BG international pistol?? And Britarms pistol questions

[Jeroenw114]

Dear fellow target shooters,

My first post. Very short bio: I am from the Netherlands and have been a sport shooter since 1989.
For target shooting I use a Benelli MP90 and S&W revolvers 686 and a 696.
I also have great interest in the guns themselves, the technique and history etc.
The more unknown Target Pistol have also my interest, for instance the Agner M.80. And the unreachable George Wilson .45 match.

The Britarms 2000 I have seen around on the internet and after seeing one for sale I googled for more info.
Only a MK2 appears on the internet. Was there a MK1?
And are the MK3 and .32 versions ever really made? See the flyer mentioning MK3 and .32 versions I found but do they exist?
Those questions I have asked Alan Westlake from Westlake engineering and after his holiday he would get back to me.
Of course If anyone has more info on the Britarms to share, please!

BUT Googling I found a bigger mystery to me.
BG international. A poor pistol, missing parts and was offered on an auktion starting at $35 and did not sell.
I can not find any info on it. Not one other picture. I do see similarities in the frame to barrel fitting. The BG is a bottom feeder, the Britarms a top feeder. But are they related?

Who does now more?





A Britarms to compare



Britarms adds

[PaulB]

Only experience with model 2000 is that I bought one at auction in 2004. It has been sitting in my safe since then. Got it out recently just to test fire it. The only thing I can say is that the top feeding design is terrible when you need to clear a misfire or a jam. Seems to me that the gun is pretty useless as a shooter, only as a curious collectible maybe.

[JamesH]

I'm fairly sure the .32 was made, Alan Westlake will know everything.

[Jeroenw114]

On a Dutch forum I got a bit more info on the BG.
It's B&G which stands for Bowers & Gaskin.

In an older German book "Handbuch der Faustfeuerwaffen" after a section about the Britarms pistols is written that a new company which was not yet active came with a sporting pistol. Mentioned is also that the sights have resembling looks. A DWJ magazine from 1981 is mentioned having more info, I am trying to find that issue.

On Bowers & Gaskin nothing can be found.I hope to hear from Westlake engineering soon and to find that DWJ.
Just for the fun of knowing more.