One of the biggest users of a gun storage facility is collectors, as they not only provide the legally required safety for a collection of rare, unusual or antique weaponry but also the security that these weapons will be safe from the hands of potential thieves.
Exactly which guns will appeal to collectors varies considerably over time, as different types of guns, makes, models and designs will go in and out of fashion amongst collectors, but one of the most unusual and sought-after niches is the somewhat enigmatic pigeon gun.
Part of the reason for this is that a lot of pigeon guns are often made from such high-quality materials and have such ornate renderings and engravings that they appeal to creators from outside of the shooting world.
The other part of the reason is the somewhat strange story of its existence as a weapon of a bygone era designed to excel at a sport that does not exist anymore.
Pigeons Before Clay
Before the rise of trap shooting and clay pigeon shooting as the ultimate test of a person’s skills, the most prestigious shooting competition was live pigeon shooting, to the point that an event was held during the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, the first and only time live shooting took place at the Olympics.
The traditional format was that a pigeon would be released from a trap 29 yards from the shooter, who would fly quickly and somewhat erratically, requiring the contrasting skills of quick reflexes and a fast, hard-hitting shot to hit it within the fence within two shots before it escapes.
Because of this, and somewhat lax regulations besides requiring a double-barreled shotgun, guns began to be developed specifically for pigeon shooting, typically featuring long barrels, tight chokes and a specific type of gun stock known as the Monte-Carlo and named after the epicentre of high-stakes shooting at the time.
They also tended to be heavier than a typical field rifle to reduce the recoil of heavy shots without the weight concerns that come from carrying them around.
They also tended to have single action for less tension on the trigger and no safety catch to avoid it accidentally activating and causing a costly mistake.
Because it was such a favoured sport by upper-class hunters, many pigeon guns are made from the highest quality materials available at the time and often featured elaborate and ornate engravings of pigeons to highlight the purpose-built nature of the gun.
They have since become very rare as pigeon shooting itself very quickly fell out of favour at the turn of the 20th century.
Whilst the Olympic Games provided the sport greater exposure, it also galvanised campaigns to ban the sport outright, which started to come into force as early as 1902. By 1921 pigeon shooting was completely banned in the United Kingdom.
Because of this, pigeon guns became quite rare and somewhat desirable amongst collectors, especially those who bought a second-hand “heavy field” gun only to find out it was a pigeon gun and worth substantially more than they paid for it.