Does anyone out there have any firm knowledge about the roots of J&L Wilkins? Where does one go to buy a new one or order one? Over the years I have seen a good number including at the recent Beinfeld show, a real fancy 700NE. There are several on Guns America both bolt and doubles adn one shotgun...nobody seems to know who or where they are!! Thanks for feedback.

470Eddy - there really isn't a gunmaker called J&L Wilkins - that's why there isn't any information on them.

It's a "brand name" developed for marketing purposes to sound like an old English gunmaking name.

In short, the guns were made by a group of B-ham gunmakers that moonlighted thier talents.

I forget the guys name that established the "company"... and I don't know if they are still being built or not.

Call Dave Moore at www.williamlarkinmoore.com or George Caswell at www.champlinarms.com.

If the J&L Wilkins guns are still being made, one of those guys will know who to call to get you one.

Thanks much for this update that is about what I expected. I have spoken with George and both Dave and Bill Moore and all have about the same impression as yours. Moore has a 20 gauge on their site now and George recently had a 22RF double which I recall sold and a 700.

Looks to me like this is an Army & Navy type without a storefront??

Any further info out there would certainly be appreciated.

Guys

I think if I am correct the name J&L Wilkins was affixed to a small number of rifles made in Birmingham by a chap named Chris Soyser (may not be the correct spelling). Chris is a considerable rifle fanatic and traded for a while in the UK and US with double rifles.

Other than that I have no furthewr information, sorry. I do not believe however that such rifles are still being made.

You could try Trevor Proctor in Wilmslow, England if you are looking for a classic style of English double rifle, as he presently has a number under manufacture in calibres from .275 Rigby through to .600 N.E, and commandsa the lowest prices of any i nthe U.K at present for a new build rifle

The J&L Wilkins guns were built by the same English gun makers that do work for the entire trade. There is nothing wrong with them and you could do a lot worse.

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
Does anyone out there have any firm knowledge about the roots of J&L Wilkins? Where does one go to buy a new one or order one? Over the years I have seen a good number including at the recent Beinfeld show, a real fancy 700NE. There are several on Guns America both bolt and doubles adn one shotgun...nobody seems to know who or where they are!! Thanks for feedback.

It is a trade label used for a "Far Eastern Client" though the guns are excellent, of course. Check out this British forum for information. You could contact the poster who knows Bob HArvey who builds these guns to get more information if you're interested.

Gentlemen; Great input and very helpful. Thanks to a connection from Mehul, I have a track to the original producer of these fine rifles and shotguns...who is still well and producing!! This will provide an opportunity for a visit, I am hopeful, during our next trip to the UK for CLA GameFair and some narrow boat canal cruising. This has been a fruitful roundtable as well as finding another new (to me) gunmaker of quality to satisfy new pursuits. Thanks to all, I will report on my findings after my visit.

470EDDY, contact Mims Reed (HARRY) who posts on this, and the African hunting forums! He has one of the little .22 LR doubles, with a set of 410 GA shot barrels! I have handled this little rifle and it is of very good quality, and shoots to regulation with everything shot in it! They are expencive in the USA, but are of collector quality!

Thanks much for this input. I have met Mimms at the Tulsa show and see his ads in Gun List, etc. I will contact him. This has been a very interesting pursuit and I have learned of two fantastic gunmakers in England having contributed to the J&LWilkins rifles...most specifically Bob Harvey, the purveyor of these fine rifles. Also have been connected with Trevor Proctor who is also a maker of fine rifles of the smae quality!! I hope to visit both this summer while visiting CLA Game Fair. Best Regards...470EDDY

Anyone have a contact # for Trevor Proctor ? had a friend in shropshire looking for J&L Wilkins in Oxford& couldnt turn up anything.now i know why.have used many suppliers to the london trade &all 1st rate.Thanks,kim

Hello Kim; I have been corresponding with another AR member about Trevor Proctor who has sent me detailed photos of some of Trevor's projects...simply put, fantastic from what I can see in the pix!! The feedback about his work is the same as you have encountered...superb. Trevor's website is www.ttproctor.com and his workshop contact info is on that site.
I also have Bob Harvey's, the actual maker of the J&L Wilkins rifles, contact info from another source and plan to contact him over the weekend or next week. With his permission I will gladly share his contact info with our elite group of double nuts!!
It seems to me that these fine gentlemen, building high quality rifles, deserve some long overdue recognition??!!...470EDDY

Hi Steve

Trevor's site is in the embryonic stages of being set up and will be up and running in full colour glory, hopefully over the next 4-5 weeks, Trevor would be hapy for the pics I sent you to be passed on to any interested parties and would be happy to answer any questions on them or on any other rifle or fine shotgun related matter shotgun.

I have a number of double rifles pictures of rifles presently under construction by Trevor from bore sizes .275 - .600 N.E and can e-mail them to any interested parties.

