Hodges branded guns 

Although the Hodges family produced many hundreds of guns for other makers, finding guns with their name on the outside is a much harder task. E.C. Hodges and his son Lionel Hodges did produce a number of guns in their own name though. I'm trying to trace all the surviving examples - can you help?

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1. EC Hodges – Serial no: 3645. Date 1875/6

Top lever sidelock hammerless. 30” barrels with 8, Florence Street, Islington on the rib. Proof marks: NOT FOR BALL. Barrel cocking. Probably re-stocked. One of EC's first guns under his own name.












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2. EC Hodges - serial no. 3671. 95 Mount St. rib address dates it to 1876-1881. Sidelock non-ejector, back action, non-rebounding hammers, double trigger, sidelever, damascus barrels. 2 1/2 inch chambers. Purchased from FJ Cole in Cirencester (owned by Atkin) in 1961. No.1 of a pair? "HLH" in medallion inlaid in butt.

















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3. Webley DA 'Army' revolver (using Pryse patent

Nov 1876). Six shot .442" centre fire.  9" overall, including 5” octagonal barrel. Birmingham proved, with Pryse patent barrel release catch, and rebounding hammer. Chequered walnut butt with oval butt cap and lanyard ring. Engraved E C Hodges, 95 Mount St, Grosvenor Square on top flat. Referred to in EC Hodges advertisement in The Field in 1876. Pistol also retailed by Greener (London and Birmingham) and Henry (Edinburgh) and others. .......................................................................

4. EC Hodges - Serial no. 3801. Estimated date early 1880’s. 28” Damascus barrels in poor condition. Fine scroll engraved and gilded action. Sold to Greek dealer in 1997, current whereabouts unknown. No picture.


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5. EC Hodges - Serial no. 3805

1876-1881 - 12-bore, 1871 patent triple-bite, snap action sidelever rebounding hammers. 30 inch black powder damascus barrels. Hinged ejector pivot in front lump. Action flat and tang marked E.C. Hodges patent. Patent use number 1001. Rib engraved 95 Mount street, Grosvenor square, London.

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6. EC Hodges - Serial no. 3870

1884/5 as dated by the 34 South Audley St address on the top rib. No.2 of a pair. 12 bore, non-rebounding, non-ejectors, damascus barrels.













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7. EC Hodges - 16 Bore hammerless top-lever Birmingham proofed trade gun.

No serial number. No engraving. A 'keeper's gun'. Date about 1886/7 - 'Not for Ball' and 'Choke' both appear on the barrels.

Action table stamped G&P Patent, a third pattern hammerless action by Gibbs and Pitt of Bristol. Gun probably made by Osbornes of Birmingham. The patent use number is 4605. Uses a long thin cocking top-lever instead of the original underlever.  Doll's head extension. 28" Damascus barrels, numbered 748, stamped L&S (probably Little and Son of Price St. Birmingham). EC's 8, Florence St address on rib and his name engraved on both sidelocks. My thanks to Mark Crudgington of George Gibbs Ltd. for his help with this caption.

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8. EC Hodges – Serial no. 3942. Date 1881-1883.

12 bore sidelock non-rebounding sidelever hammergun. EC Hodges Treble Grip patent (no. 251 of 871). ‘EC Hodges’s patent’ on top strap. Has original case with label for 69 Ebury Street, Chester Sq, Belgravia’. Proof marks NOT FOR BALL. Although the serial number is later than gun 6 the case address is actually the location used immediately before EC Hodges moved to South Audley St.








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9. EC Hodges – Serial no. 3986. 


Sidelever hammerless. No.2 of a pair. No action marks. ‘EC Hodges’s Patent’ on top strap probably EC Hodges 1878 hammerless patent. Illegible rib address but probably mid 1880s. Sleeved barrels. Converted to ejector by Charles Lancaster using T. Perkes patent ejector no.2784 of 1889. Perkes use number 947.







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10 EC Hodges - Serial no. 4066.

No.1 of a pair (see next gun).
Resleeved 12 bore, sidelock, top lever, ejectors, 8 Florence St on rib. Rose and scroll engraving. Greener type Wedge Fast locking system. Probably late 1880s. 








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11. EC Hodges – Serial no. 4067.

Date uncertain.  Prob late 1880s.

Toplever hammerless. Uses a top extension and locking bolt, similar to Greener's Wedge Fast system. Second of a pair.











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12. EC Hodges – Serial number 6295

Date uncertain but must be between 1885 - 1920. Toplever hammerless ejector. Rib address of 8 Florence Street.









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13.  Lionel Hodges -(eldest son) - Serial no. 2259. Date 1905 – 1912

12 bore boxlock with Southgate ejectors and a semi-pistol grip stock. 30" original steel barrels. Rib address 27 Barnsbury Park. H.W. barrel initials. Scroll engraved. Proofed in London and subsequently re-proofed in Birmingham.  2 1/2" chambers  with 1/4 and 3/4 choke. Weight 6lbs 6oz.











 

 

Only 13 Hodges branded guns have been traced to date, but this figure includes a plain Birmingham made trade-gun and a Webley pistol. 33 are registered in England and Wales, so there are 20 guns to be found, plus all the ones that left the UK. Where are they and what can they tell us about EC's career and his inventive skills? A limited number of EC Hodges pigeon  guns performed extremely well in the early 1880s but none have yet been found.

If you have details of any Hodges branded gun (or a gun he worked on) please contact me via the 'Gun Data Form' or 'Contact Me' pages. Owners of Hodges branded guns will get a free Hodges gunmakers biography and I'm happy to share information about guns similar to yours.

3645
3671
webley pistol
3805
3870
trade gun









3942
3986
4066
4067
6295
lionel
 
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