A surprising Warrior box discovery

[ccdjg]

Following my recent post covering Warrior pistol serial numbers, longstanding forum member WalnutrfarmMick emailed me some pictures of his Warrior pistols. One of his pictures showed a second series box (the one with a blue-black background and gold medallion), and some of the box label had peeled away to reveal a first series label underneath. (Mick's picture on the right below). This rang a bell with me, and a quick search of my files turned up another example of a medallion label box, where the label had peeled away revealing a first series box label underneath. This one is pictured on the left below.

So, were all the second series boxes made up from surplus first series boxes by sticking a new label on them? Or did this happen for just a small number of the left over first series boxes when Accles and Shelvoke took the Warrior over from Frank Clarke? I suspect the latter, as the gun in Mick's box is an early one (serial number 1639). Unfortunately I don't have a serial number to go with the box on the left.

Anybody else spotted this' cover over' on a Warrior box?

[slug-gun]

I have seen several later boxes where the label covered the earlier one, and have always assumed that most if not all were like this? The boxes, like the pistols, would have been made in large batches, and my theory is that when the new label was designed, there would have been hundreds of unused boxes with the early label, that were then simply covered over?

Like many airguns, the Warrior might have been sold over a number of years, but the date of their actual production could well have been over a very short period of time, and certainly not in 'dribs and drabs'.

This one will be difficult to pin down, as you will need both a pistol and its original box with some provenance attached, both of which of course are hard to find in any quantity. People often swap boxes around in order to put the 'best' pistol in the 'best' box. Ruins the originality of course, and is then misleading for the historians of the future.

[colin g]

I have i think a second series Warrior on the wardrobe that i will be getting rid of, Serial No 23**. Its in the same black or very dark blue box as above with the Warrior Displayed only on one side of the box, I dont think there has ever been anything else on the lid of the box and the markings inside look like it been the pistols home for its lifetime,.
Can send a few pics if anyone is interested in seeing the box.. Col.

[johnbaz]

I saw this at Melbourne and chatted with Mick about it, Very interesting


John

[micky2]

I have seen several later boxes where the label covered the earlier one, and have always assumed that most if not all were like this? The boxes, like the pistols, would have been made in large batches, and my theory is that when the new label was designed, there would have been hundreds of unused boxes with the early label, that were then simply covered over?

Like many airguns, the Warrior might have been sold over a number of years, but the date of their actual production could well have been over a very short period of time, and certainly not in 'dribs and drabs'.

This one will be difficult to pin down, as you will need both a pistol and its original box with some provenance attached, both of which of course are hard to find in any quantity. People often swap boxes around in order to put the 'best' pistol in the 'best' box. Ruins the originality of course, and is then misleading for the historians of the future.

Yes l go along with that, it would have been much cheaper to stick just a new label on old boxes, than have new boxes made. they were in for profit, and every penny counted.

[rapidresponse1]

very nice