I've got to make a decision, I can't afford both. What do you guys like?

I'm a boxlock fan myself. I'm sort of a basic field grade snob. I would rather pay for function like double triggers and selective ejectors than engraving and case hardening.

But I don't own any doubles either, but that's how my tastes run. A best built budget gun over a poorly built flashy one.

But I grew up shooting a M37 Winchester, the best made single.

Have 4 doubles, box locks all.

Both pieces are from well known makers. Without taking the side plates off the Army & Navy to look at the condition of the wood in the head area I would personally have to go with the William Evans. The true side plate guns from any maker are all pretty intricate under the plates with all the pins that go thru it. If the head of the stock gets oil soaked you will end up with problems. Can happen with a box lock too but to a lesser extent. If they are both solid you wouldn't go wrong with either one. I personally would go with the one that has better dimensions to fit you and your style of shooting. Be mindful of the choking and more importantly the chamber length. Two inch and two and a half inch chambers are common in English guns of that era. Ammo for such is pretty hard to come up with on this side of the pond unless you roll your own which can be a bit of a hassle in itself. Another thing to check are they proofed for today's ammo.

Shotgun lover who actually owns and shoots. Both! If you showed up with either I would ask to handle it. I have no time for boring ugly guns. Those are anything that starts with a B, was sold in Sears catalog, has plastic on it. Or over under barrels. The A/N and Evans are classics any snob would envy.

Dang Paul, you recognized the maker on sight. That's impressive!

I'm so conflicted on which one of these to pull the trigger on (pun?). Price-wise, they're about the same money. They both have absolutely gorgeous wood and the dimensions are similar. The Evans has the more open chokes of which I'm not a fan. I like tighter constrictions. Both guns have 2 1/2" chambers and are nitro proofed. I have the load data and components.

Appreciate your input, Paul. You know your guns and I'm aware of the issues you mentioned.

This will be my third English double, tomahawker. My buddies acuse me of being a snob but I don't crap on their guns, I just enjoy carrying craftsmanship.

I make my decision later today.

Sweet, keep us posted. Might talk to the sellers and see if any ammo might be throwed in. Always helps make a decision.

2 good lookin choices you scatter gun snob!

Lol, guilty as charged.

I am in a similar boat
but perhaps even more simple , I will take a well made pump gun and a truck bed worth of ammo to go shoot.
I want nothing to do with non standard ammo either.

one thing I can agree on with Posco is I dislike open chokes I shoot a full 99% of the time

yall be into what ever your into for SxS and 2 1/2 and fancy . and I will be into my ugly functional pumps for broken targets and dead birds and such.

I hunt with some guys who make up in cylinder bore what they lack in skill. In truth, a couple of them are fearsome shots. I like tighter chokes. You're either on the bird or you're not. I don't care if they get away...my grouse hunting version of catch and release.

I've owned a bolt action Mossberg or three, pumps and semi-autos but I developed a real appreciation for English doubles. I get my enjoyment from carrying one in the field whether I down a bird or not. My reflexes, stamina and eyesight ain't what they used to be.

I guess the open choke thing should be an indicator on the type of shooting you do.

Non standard or uncommon ammo is a no go for me too. If you can't buy it easily in any place that sells ammo then its a no go.
That goes for rifle calibers too.

Me, I like open chokes, I hunt with a gun that has cylinder bore.
Of course I'm grouse/woodcock hunting so that choke makes sense.
Wouldn't want to use it duck hunting.

Also for the type of hunting I do and my style of shooting a double/over and under would be a great limitation, only 2 shots.
Its not unusual for me to get a bird one the third, fourth or even the fifth shot.
Some of my most memorable shots are when I have dropped a bird on the fifth shot.

choke is very much what you hunt and how

that is why I like barrels threaded for choke tubes because it does make them more versatile

I definitely like a shorter gun , but I will be out there pushing through the brush so it is going to take some scratches and I wouldn't want to scratch up a nice English double

for bird chasing it is mostly pheasant for me #5 lead and full choke

other than slug barrels I only have one Mod that is a fixed choke I have looked at making it have a shorter barrel with threaded chokes but it shot slugs so well I don't want to mess with it's barrel and I have plenty others to use.

