W.W. Greener ~ Police Gun Mark III ~ 12 Gauge

Originally designed to meet the demand for a police weapon for riot control, the single barrel modified Martini action general-purpose shotgun was first made in 1922. Produced in large quantities after the company won a contract to supply these weapons to the Egyptian police force, the basic gun evolved into numerous variants in both police and sporting service. These included the Police Gun (PG) Marks I, II & III, Gaffer Gun (GP) Marks I & II and Trap Gun. All these models were produced in a variety of different specifications. Greener ceased manufacture of these guns in 1998. Corruption was rife in Egypt and frequently criminals would pay policemen to "borrow" their guns to commit crimes, so to prevent unauthorized use the Mk III was developed. In the Mk III the striker has three separate projections or points instead of a single firing pin. The center projection was the firing pin but, in order for it to work the two outer projections had to fit into an annular groove in the base of the special cartridges. Normal cartridges simply wouldn't work. This prevented criminals from using standard ammunition in the guns. Mk III guns were produced in 14 bore like the Mk II, in 12 bore and in a special bottle necked cartridge that had a 12 bore base but was necked down to 14 bore. All cartridges require an annular groove in the base to function in the police gun. This example is in good condition and would make a good collectable if you like firearms not often seen. A nice conversation piece.