Jonathan; Spoke with Trevor yesterday afternoon, what a delightful fellow and interestingly, we have several mutual acquaintenances and know/hunted with same PH's over the years.
He advises that it may not be practical to do a 3 bbl set due to the size of the bbls on the small bore having to be oversized for action fit. Two works great if there isn't to great a difference in caliber, example 375 Flanged Mag and 470 will work fine.
He has contact for Chris Soysen who was the person behind the J&L Wilkins. Certainly would like to talk with him. Trevor did the Bolt guns but did not do the doubles?? Still a bit of a mystery...and I still need to speak with Bob Harvey, perhaps he is the guy??
I will try to call you as well as Bob on Monday.
I will be forwarding pix around to our double rifle shooters club in the Northwest. I was impressed with his price and 2 year delivery for a fully engraved boxlock ejector at PS20M. All the best...470EDDY

470EDDY,was really interested in a bolt gun.have seen a few J&LWilkins bolt guns advertised in US.this is what caused me to have my friend in shropshire to inquire&came up blank. does Trevor make bolt guns?will check his site when its up.thanks,kim

470E,sorry,should have checked site&links before.still hung over from my sons wedding last night!looks like a classic but want a 416Rigby-cant make on standard length Mauser.will wait on site completion.Thanks,kim

KimR

Trevor builds fantastic magazine rifles as well as doubles, if you send me a pm I will get some pics to you along the lines I sent to 470 (Steve), the .416 Rigby will present no problem, also remember that many of the original .416 Rigby's including the one used by Harry Selby were built not on the Oberndorf Magnum but on the standard 98.

A great number of Trevor's rifles are in use in Africa with PH's, Nicky Blunt in Tanzania uses a .416 by Trevor, in this case a Remington made to Nicky own design.

Presently a number of .500 Jeffery's are under construction for guides in Africa including one for the KWS.

hope this helps

Jonathan,thanks.send to Kimroux7@wmconnect.comif you can dont send as attachments just pics.who does his stocking.i have used bobby smith for a 20b u/o that marcus hunt engraved. are these all B'ham chaps.only person i knew was late les arnold.BEST,kim

Kim; Trevor Proctor is the man who built the J&L WILKINS bolt guns and is prepared to build other new custom rifles including the 416 Rigby.
On Guns America www.gunsamerica.com you will find two beautiful J&L WILKINS bolt rifles, one in 404 Jeff and the other 416 Rigby with Gulf Breeze Firearms in Florida. They also have 2...yes TWO 700 NE Doubles by J&L Wilkins.
I certainly agree the 416 rigby is a desireable cartridge for dangerous game and had one on order for 11 years with a custom builder...it was never delivered and I cancelled the order...I am still thinking that the gunmaker thought he could build the 416 Rigby on a Pre-64 Mod 70 Win Mag action and that's why it wasn't delivered...most say it can't be done correctly...like your comment about standard Mauser lengths....however, I believe Trevor Proctor said that is what he used!! Cheers, 470EDDY

470 EDDY, saw those guns on gunsamerica.thats what started this whole search.the shop is ~4hrs from new orleans-just havent had timeto get over ,hoped he would be at a gun show.sooner or later may just have to bite the bullet&go. thinking about having Stuart Satterlee build 416R on his magnum action&probably will- wanted to see the competition too.BEST,kim

Hello Guys; Thought I would do a wrap on my question about J&L Wilkins. I have had very interesting and helpful input, information, contacts and referrals...a tribute to the knowledge and interest in our interested forum members. THANK YOU!!

J&L Wilkins is a name formulated by two fellows, Chris Soyser originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Dick Correnti from So. California. They teamed up with Bob Harvey in England and also utilised several members of the Gunmakers Trade in England and actually produced 12-14 doubles and 20-30 fine Bolt rifles and a few shotguns. Trevor Proctor ( another noted gunmaker) in England also completed 3 of the Bolt rifles on 98 Mauser actions in 404 Jeffery and 416 Rigby.

On their doubles, they used some available English trade actions, one or two H&H extra (or at least appeared to be H&H type) forgings floating around in the trade at the time, and later actually designed actions for production in Austria that were forged there and along with barrels brought to Bob Harvey where he finished the guns along with members of the Trade.

Here is a list that Chris repeated from the top of his head regarding doubles: 2 sidelock 700H&H, 2 Boxlock 700H&H ( of which may be the two on Gulf Breeze Firearms ads on Guns America at $69M+ and $79M+) (also note another dealer had a sidelock 700 at the winter Beinfeld show in Vegas, $149M), 2-22LR one with a set of 410 shotgun bbls, 22 Hornet, 500 NE Boxlock, 577 sidelock, a 2 barrel set 375 and 470NE Sidelock and a pair of sidelocks one 470NE and the other a 30 Super said to have sold for over $100M.

This team also has done quite a bit of quality restoration in England. Rifles purchased all over the world for resale or directly for clients. I ran into 20-30 of them in one man's collection in Virginia a couple of years ago.

So, with that, we have learned about a finite name under which a handful of fine rifles were produced and one can be assured these will be good shooting and collectable in years to come.

Thanks to all for your contributions. Mystery resolved. 470EDDY