When were W Greener shotguns made?

Answer 1

If you have a genuine English "W Greener" it should be a muzzle loader, either flintlock or percussion, made between 1829 and 1869. W Greener made firearms in Birmingham, England. His son, W W Greener disagreed with his father's decision to continue making only percussion guns and started his own business in 1855. After the father's death in 1869, the son took over the business and any guns made after that year will be marked "W W Greener". WW had offices in Birmingham, London, Paris, New York, and Montreal. The family business existed until at least 1965. BUT - in the period from about 1880 to 1914, it was not considered too wrong to use a name very similar to a fine manufacturer's when making an inexpensive gun. "Parker Bros" -> "Barker" or "T Parker", "Westley Richards" -> "W Richards", and "W W Greener" -> "W Greener". Most of these knock offs were made in Belgium and will have the proofmark of "E L G *" in a crowned oval. A real Greener will have British proofs, usually crossed halberds (battle axes) with letters in each of the quadrants.