Henry Atkin Best Sidelever Sidelock Ejector Matched Pair, unusual and rare consecutively numbered matched pair of sidelever sidelocks from this London maker, 12 bores, 2 1/2" chambers, 3 Tons London nitro re-proof in 1975, 29" Sir Joseph Whitworth fluid steel chopper lump barrels, No. 1 choked .008 IC and .024 IM, No. 2 choked .009 IC and .025 IM, 6 lbs. 15 oz. for both, 14 11/16" LOP over a leather pad on both, 1 1/2" DAC, 2" DAH, neutral cast for both, double triggers, automatic Lang style lever safeties that line north and rotate to the right with "Safe" in gold, straight grips, splinter forends, smooth concave game ribs engraved "Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth's Fluid Pressed Steel, Henry Atkin (From Purdey's) 2 Jermyn Street, Haymarket, London", No. 1 bores .734 and .735, No. 2 bores .734 and .734, No. 1 barrel wall thickness .021 and .024, No. 2 barrel wall thickness .023 and .024, highly figured walnut with drop points and fine checkering and diamond grips, treble grip sidelock actions with best fine acanthus English scroll engraving showing slight traces of original case colors, side of actions engraved "Henry Atkin" and the bottom of the action engraved "Henry Atkin, From Purdey's", guns numbered "1" and "2" on breech end of ribs, top of actions, and fore end bottom metal, vacant gold ovals in stocks. Excellent and well cared for guns with sharp engraving, excellent blue and wood finish, No. 1 has a professionally repaired crack on the bottom horn and a small inset wood repair on one fore end edge. Of course Henry Atkin is the Atkin in the later Atkin, Grant & Lang. It's very unusual and rare to see a sidelever gun from Henry Atkin and, these may be the only Atkin sidelevers made. The rib address places the guns circa between 1890 and 1895.

Henry Atkin came from a family of London gunmakers. His father Charles worked for Purdey and Henry apprenticed to him at Purdey in 1848. In the 1860s Henry left Purdey's and worked for another London maker until he began making guns under his name in 1875 and opening his first premise in 1877. He moved to the address on these guns in 1890. Henry Atkin died in 1906 at the age of 73 years. This pair of guns is pictured on the Henry Atkin history page on the Atkin, Grant & Lang website.