If Your hunting grouse and woodcock the last thing You want is full chock, unless Your intent on collecting feathers.

Good for you.

I have sold lots of both and owned only two sidelocks, but I prefer the workmanship in a sidelock, and I'm no gun snob. I hunt with my Benelli, an old Winchester 101 and on occasion for wild pigeons, my old Belgian sidelock. My other sidelock was an O/U Beretta SO-4 Olympic trap gun and was a gun I regret ever selling.

Lots of good comments above, but I'll add a few.

You should be able to find some 2 3/4 " sidelocks or boxlocks around. If the shorter ammo is no problem, then all good because lighter loads are better for vintage guns.

The photos show the levers centered, but knowing how far the levers are off center after firing is a good thing to know with a used gun. From the vintage, I'll almost guarantee you that neither of them would be on center.

The Army Navy gun in your pictures looks to have the left sidelock sitting a bit proud. That could be nothing, but isn't normal, even in an older gun.

When you get them in your hands, remove the forend and move the gun right to left to see if the barrels move. The forend tightens up the action, so sometimes a gun will feel tight until you do this and then you discover it isn't.

Take the barrels off the action and hang them by the hinge pin on a screwdriver and tap the barrels gently with another screwdriver to see that they both sound the same. If they don't, you likely have a solder issue on the barrels and/or the rib.

As stated above, excess oiling can soften the stock, but without taking the gun apart the best you can do is look for staining next to the action.

Obviously it won't be a rainy day duck gun, so enjoy your purchase.

Good luck.

Pete

I had a Parker GHE 20g restored thirty years ago. It was flat-out worn out. The gunsmith acted angry when he received it and asked me what I expected him to do with it. He said he'd give it a shot. I wish I would have taken before and after pictures. He sleeved the barrels, leached decades of oil out of the head of the stock, tightened the action, refinished the wood and re-cut the checkering. I was nothing short of amazed. I appreciate and am aware of some of the concerns. Been there.

As to chokes, I mentioned I like tighter constrictions., that doesn't mean they have to be full and full. I'm not a fan of cylinder bore. The Evans (boxlock) is choked .012 IC and .009 Skeet. 28" barrels. Being a vintage gun, the chokes are fixed. The only thing I don't like about the gun is the choke. I do a lot of late season hunting with wary birds and longer shots. I'd like something tighter than that.

The Army & Navy (sidelock) has 30" tubes being .041 EX. Full and .011 IC. I like that choking better. Barrels are a tad long but I can live with that.

I hemmed and hawed too long in making a decision, those two guns sold. He hadn't taken them down from his site. I had to settle for my third pick. An Army & Navy 12g. Army & Navy CSL or Co-operative Society Ltd. was formed in 1871 by British Army and Navy officers to supply their members with all sorts of goods, including firearms.

Vital statistics

30" barrels, extractors, 2 1/2" chambers, 0 cast, 6 lbs., 5 oz, choked full and IC. No buggered screws.

Can't wait to get my grimy paws on it.

No...he zoomed in and read the side plates like the real of us did.

Guilty to some extent. I figured they were both English built. Wasn't sure at all about the Army Navy. But I had a suspicion on the William Evans. The decorative file work on the rear of the balls was a good indication who the maker could be. Most of the builders have their own subtle little flairs. A good friend of mine, an Englishman, has a couple Wm Powell guns that have embellishments that I recognize on other Powell guns. His guns are also in the 6 pound range with 30 inch barrels and choked in a like fashion. One open, 1/4 choke, the other rather tight, 3/4 and full. If I remember correctly they both have 2 1/2 inch chambers. By comparison my A grade Ansley H. Fox is a boat anchor at a hair over 7 1/2 pounds. It's choked skeet, .005, and light modified, .015. I use it on farm pheasants and chukars to great effect. My Fox was built in 1910/1911.