W.W. Greener is a gunmaker that needs no introductions. Founded in 1829, the firm built firearms until 1965, when it was bought by Webley. In those 136 years, they built all sort of doubles, from percussion shotguns and big bore breech loading hammerguns to their famous “Facile Princeps” boxlocks. The firm also made sidelocks like this L70 and this L60. Greener’s sporting arms were sold around the world and demand for them grew the company into what was once the largest sporting gun factory in the world.
In 1985, the W.W. Greener was bought by Graham Greener, W. W. Greener’s great grandson, and gunmakers David Dryhurst and Richard Tandy. Today, this team turns out some of the finest shotguns and double rifles in the world.
The sidelock you see here is one of their efforts. Completed in 2005, it’s an awfully impressive SxS, right up there with the very best I’ve seen. I love it’s almost Gothic excesses: The steps of metal at the bottom, breech-ends of the bbls, the flames of engraving on the tubes, the arcaded fences (much nicer than Woodward arcaded fences). Overall, these features give this double a ton of personality and make it a lot more interesting than staid, conservative guns like standard Purdeys.
Check out how deep and crisp the shaping is on the arcaded fences and on the beads that run up from the lockplates and around the toplever. And look at the little sweeps of metal on either side of the toplever–perfectly balanced, beautifully shaped. I love the big square top strap, too. Very distinct.
W.W. GREENER SxS SIDELOCK 16 GAUGE SHOTGUN: ENGRAVED BY TALLET AND COGGAN MADE 2005 29″ BARRELS SELF OPENING 006 AND 011 2 3/4 EVERYTHING INTERNALLY ON THIS GUN IS A BOSS DOUBLE TRIGGER EJECTORS SPLINTER FOREARM PISTOL GRIP AS NEW IN MAKERS OAK AND LEATHER CASE 6LBS 5 OZ X 2 7/16″ X 1 9/16″ X 14 9/16″. Price: $89,500
