Dan’l Fraser was the eldest son of a coachmaker, born in Inverness in 1845. The family moved to Edinburgh where, about 1860, he set up on his own at 22 Greenside Place, moving to Leith Walk in the following year. In 1878, he had moved to 4 Leith Terrace and carried the name over with an Edinbergh and London address from his tutelage. He is perhaps best known for his falling block rifle, which he patented in 1880. However, Fraser built many double rifles and was considered by Alex Henry to be a “prodigy” of gun making. He was also one of the best rifle shots in all of Europe. Daniel Fraser died in 1904 whilst stalking deer (he sat on a poisonous thorn, and died from blood poisoning). The firm was continued by his two sons until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The name has past through many hands since that time, Bernard Horton and Thad Scott owned the company for a time, if I recall Thad was the one who sold it to Bernard. Dickson McNaughton carry it over now.

The gun pictured here was made in the early 1980’s, and has changed hands by many dealers, before ending up at auction with Greg Martin via Harry Marx. The gun hammered at $115,000.00 USD in 2007, its new owner is unknown.