A new addition for the collection – The Whittall by Frank Clarke circa 1918. Possibly named after Whittall Street, Birmingham, England, where Frank Clarke and so many other gun manufacturers were situated. Smoothbore brass barrel “Dolla” popout style air pistol. The pin is not original and appears to be made from a nail, a piece of rubber and some type of knurled sleeve. I will commission a replica pin, true to the original, to be manufactured in due course.
Many of you may not have heard of Frank Clarke. Yet we have him to thank as one of the early pioneers that kick-started the British airgun industry. If it wasn’t for Clarke, we may never have seen the rise of the Webley dynasty. Rest assured there will be a series of articles about Frank Clarke and his numerous air pistols to come.
Until next time, happy shooting!
Jimmie Dee
I have to say you do photograph your items well.
I wish I had that talent
Thanks! It’s taken me quite a while to develop my skills and find my “style” for this website. I think it suits the vintage feel of the collection quite well.
All the best,
Jimmie
A currently produced”GAT” pop-out smooth bore coming in a box emblazoned Union jack c/w small plastic tub of 177.pellets,darts and corks yet made in Los Angeles california!!! Unless you are competent in modifying the scear of a pistol I’d avoid this modern day GAT as it is belaboured by a lawyer proof let-off which takes all the pleasure of shooting the anchutz-designed pistol away. I find with an old nineteen seventies GAT that the trigger is so sweet quite astonishing accuracy is to handRegards. HughGunn
They don’t make them like they used to! Still, pop-outs were just intended to be mass produced cheap toys for children. They would never be anything special to shoot.
One time I was in a coal miner’s house busy buying a NACcommando air rifle(maker:norberto arizmendi of Spain) as I paid him the modest sum he placed on the commando his eyes lit up saying to his son, “go and get that wee gun lying in the back garden” – the boy soon returning with a muddy black milbro gat:all metal except the plastic spring sleeve at forend. Which to my delight he threw in for free..Responding to a full strip down and restoration I had found the pistol to be caked in blackened grease internally hence the washer unperished. The trigger let off was truly sweet and in the lobby of my house I made a shooting range with a cardboard shoot box backing into a rolled up carpet piece. To the fore I glued paper bullseye coloured roundel targets made to this day by milbro and found the pistol enabled pellets to be walked round the box with great accuracy. This gat was for this reason my favourite ever airpistol-a true pleasure to shoot and a design that had endured so long surely for on its merit as a precision piece