Hey Marrakai:

Go to www.champlinarms.com and open the vault. Do a search on double rifles. Check out the W. J. Jeffery 450/400 3" Best Sidelock Ejector. Jeffery's SN is 25,574, 15 guns earlier than yours. Maker's number, stamped in exactly the same place and manner (as all of these maker's numbers we're discussing here are) is 3348.

Rusty and I have both owned A. Hollis & Son .450/.400 3" boxlocks for years and got started in this line of research due to the striking similarities between our guns and SOME of the Jeffery's. Some of the Jeffery guns have that 4 digit number in front of the loop, but quite a few don't. Virtually all of the Hollis guns do. Although you have to look "through" the strictly cosmetic differences, the Hollis guns and the Jeffery guns that have the same 4-digit number are the identical basic gun and are absolutely from the same trade maker. The Jeffery's that don't have this number are not the same gun and, I'm certain, came from different makers.

So whose number is this? I really think your surmise has to be correct - "C" is the next generation. As nearly as I can tell, Harry would certainly seem to have been retired by 1939, if not deceased. It would seem that there WAS a next generation that continued the business, because the firm continued to trade until 1965 or later.

Yes, this cryptic entry is frustrating, but offers a new line of inquiry. I'll let you know what I discover.

Is the maker's number on your gun 3289 or 3389? I can't quite make it out.
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