Product Details
SYMES & WRIGHT LTD.
A FINE PAIR OF HUNT-ENGRAVED 12-BORE SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK EJECTORS, serial no. 0001 / 2,
28in. nitro chopperlump barrels, ribs gold-inlaid '1' and '2' and engraved 'SYMES & WRIGHT. 15 MICAWBER STREET. LONDON. N1.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. imp. cyl. and 1/4 choke, Purdey style (Beesley 1880 patent) self-opening actions with removable striker discs, toplevers gold-inlaid '1' and '2', automatic safeties with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' details, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, best fine bouquet and scroll engraving, the triggerplates signed 'M.A. HUNT '87', the lockplates and undersides gold-inlaid with the makers name, retaining much original colour-hardening and finish, 15in. well-figured stocks including 7/8in. leather covered recoil pads, weight 6lb. 12oz., in their brass-cornered oak and leather case with full complement of accessories and canvas outer cover
Provenance: Peter Symes and Alex Wright had both enjoyed successful careers with J. Purdey & Sons but left and set-up as makers of best London guns in their own right in 1987. Not surprisingly the majority of the shotguns they built were on Beesley's familiar self-opening action.
The pair had a keen sense of marketing and with their eyes looking resolutely to the future, whilst mindful of the historic provenance and gravitas of the London gun trade, they soon built up an excellent reputation with a loyal, if modestly sized client base. Their ethos was transparent, simple and is aptly illustrated by a period advert in which they claimed, "We are not trading on a reputation established over a century ago, nor do we waste energy marketing luxury goods associated with our name. Our business is quite simply building the finest sporting guns money can buy, without compromise, without exception."
Fine words indeed, but the sharp economic downturn of the early 1990s had a marked effect on the firm and they ceased trading in 1995.
Estimate £25,000-35,000
S2