Thread: What should be found within the fitted case of a 1930's English SBS 12 bore?

As the header states, I have a question for the knowledgeable among us......which excludes me.


I append an image of a Churchill's V.C. case



and ask, please, what should be found within the "L" shaped division at the lower left? As the image shows, the square and "L" shaped divisions had rags within when the case arrived. There was also a small, green baize covered, unattached piece of wood, which, like the rags doesn't have any relevance.


Not shown but also within the case under the barrels is to be found a two piece cleaning rod.


I have sourced a square metal "oiler" for the square division, but can not find any information on what should reside, ( temporarily or otherwise) within the "L" division. I did wonder if bore cleaning brushes should, but the inside of the division was too clean to support the possibility of soiled bore brushes having been stored there; unless of course, they were within another container.


Can anyone enlighten me?

Thank you.

box of cartridges???
the one of similar vintage I have...has glass bottle of really smelly oil...hoppes maybe???has tar smell and I love it....turked head and torpedo head steel brushes...mop brush and wooly brush all fit in end of the two piece wooded rods....

@Kiwi Sapper I have been lucky enough to spend time with some of the highest grade English guns while working over there over the years & have owned a few over that time & still use a custom SXS built to my specs currently as my favorite wing/upland game gun & own a couple of Pre 60's hand finished Italian guns a SO5 & DT SXS, a era l love for them as they are as well balanced as the best UK gun for a more realistic to be used in the field price.

So that L section should have where you currently have your rags, a small makers metal Gun Oil container ,plain silver, usually round so it fits in the palm of your hand even in cold/gloved conditions & with screw top lid for refilling .

For the "L"section , the large part has a makers, marked box (usually high quality waxed Cardboard/ paper) containing Rangoon Oil which in the Victorian era was the high end "rust preventive "heavy oil for wiping down barrels etc when you get back to the cart . The small section would have your wipe down "rags"used for this (also on High End guns ,this will be Red/green felt monogrammed with Gun Maker) & your Mop & Brush head. Both Rangoon Oil Box & gun oil bottle are of size to fit snuggly in those sections .

If you want to get a box of it for your gun case presentation, most high end gun makers still sell their own labeled Rangoon Oil.

The smell of Rangoon Oil is something that never leaves you & for me automatically brings back memories of standing at your peg,with a beautifully balanced gun , watching for feathered missiles .

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

box of cartridges???...................

Now come on, that's a bit "obvious."........The first thing I thought of and certainly possible, but no way would 25 hulls fit in the "L" space. See image.



I can get a dozen in .... I wonder if they were sold in dozens back then.Nah a dozen would not cover a morning's shoot let alone a day for a SBS.

Originally Posted by bunji

@Kiwi Sapper ................For the "L"section, the large part has a makers, marked box (usually high quality waxed Cardboard/ paper) containing Rangoon Oil which in the Victorian era was the high end "rust preventive "heavy oil for wiping down barrels etc when you get back to the cart . The small section would have your wipe down "rags"used for this (also on High End guns ,this will be Red/green felt monogrammed with Gun Maker) & your Mop & Brush head.
....... .

What Ho bunji.

That sounds logical.



My only ponder would be as to why the sections are so clean. As for the larger, with the Rangoon metal container within a cardboard box, I understand. BUT the rag(s) used would surely have stained the green baize . Would the rag also have been in some sealed container?

Anyway, Westley Richards are NIL stock..... The hunt now starts.................

Many thanks

And for the square hole?

Or the full set for a double

Originally Posted by Maca49

Or the full set for a doubleAttachment 177122

Nice but no........As the square "oiler" aperture is only 2 inches x 2 inches x 2 inches, you can work out that none of those could be accommodated.

Originally Posted by Kiwi Sapper

Nice but no........As the square "oiler" aperture is only 2 inches x 2 inches x 2 inches, none of those could be accommodated.

The square bottle is smaller than 2x2.

Ruahine auction?

Originally Posted by Maca49

And for the square hole?Attachment 177121

Vaery nice, appropriate..........and in "Hen's teeth" territory. I have had to resort to obtaining a nickle oiler.

Attachment 177128

"My only ponder would be as to why the sections are so clean. As for the larger, with the Rangoon metal container within a cardboard box, I understand. BUT the rag(s) used would surely have stained the green baize . Would the rag also have been in some sealed container?"
@Kiwi Sapper Yeh they loved that old proper wax sealed cardboard ,that old type where if you ran your thumb nail on it the wax would peel .The monogrammed wipe clothes had like a 4 section interlocking lid so the tip just poked up like a modern tissue box & when you poked it back in the rag loosely pushed through so you did not get oily mitts everywhere & you simply reset it when you were all finished .Similar to how the Yanks have their boxes for Chinese take away , if you have seen those type of boxes & "petal"style lid flaps.

The mop & brush heads had little containers like old metal film containers as original Gun Maker marked ones were very valuable & sort by collectors , these sat on extra cleaning cloth , these brush containers were very common 'Lost & founds"after we had ran shoots in the grass next to where the 'Shooting Brakes'pick up area was & l am sure more time was spent looking/returning them than organizing shoots .

That is a lovely old Rangoon tin ,but all l seen in actual gun cases in use were square & gun oil tin round .


Mind you this was among clientele that were that anal on authenticity for driven shoot Kitt, they would wear only custom old "Heritage"pattern Tweed that was hand woven by a old hermit type bloke who lived on a remote Scottish shoreline & wove his patterns to look like the salt spray blasted hills around him ,they cost $1000's for a full set . I am pretty sure they were King George's favorite pattern & Mountbatten wore them everywhere, it had a red tinge to supposively look like the drying wind blown Kelp/sea weed among the grass from where this weaver lived.

On a hunt a Reebok exec was on as a guest , he was that taken with the tweed this old bloke had made for the blokes on the hunt ,he brought a jacket off the back of one of the hunters to take back to America & show the Reebok board & Reebok did a limited run of runners made with his Tweed as inserts ,that kept the whole weaving community in his area in work for years & set him up for life & the runners now fetch 6 figures .

Here is a link l just found to a lovely STEPHEN GRANT SIDELOCK EJECTOR LIGHT GAME SHOTGUN that shows the "proper"Gun case set up from the Victorian age as l would see in use on our shoots .Hope it helps to show it better in the flesh .


https://www.morphyauctions.com/james...rg/52557a1.jpg

https://www.morphyauctions.com/james...m/52557-1-397/