, 20-bore, 30" barrels, multi-chokes, long stocks, £4,800

A pair of 687 Silver Pigeon 3 game guns, 12-bore, 28" barrels, multi-chokes £4,800

Two pairs of 687 silver Pigeon 3 game guns 12-bore, 30" barrels, multi-chokes £4,800

SINGLE GUNS

 SO10 EELL game gun 20-bore, 28" barrels, multi-chokes £50,000

 SO6 EELL game gun, 12-bore 30" barrels, multi chokes £50,000

 DT10 EELL Trident scroll engraving, sporter, 12-bore, 30" barrels, O/C £8500

 DT10L 12-bore Sporter Trident scroll engraving, 30" barrels O/C £7000 

Prices are very low and these singles and  pairs are all available for immediate dispatch. We actually have these in stock now. Full details in the FOR SALE section under Continental Shotguns.

Lots of mid-summer auctions to look forward to with all the majo players involved in the next couple of months. Keep an eye on Auction News page for updates and links to the on-line catalogues. We are getting regular consignments of guns in for sale and have launched our shooting dates for the coming season. Details below. 

GUNS RECENTLY IN......

William Evans 20-bore boxlock (1931, mint barrels, all original)

 Frederick T. Baker 12-bore hammer gun (1875) perfect barrels.

Stephen Grant 12-bore hammer gun (1871) perfect barrels

John Blanch & Son 12-bore hammer gun (converted pin-fire)

E.J Churchill 12-bore boxlock ejector (1906)

BOSS 20-bore single trigger sidelock ejector

H. HOLLAND 12-bore hammer gun with 29" barrels.

D. WALES 12-bore side-lock non-ejector with 29" barrels.

PURDEY .12-BORE SINGLE TRIGER OVER/UNDER WITH 2 SETS OF BARRELS , CASED AND MINT. KEN HUNT ENGRAVED

W.R PAPE 12-BORE HAMMER GUN IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. 30" DAMASCUS BARRELS, BAR-LOCKS, FANCY CHEQUERING

W.R PAPE 12-BORE BOXLOCK NON-EJECTOR, NICE WOOD, JUST SERVICED AND RE-GRIPPED. 

BERETTA 12-bore EELL (pair as new) 

HOLLAND & HOLLAND .375 bolt action rifle (1970) Fired less than 60 shots from new. One owner. 

WINCHESTER 20-bore Model 21 with 26" and 28" barrels, single trigger, cased 

One week hunt to challenge the South African PH's at their own game August 2011.

Each year in RSA the various hunting chapters have a national hunting competition, and what started as some light hearted banter round he Brai last year has become the first South African Challenge Hunt this August where we will organise international teams of three to challenge the PH's on their own ground.

We have 15 spaces, (some already taken) to be made up of five teams of three for a nine day long hunt where you will hunt with a shotgun and rifle and compete on the range. We would like the teams to be made up of a variety of countries if possible to give the event as international a flavour as possible. The break down of time on the hunt will be as follows:

Day 1.  Wingshooting ducks and possibly doves/pigeons.

Day 2. Plains game driven/stand hunting.

Day 3. Plains game driven/stand hunting 

Day 4. Bush hunting on foot for plains game

Day 5. Bush hunting on foot for plains game. 

Day 6. Half day hunting on foot for plains game.

Day 7. Shooting on the range: shotguns, hunting rifle and .22LR 

The remainder of the time will be days of arrival and departure and a day in the middle for moving location. A full itinerary is avalable by e-mail, along with the rule book and the sample targets for practicing.

The challenge will be to beat the top two south african PH teams at their own game and have a lot of fun in the process. One South African team will be the top national team, and the scond team will be made up of their top, range shooter, rifle hunter and shotgun hunter. We have a substantial prize fund with a week long safari & four plains game animals included, being the top prize for the over all (international) winner. There are also six section prizes that will be listed in due course when the details are finalised each carrying a prize or silverware. The Challenge cup itself will be a single cup going to the top team each year (we hope to repeat this annually!! )and is the basis for the competition against our hosts. 

Total cost for the package will be £875 per competitor. This is the subsidized rate and includes all contributions to the prize fund. Most of the prizes , (apart from the challenge cup itself) will be only available to the non south African teams.

Animals shot that are not on the competition list (Impala, Warthog and Blesbuck), will still be eligible for scoring to the competition and will be priced at a subsidized rate. This will be the full trophy fee less the value of the meat, so if you estimate a discount of about 40% from normal fees that should be a good guide. Of course exact prices can't be given until the carcass is on the scales but I will be getting an indicative list for guidance on this in advance.

Non hunting partners are able to join us for £110/day to include all the transfers/accommodation/food etc.

Single room supplement for accommodation will be £50/day if you don't want to share a room.

If you wish to fly out of London on the 6th I can speak to Virgin or BA to get a discount on a group booking and we can get you visitors permits for your rifles to get them into the UK. Alternatively we will aim to connect to the Virgin flight on the evening of the 6th August.

Additional hunting, tours etc can be arranged for the week following or preceding the competition and we have the capability to store rifles so you do not need to be travelling with them around RSA unless you are hunting.

Any questions then just let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Package Includes: 

• All transfers between arrival and departure at Johannesburg Airport.

• Pre arranged rifle import permit.

• Shared Accommodation on nights as detailed in the itinerary. (Single Supplement available)

• Breakfast/Brunch & Dinner.

• Soft drinks, Local beer and wine within reason. 

• Carcass Recovery from the field.

• Trophy fees for up to four eligible animals, (Impala, Warthog, & Blesbuck) 

• Trophy preparation, Scoring (according to competition rules NOT CIC)

• Local Team Sponsor services for guidance and advice in trophy estimation.

• Eligibility to prize fund.

Package Does Not Include:

• International Airfare

• Accommodation/Hunting before or after the prescribed hunting dates.

• Spirits or excessive beer or wine consumption.

• Ammunition for Sighting in, hunting or range competition.

• Specially reduced trophy fees for species not included on the list, (All other species      stipulated in the competition may be hunted at additional cost.

• Tips for skinners or recovery crews (optional)

• Transportation of trophies to taxidermist, or taxidermy work post field prep (optional)

I know our PH, Dennie and his operation, having hunted with him in 2009 and 2010. We hope this event can give people the chance to come out to Africa and experience a small taste of what it has to offer without breaking the bank. 

For a full itinerary along with the rule book and official range targets send an email to me. Spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.