There’s nothing new under the sun, right? Well, how about under the rain? We recently found a W.W. Greener with what is marked as a “Watershed Rib”—apparently a reference to the rib's suitability for shooting in the rain. Offered by Stephen Cobb Quality Guns, the Greener is, at least to us, unique.
The photos show a pretty standard Greener-style rib, except it is engraved its full length with a chevron pattern. Graham Greener, who has been studying Greener guns for most of his life, could not shed much light on what appears to be a “water-shedding” device—and perhaps even a watershed idea. “I have no idea what the ‘Watershed’ rib looks like or what it is. We have no record of what it could be and no reference in our archives.”
“Having looked at the photos on the website it appears to be a rounded rib with ‘chevron’ engraving. Presumably water rolls off the top and into the grooves either side of the rib. I have never had an issue with shooting in the rain, apart from getting wet, and water on the top rib doesn’t seem to spoil my aim. I’m still capable of missing the shot — whether it’s raining or not!”
Would Greener’s records reveal a special order from some colonial officer deep in the Ruwenzori rainforest, where one shoots in a downpour or one does not shoot at all? No — the gun was retailed through Greener’s London store, with no indication of its destination. Aside from the unique marketing moniker engraved on its rib it’s a pretty standard FH35 with a replacement stock, a few dings and a modest price.
Maybe watershed stands for something akin to a “watershed moment”