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Sounds pretty spot on to me as well, except for the "snobbish" bit. I think 'cape guns" were more likely the poor man's choice. Usually associated with Boer farmers in Southern Africa. And usually earlier than this gun's making date. For farmers who wanted a rifle and a shotgun, but possibly could not afford one of each. OR of course wanted a versatile firearm capable of medium game and birds and small game. Pot hunters for meat. Another reason for a cape gun was for the solitary hunter. If shooting a shotgun, and in dangerous game country, what happens if one spooks a leopard, a lion, a tiger or even an elephant? A shotgun with a slug may work, a 270 gr SP or 'solid' will work better.

I think lancaster is pot on. Mr Dragton, a second or third son, of a reasonably wealthy household, is off to seek his fortune as an official in the colonial service, or a East india company or similar, perhaps as a manager in a tea company, in India, or Ceylon, or Kenya. Probably India or Ceylon. He wants a nice gun, perhaps his father has given him 40 guineas as a going away gift to buy a nice gun. He feels he will need a shotgun, and a rifle, when hunting in the Indian jungles. The 16-bore for pheasant, jungle fowl, or pea fowl. Or the multitudes of 'grouse', pigeons etc. The .375 will be ideal for sambar, chital, barasingha, boar, and if needed or he is lucky for a panther or a tiger. A gentlemen needs a decent gun if he is invited by VIPs to a shoot, so he has gone for a cape gun, by a reputable maker, but forgone the expense of engraving, which he could not afford. The wide open exotic world is opening up to him. Then WW1 start before he even picks up his gun, and instead he enlists in the Army and is killed as a young officer leading his men over the trenches of France carrying his issue Webley and blowing on his whistle. The cape gun being "snobbish"

and unusual in England sits in the gun of gun racks, and passes from hand to hand, new owners over the decades, never used, or rarely used. The 16-bore gets some use, the .375 almost never. Not really a red stag calibre. Finally along with lots of other DRs, combinations and unusual guns it is sold for higher prices to the USA ...

OR it does travel to India, sees use in an officials hands on occasional shoots. When the British leave India it remains behind and sits in a gun shops collection, Indian hunters and shooters not being able to afford it or to shoot it. Then entrepreneurial Aussie buyers travel to India and buy hundreds of these guns. Bring them back to Australia. A good double rifle can be bought for $3000, a cape gun for less than a thousand. Some people buy up lots of them. The prices go up. These same persons flog them off to the USA for big profits. The cape gun gets sold to a US buyer and so on.

Fun and interesting to imagine a guns life and travels. I like the idea of putting a scroll in the butt of each gun,m recording its known history and activities over time. Perhaps in ahundred years someone will own a WJ Jeffery boxlock in .450 No.2 NE and find a 'secret' compartment, and read a scroll of how it was once owned by a braggart called NitroX, but the rifle travelled to Africa, shot two cow elephants, several water buffalo, a banteng, and scrub bulls and boars in Australia, then was used for a bison in the USA (future to come

), a moose, brown bear. And numerous more bovines. How wonderful it would be know if it WAS previously used say on Indian elephant, gaur, water buffalo, sambar, hopefully even tiger. Owned by another colonial official in India, as it is a plain jane boxlock. Or perhaps a 'loaner DR in the armoury of a Rajah, for loaning to guests for an elephant drive, or if sitting on a machan while beaters approach.

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"