The Anatomy of a shotgun
Boxall and Edmiston are often asked questions about shotguns and rifles. The questions range in complexity and can be as straight forward as the difference between an over and under and a side by side, and as complicated as an explanation of the benefits of leaf over coil springs.
Over the past several years many of these questions have been asked repeatedly and The Shooting Gazette kindly agreed to help answer these by publishing the most commonly asked in their monthly feature “The Anatomy of a Shotgun”, written by Drew Boxall. Below is a record of the previous questions and features with a summary of each. You can download them by clicking the images or links.
The series in the Shooting Gazette has now ended but more questions will be answered in Sporting Shooter magazine. The new series will go into far greater detail and often span two or more pages when more depth is needed. This page will remain as a record of our previous articles and a new dedicated page will be created in the new year. Questions can still be asked via [email protected]
Gun Terminology - The Uncommon Language of Gunsmiths
The craft of gunmaking is one of those unusual examples of an engineering practice that has developed for hundreds of years. With it comes an array of terminology that can often be confusing. Gunmakers use different terms for similar components and features, there are also regional terms, which all in all leads to a difficult subject to master. Click here to read the article or the image below.
Chokes - a history and explanation
This article was kindly written by friend and shooting expert Peter Harris and details the history of chokes as we know them and how they work. Click here or the image below to download or read the PDF.
Bores - why such a specific size?
This article explains why bore sizes are what they are and explains a little of the science behind it. Click here or the image below to download or read the PDF.
Shotgun finishing - the final finishing processes
When finishing a gun the craftsmen instills its final look and feel, those all importing timings are tweaked and perfected to give it that English feel. This article looks at those processes with a special insight from one of the UK’s finest gun finishers Tony White of TR White gunmakers. You can see the article by clicking here or the image below.
Gun fit and stocking style - July 2013
This article looks at the benefits of a custom stock, how the measurements and obtained and some of the different stock styles available. There is also a very interesting section written by Peter Harris (expert shooting instructor) on the history of stock styles. Click here or the image below to download or see the PDF.
Where the Walnut comes from - a look at why and how Walnut is so good for gun stocks - June 2013
The stock of a gun is integral to its functionality as it serves as the main connection between the shooter and gun and a guns beauty. This article looks at why gunmakers use Walnut and how it is acquired. Click here or the image below to read the PDF.
The components of a 12 bore round action over and under - May 2013
An over and under has several mechanical functions including one rarely seen on a side by side. It must detonate a cartridge, become safe when it has done so, expel a cartridge if/when it has been fired (and only then) and it’s useful to select the barrel you wish to use first. All of this makes for a piece of clever engineering and May’s article details the components of an over and under, particularly the Boxall and Edmiston 12 bore round action with trigger plate lock inertia system.
Action bodies explained - April 2013
Action bodies are the body of the gun and are crucial to a guns safety, functionality and beauty. The action body is a piece of engineering excellence, a work of art and a piece of British history in one.
This article explains the names and functions of an action body, click here or the image below to read the article.
The names and functions of a shotgun - specifically a side by side Boxlock - March 2013
Using a computer aided design model of the Boxall and Edmiston SxS Sideplated Boxlock this article explains the names and functions of the shotgun. Click here or the image below to view or download the article.
The difference between demi-bloc and mono-bloc barrel configuration - February 2013
This article looks at one of the most frequently misunderstood areas of shotgun specification. Barrel production is an art form that has progressed with advances in engineering, this article aims to explain the differences between demi-bloc (chopper lump) and mono-bloc barrels. Click here or the image below to view or download the article.
The difference between a Boxlock and a Sidelock - January 2013
This article details the mechanical differences between the side by side shotgun designs of Boxlocks and Sidelocks. The article looks at the pros and cons with detailed computed aided design (CAD) models to help demonstrate the key points. Click here or the image below to view or download the article.