16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 241

We sent our teenage daughter on a school trip to England and Ireland this summer. Before she left she asked what I wanted her to bring me back. I remarked I wanted her back safe and sound and a fine English shotgun !

Well I got her back safe and sound but no gun. She did take a picture of an English gunshop in Brighton called C&H Weston. She said she walked past the shop and thought I would like it.

According to Boothroyds Directory they have been in operation since 1921. However I went their website and all the have is airguns and blanks. Too bad because in a google search I found a gun with their name on in it. So they must have made guns at one time.

Anybody across the pond or here know anything about C&H Brighton?

there is a 12 bore c&h weston for sale on gunsinternational.com but im sure you wouldnt be interested in that .

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3439 Location: Illinois

I always wondered whought a foriegn gunshop would look like on the inside.Comparing prices,any reloading equipment,etc.We have it good here even with all the restrictive laws

Small wonder that Brighton has one crap gunshop considering it's considered "the gay capital of Britain," tourist mecca and night-life hotspot.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1975 Location: Maine

Actually, GI has two C&H Westons, both in 12 ga, for sale, One a hammergun and one one not. According to the writeup on the one, C&H Weston was in the business of making shotguns until 2000, but I suppose it still does the other business you described.

I've been in a German gun shop, though it was many years ago and I don't have much memory about relative prices, selection, etc., not that it would matter at this remove. I do remember that, in the place of the obligatory mounted deer heads and bears and such we have here, they had a full body mount of a trophy wild boar in the front window. One impressive animal. Scary tusks, too.

On a trip to Merry Olde in 2001 I had the privilege of visiting Holland and Holland, Purdey and John Wilkes in London. Needless to say, they were the planned highlights of my trip. A week later, while in Edinburgh, Scotland I visited the John Dickson & Sons gun dealer on Frederick Street and looked at a lot of nice English best guns. I spotted a nice 26" barreled single trigger W.W. Greener 12 bore that fitted me like it was a bespoke gun. Together with the maker's case the cost was $4,400 USD shipped. I had the gun in my possession in less than 6 weeks after getting paper work done on both sides of the pond. I still use it for upland birds as a second gun coupled with my 26" barreled E.J. Churchill opening assisted 16 bore that also came in the maker's case. Two jewels in the safe that I may consider having in my coffin after I fall off the limb. JF

Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 31

Here's their website. They do sell shotguins and rifles and they're not too far from Brighton Pier.

http://www.chweston.co.uk/

I did visit a gunshop in Brighton, 25 years ago. I'm not sure if it was them, but it was in the same general area. They told me an amusing story about a German who brought a punt gun. He paid cash, put it in his station-wagon, covered it all up and speeded off into the distance. How legal it was for him to import this into his native country we could only guess about.

Off the many gunshops I visited in England, those that stood out where Holland and Holland, very helpful staff. I brought from them some silver snap caps for a friend and they offered to "build a gun around them for me one day". They're still waiting. Also Elderkins in Spalding who sell the whole range of guns from "farmer's guns" and basic waterfowling double guns, (they had two 10-bores and an 8 bore double when I was there), right up to top quality pairs. Again, very friendly, helpful staff. Farlows in Pall Mall, London are also worth a mention, walking distance from Piccadilly.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1975 Location: Maine

Kiwi: I'm assuming from your name that you live/hunt in New Zealand. Do tell what it's like for us folks who've never seen the southern stars.

Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 31

That's a pretty big ask, after 37 years of hunting and shooting, would you like to be a little more specific. I work for Fish & Game New Zealand which manages gamebird hunting and freshwater fishing. So that might suggest what best to ask me. However, here's some bits of info that might help:

Gun control is not nearly so bad as some nations; we have lots of firearms and yet our gun-misuse/crime rate is very low. So that should tell you something. We do have tight restrictions on handguns so there is no handgun hunting, for instance. That's not to say you can't target shoot them as much as you like, just don't bring them in with you for a deer hunt.

For bird hunting, steel shot is mandatory for waterfowl over water, but not if you're field hunting 200m away from water. Smaller gauges, (which are few in number), are exempt so they can still use lead. The best bet for a visiting hunter might be Canada geese which are in large numbers. However, we also have introduced mallards which are pretty thick in some regions (where the daily limit is 50), but not others, (where it's 6). Upland game are generally harder to find. If you come home with one pheasant, you've probably done OK. But there are shooting preserves where you'll do considerably better than this, but pay accordingly too.

Hunting for gamebirds is free on private and public land, (shooting preserves excepted), if you have a single gamebird hunting licence valid nationwide; it's NZ$ 83. Waterfowl are not migratory, so the opening weekend is when many hunters get their best results, (i.e. there are no "fresh" birds arriving from Canada or anywhere else).

Hunting for deer probably looks pretty good overseas when you see photos of monster red stags. But keep in mind that most of these are shot in somewhat unnatural situations, farmed on private land. I've seen them being trucked in.

Deer are generally considered to be pests on public land and there are few rules surrounding their shooting. No licence is required and this means the opportunities for a deer to grow old and grow a fine head are few, when they are persecuted year round. Spotlighting, for instance, is legal and common. Deer are treated the same in other countries where they have been introduced and do not occur naturally, such as Australia. However, if you want to shoot a deer on private land and are willing to pay for it, then yes, we probably have some very impressive trophies.

Personally I prefer to hunt fallow deer in forest in fair-chase situations and some of them look pretty good on the wall. But if you want spectacular fallow heads, you'll have to pay. There's also sambar and sika deer and less common species.

Introduced chamois and thar, (both types of mountain antelope), are fair chase and you don't have to be European nobility to do so. They make good trophies but you need to be very fit. Spectacular alpine scenery.

In some ways New Zealand is a lot like America. Hunting is not an exclusive thing like it is in Europe but rather is available for everyone. The trouble for a toruist is how to get onto the best in their short time available. So you'll either need good local connections or a good guide and/or deep pockets.

I'm not putting myself forward but, one scheme that works is to do an exchange hunt; show the visitor the best of what you have in exchange for the best that they have. One Australian friend hunted around the world this way on 7 different hunts, made some great friends and had nothing but praise for the results.

If you like big trout, we're the place. Maybe not as good as Alaska, but no bears in sight. Buy a single nationwide annual freshwater licence, park beside the river / lake and go for it.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1975 Location: Maine

Well, Kiwi, for a start, that's a pretty good description. I suspect we'll winkle more out of you over time.

Of course, any place with a limit of 50 mallards and (as I understand it) lead allowed in a 16 is going to be verrrrry interesting to the crowd here.

One of my brothers did some guest lecturing at a couple of the universities on the North Island a few years back and had nothing but praise for New Zealanders and wonder at the beauty of the country.

Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 31

As our Prime Minister recently said on the David Letterman Show, as his Number 1 reason to visit New Zealand, "unlike most of the world, we still like Americans".

And yes, there really are 50 bird mallard limits in Central South Island Fish & Game region. The season there is from May 7 to July 31 too. Even those of us in the other Fish & Game regions are envious.