American & British 410 Shotguns. Ronald Gabriel

and 28 bores under varying conditions. These took place from 1879 through to the end of the 19th century without mention of the 410 bore.

      In 1885, G. Fosbery, a Victoria Cross winner, Great Britain’s highest award for valor under fire, patented a Paradox barrel. This allowed a shotgun barrel to fire a solid bullet accurately by rifling only the constricted muzzle portion of the barrel. It stabilized the solid bullet without distorting the pattern of the shotgun cartridge. By 1899, Holland & Holland had produced approximately 5000 Paradox guns from 8 to 28 bore, with and without exposed hammers, almost always a back-action side-lock for added stock strength, both black powder or nitro [37].

       410 Cartridge (see 410 Cartridge chapter)

      Exploring the cartridge and gun barrel literature helps in dating the time period for the advent of the 410 bore. In 1882, Kynoch Ammunition Company offered shotgun cartridges from the 8 bore to the 28 bore and 36 caliber (.36-inch), pinfire or cen-terfire, brass or paper bodied. A recapitulation of this literature emphasizes the nearly nonexistent use of the 410 bore in conventional shooting circles prior to 1882. It also illustrates that because the pinfire 410 cartridge exists—and they do in small numbers—one cannot conclude that the 410 pinfire shotgun cartridge dates back to the 1860s.

      In fact, Eley offered a pinfire 410 shell in a 20th century pre-World War II flier supplied by Boothroyd. At least one pinfire 410 shotgun is known (see Interesting Types of Smoothbore 410s chapter). It has European proof marks but no maker’s name and the date of production is unknown. Alas, the provenance of this gun cannot be traced. It is clear though that the pinfire shotgun and/or cartridge were made in Europe well into the 20th century.

       410 Transition

      From 1870 to 1890, the sale of British gun licenses almost doubled from over 90,000 to over 170,000, and many 12 bores were downsized from 7 pounds to under 6 pounds [34]. These two facts certainly reflected the advent of the breech-loading centerfire gun and cartridge that enormously simplified and made safer the art of shotgunning. It also reflected increasing numbers of women and boys entering the recreational shooting arena. The downsizing in weight of a given bore and improved ballistics of cartridges and barrels eventually led to a smaller bore acceptable to the game and target shooter. This gradually led to the acceptance of the use of the 410 bore in both pursuits. Indeed, Purdey sold a few wonderfully crafted “E”-grade 410s in the late 1880s and early 1890s, both in single- or double-barrel hammer back-action smoothbores (see Purdey chapter).

      Before the turn of the 20th century, the system of serial numbering guns in England was as follows: “Best” quality guns had no letter with the serial number; “B”-grade guns were made in the “trade” (local artisans and gunmakers) but were finished and regulated by the principal firm; and “C”-grade 2nd quality and “E”-grade 3rd quality guns were similarly produced for such firms as Purdey, Westley Richards, and Holland & Holland on occasion (see appropriate chapters). Alternatively, the gun may have been made entirely “in the trade” and sold as a “gun made for” a specific firm such as Cogswell & Harrison (see Cogswell & Harrison chapter). This designation would appear on the rib of the barrel.

      In virtually all cases, the specifically serial-numbered and named 410s of the 1880s and 1890s era were single- or double-barrel back-action sidelock hammer guns or were “walking stick” guns. It would appear that the manufacture of great hammer or hammerless bar-action sidelock and “Best” quality A&D boxlock guns in the 410 bore did not begin in earnest until after the turn of the 20th century. For example, Greener manufactured its first bar-action sidelock 410 in 1914 (see Greener chapter). This was a double-barrel hammer gun.

      The first hammerless bar-action sidelock “Best” quality 410s built by the London firms essentially began in the 1920s when Harry Lawrence created Purdey’s first “Best” quality hammerless sidelock bar-action 410. He called this his greatest achievement in conjunction with the three miniature guns that he built for King George V’s 1935 Silver Jubilee. Parenthetically, these three miniature guns were 1/6 the size of the 12-bore hammer guns that were used by the King in his recreational pursuits. All three work and fire cartridges specifically made for the miniaturized guns (Photo 2). Lawrence’s ranking of Purdey’s first hammerless 410 with the Silver Jubilee accomplishments is quite an accolade [18].

      Photo 2: Harry Lawrence and one of the three working miniature guns for King George V.

       Purdey photo

      The American high-quality double-barrel 410 introduced in the late 1920s had a different genesis. This great American shotgun story, bought to fruition by the classic American manufacturers of double guns, does not begin until the late 1920s. Unlike their British brothers, the American double 410 bore was in response to the demands of the clay target and upland game bird shooter. Four companies manufactured these quality 410 double guns: Parker Brothers, Ithaca, L.C. Smith, and Winchester. The 410 story of each company, to the extent known, will be discussed along with those of other companies in lesser detail.

       410 Rook Rifle Conversion (see Rook Rifle chapter)

      An interesting side note is the evolution in the last three decades of the 19th century of the Rook & Rabbit rifle. These were made by virtually all quality gunmakers including Purdey, Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, Boss, and Rigby. William Tranter invented this centerfire rifle in 1866. They were bored for various cartridges from 200 to 300+ calibers. When the cheaper 22 rimfire cartridge came along, this class of rifle vanished [38]. Many of these Rook rifles, particularly those in 300+ bore, were converted to 410 shotguns. Very few Rook rifles remain today in their pristine and original form.

      The Tranter connection is of further interest since the Rook & Rabbit rifle was sold by W. Watson & Son who appear to be the forerunner of the Watson Bros., a firm that specialized in small-bore guns.

       Boxlock and Bolt-Action 410s

      Before World War II, the British imported many low-priced 410s from Belgium as folding single-barrel or double-barrel boxlock guns with 2-inch chambers. For the most part, these were neglected, wrecked, or destroyed [1]. Between the two world wars, the British boxlock A&D 410 was a well-crafted high-quality double for local consumption and for exportation to Indian, African, and Australian markets. Makers such as Churchill, Jeffery, Wilkes, Westley Richards, Cogswell & Harrison, Webley & Scott, and many provincial firms such as Gallyon & Son, made the occasional 410 on the A&D action.

      During World War II and after, cheaply priced European imports accounted for a large percentage of 410s in Great Britain, for the average shooter. These were used by young beginners, vermin and rabbit shooters, taxidermists, and during World War II to “feed the troops” [39]. Correspondence to the Shooting Times & Country Magazine frequently mentions with warmth the use of the 410 to “shoot a mink” [40] and to shoot “thousands of rabbits” for decades, and once mastered after “years of practice,” is a “brilliant little gun” [41].

      In the immediate post-World War II era, the 410 shotgun made up 6 percent of annual sales of all shotguns in Great Britain. The large majority were single-barrel bolt-action guns built by such firms as B.S.A. and Webley & Scott.

      Boxlock A&D double 410s continued to be made, though rarely, after World War II by the above-mentioned gunmakers. For example, the Webley & Scott A&D 410, which was started in the first quarter of the 20th century