Many of you know Simon Clode, the Chairman & Managing Director of Westley Richards, passed away last week. In tribute to him, I’m putting up a series of posts dedicated to his great company.
Today’s, we’re covering one of Westley Richard’s huge contributions to the world of double barrel shotguns: The Anson & Deeley action. Patented in 1875, the A & D action was simple, rugged and easy to build. It was also revolutionary and one of the first successful “hammerless” shotgun designs created.
A: Hammer, shown forward in “fired” postion
B: Mainspring, drives hammer
C: Cocking level, tips hammer into position when bbls drop
D: The spring with hold the trigger sear (E) in place.
E: Trigger sear, releases hammer when trigger is pulled
In the late 19th and into the 20th century, it was the basis for thousands of side-by-sides made throughout the UK and across Europe. After WW2, it even found its way to Japan, where it was used by companies like Miroku and the Sakaba (SKB) Arms.
Today, a handful of companies still make true Anson & Deeley boxlocks: Westley Richards (of course) a few British and European firms, and Connecticut Shotgun (see their oddly named “Christian Hunter“).
