Manton doubles any good?

Todd E

http://www.drake.net/html/vintage7.html

http://www.gunshop.com/ryder1.htm

[ 06-07-2002, 16:29: Message edited by: Nickudu ]

Hi Todd,
The Manton company was finally closed down in Calcutta just a few months ago. For a long time they had been only retailers and had been reduced to importing Spanish boxlock shotguns until the Indian government banned the import of guns in 1984. It's sad, but I hope someone will buy the name and restore it to it's glory. Some of their old guns were beautiful!

Todd E:

Manton & co. of Calcutta India has the reputation of being the most famous of all British gunmakers ( dealers). Today we all ( in a north american sense) tend to think of H&H, Rigby and Purdey but truth be known that the Mantons reigned king at the height of the British empire and the grand era of the British double gun.

India was by far "the testing ground and place of use " of the double, far more than Africa. The african scene in terms of the double usage came after the Indian arms act and in terms of popular view and awareness it was the 50's where the double became known to the americas.

They ( Manton brothers) established the Manton company in 1825 and unfortunately it came asunder in 1977? when the Indian government gun regulations effectively put them out of comission. The last years acting only as shopfront for cheap imports.

Manton like Jeffery did not build their own guns in Calcutta but had guns built under their name by famous Birmingham gunmakers. Like Jeffery they also offered Mausers, mannlichers, BSA's and Webley & scotts, even Smith & Wessons.

Alf,

Thanks for the information. I have a line on a 577 NE Manton and was curious about the history.

Todd E

Alf & Mehul,

Did any of retailers/makers like Manton, Rodha, Lyon & Lyon which had shops in India, ever build guns in India?

A friend argued that some of Manton or Rodha guns were actually made in India. I was of opinion that they only put the shop address on the gun i.e., Calcutta etc., but the guns actually were built in Birmingham or London.

Saad

S/

ToddE,
Give George Caswell at Champlin Arms a call. He's had several Manton's in his shop for sale in the past and is very knowledgeable. He loves to talk about double rifles. Don't know the phone #, but it is listed on his website. www.champlinarms.com

Good Hunting,

I was at Champlin this week and believe they had a Manton double in the vault.

Don't remember for sure, as I'm not a double rifle person, and I only looked at 20 or so double guns while there.

Like AC said, give George Caswell a call.

Joe.

I am not aware of any Manton or Rodda guns being made in India. I guess it must have been any self-respecting Maharaja's dignity to buy a local gun considering the impeccable quality of British guns in those golden years.
Tragically, the Manton company was reduced to selling Spanish boxlock shotguns of dubious ancestry from the late 1970s to 1984 when the importation of guns to India was banned. They definitely didn't sell these under their name, and neither did they sell the IOF (Indian Ordnance Factory) crap under their name thereafter until they died a few months ago.