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Only thirteen of these high quality shotguns were ever produced. They bear the name `Ivor Roberts & Son, Commercial St, Newtown, Powys on the top rib. The production numbers ran from 1000 to 1013 inclusive, and these serial numbers were engraved on trigger guard strap. The craftsmen invloved in its finished manufacture were highly skilled and experienced, being originally trained by such firms as Holland & Holland (barrel filing), Boss & Co and WW Greener (action filing) and Purdey of London (stocker).All engravers being British , most notably the Brown Brothers of Wiltshire. One brother a brilliant gold inlayer and the other a brilliant gun engraver,who signed his work `A M Brown`. All engraving on these guns are signed by the engraver employed near to trigger plate on bottom strap.
The guns were all bespoke, being measured for the customer before work began. All guns carried lux or higher grade french walnut stock blanks. Two types of engraving were offered lux rose and scroll and delux game scene engraving. Sportsmen were offered the unique choice of having their own hunting dog engraved within game scene. Gun No 1000 has the makers own initials inlaid in gold scroll on the trigger guard and his hunting spaniel `Dimple` was incorporated into the game scene on bottom action plate.
The gun is possibly unique for this feature, and as a boxlock ejector for having no bottom plate screw, thus allowing an engraver full potential for game scene engraving on a boxlock. The action was also very rounded in profile giving the gun a very slender and flowing line. This was inspired in the maker by W W Greener`s superb and far earlier `round action` design. Production was very slow owing to the skilled man hours involved and to the great shortage of highest quality British gun engravers which led to a severe production bottleneck. Circa seventy per cent of production were as rose and scroll, thirty per cent as game scene engraved. Three of the shotguns were exported, one to Denmark (12 bore), one to Canada (12 bore)and a 20 bore ejector to the USA. Gun No 1000 was the only 16 bore made, the USA gun being the only 20 bore. All guns were ejectors, no non-ejectors were made.
The all English milled and broached barreled boxlock action was supplied `in the white` by Webly & Scott of Birmingham before finishing began. Finished actions were generally submitted to the Birmingham Proof House for final proofing.
The guns were supplied in a brown canvas covered English made`Brady` hard case with green leather Makers Label which refered to boxlock and sidelocks. However sidelocks were never produced by the maker.
The action style and design of this highest quality boxlock ejector shotgun fell to the son of Ivor Roberts, named Antony D Roberts who named the gun in honour of his father, working with and a top London Gunmaker action filer of the day. Antony D Roberts also represented Wales at clay pigeon shooting circa 1974 at Carlise UK in the Home Internationals. At the age of 43, he was severely injured and paralysed in a road traffic accident, he still lives.
The gun was featured and appraised by many of the notable European Shotgun magazines of the time, most notably `The Shooting Times & Country magazine` of the UK. The article was written by the highly respected English gun critic Gough Thomas [G.T.Garwood] shortly before his death who said of this gun `the engraving is of such quality as I have never seen surpassed`.[published circa March 1980 in an article featuring also J Roberts Gunmakers of London ]. The gun was also featured at this time on Welsh television BBC NEWS , where a filmed interview with Antony D Roberts at Newtown, Powys Mid-Wales was shot, with the maker demonstating the shotgun in use on left and right clays. BBC NEWS Interviewer being Gerry Monty.
These shotguns were a notable exception to the normal practise by provincial gunmakers to merely having their makers name placed on solely Birmingham produced and styled guns. Make no mistake these guns were unique in design and were produced by scouring Britain for the best freelance experienced craftsmen in their respective fields. Its design features were the sole brain child of the maker and his London based action filer friend but the design is known to have been copied occasionally by a Birmingham house.
Production ceased circa mid 1980`s with the purchase of Webly & Scott`s boxlock milling and broaching machinery by Holland & Holland,Gunmakers of London; who at that time went on to produce more standard square filed English boxlock actions solely for their own bespoke customers.
[edit] Sources
I hope I have given sufficient indisputable evidence and can provide a copy of the article in two magazines `Jactmakker och Fiskevatten` a Danish Shooting Mag and `THE Shooting Times & Country magazine.` of UK . Also BBC WALES NEWS Archive based at Cardiff. A signed letter is available from the late GT Garwood {pen-name Gough Thomas} of Huntley Lodge,Silverton,Exeter dated 5th March 1980 to the maker A.D.Roberts. Shooting Times & Country Magazine Phone No given on this letter is Windsor 56061. Gun number 1000 can still be located and photo`s provided on request. This is the most detailed history of these rare shotguns ever written. My email (snipped)
There is one factual mistake in the above article, the round action boxlock refered to in the above article and which inspired the style of action filing used was NOT a W W Greener design, but from the gunmaker DIXON. I would also add that a sidelock was commissioned from an ex WW Greener action filler based in the Brierly Hill area of Birmingham, but owing to the pressure of work he was under from multiple London Houses, it was cancelled as being far to slow a project to begin undertaking. FOOT NOTE: SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE ARTICLE BY GOUGH THOMAS DATED:Feb 28-5 March 1980
86.143.46.60 17:21, 27 May 2007 (UTC)
Declined. We cannot accept unsourced suggestions or sources that are not reliable per the verifiability policy. Please provide reputable, third-party sources with your suggestions. Third party sources are needed both to establish the verifiability of the submission as well as its notability. The Sunshine Man 20:20, 27 June 2007 (UTC)