The Betters Hunting Guns Manufacturers

" When you take delivery of your new gun from us, you can be assured it is every bit a Purdey. Every part of a Purdey is machined and then hand-worked and finished in our factory in West London. Only the highest quality materials are used, with all load-bearing parts being made from certified forgings." ... more

"The Holland & Holland factory, located in London not far from Paddington Station, is a true example of a place where Best London guns are built in the traditional way combined with the most modern materials and equipment. (...) When our clients visit the factory at Harrow Road they never fail to marvel at the number and variety of craft skills required to build the shotguns and rifles that are justly considered to be amongst the best in the world. Lock, stock and barrel, every element of the weapon is made and finished out to impeccable standards of mechanical function, handling and form by specialist craftsmen. Engraving is one of the most intriguing of the skills and plays a vital part in the sporting gunís appeal to its owner. Indeed, more time may be spent on discussing the subject and execution of the gunís engraving than on the practical and functional features of its mechanics. " more

DUMOULIN-HERSTAL'S calling is to perpetuate the internatioanlly recognized talent of the Liege gun trade and to offer rifles and shotguns of the highest quality concieved in a marriage of traditional craftsmanship and the most modern technological processes.

"The famous English Gunmaker, Robert Churchill said "A Gentleman should always buy he best gun he can afford". For game shooting, this side-by-side is a light, remarkably well-handling gun, that will shoot outstandingly. From the Merkel range of Models, 40E, 50E and 60E, Robert Churchill would have been able to make the right recommendation for every gentleman. These models combine classic lines with outstanding shooting performance. Merkel side-by-side shotguns are available with custom stock dimensions if required..." more

" Verney-Carron, gun maker in St-Etienne since 1650 is France's number one manufacturer of hunting guns (semi-automatic, side by side or over and under shotgun & double rifle, bolt action or semi-automatic rifles). Small or big game, every hunter will find the firearm for his style of hunting in our exceptional range. "

" FABBRI of Brescia, one of the world’s finest Gunmakers, in northern Italy builds only a handful of guns each year "

"The first recorded Henry Atkin was a workman of James Purdey when he started up in business in 1814, indeed it is said that he was the first man Purdey employed. He stayed with him for 50 years, during which time his own son, also Henry Atkin, was apprenticed to him at Purdeys and stayed there for about 10 years. It was this son who was to found the gunmaking firm of that name in 1877, On leaving Purdeys in 1866, Henry went to William Moore & Co., then at its 43 Old Bond St address, and stayed with the firm for ten years until setting up on his own for the first time at 18 Oxendon St in 1877. An early Atkin advertisement indicates that the business was established in 1875, but there is no other evidence to support this earlier date..." more

"Whilst many makers of fine English shotguns can trace their ancestry back a considerable number of years, Boss & Co can claim to be one of the longest established, dating back to 1773 when William Boss began his gunmaking apprenticeship in Birmingham.

In the late 18th century, William Boss moved to London to work for Joseph Manton, and his son Thomas Boss (1790 – 1857) followed in his father’s footsteps to serve his apprenticeship under the great master himself..." more

"In 1891 Edwin John Churchill

established one of the most competitive and outstanding gunmakers of all time. Founding its initial success on the live pigeon shooting circuit, the reputation of the company was based firmly on the fine balance, exacting fit and superlative finish of its guns and ultimately how they performed in the field.The finest of all these guns was the 'Premiere' which exhibited all of the qualities expected of the highest grade English sporting gun – style, grace, balance, durability and innovation. These qualities were no more obvious than in the manufacture of the pinless sidelock, which provided a firing mechanism impervious to the weather, whilst also allowing the engraver an uninterupted surface to indulge his art..." more

"Born in the late 1700s the first John Dickson was apprenticed as a gunmaker in Edinburgh in 1806, founding his own company in 1820 - a company which continued to be family run until 1936. In the late 1960s, Dicksons acquired control of many other famous Scottish gunmakers including Mortimer (founded in 1740) and the Henry Rifle Company. Angling interests were extended too with the acquisition of Alex Martin

. In 1999 the owners of James MacNaughton bought the shareholding of John Dickson & Son Ltd and formed the company trading under the name of Dickson & MacNaughton
. In so doing many of the most famous names in Scottish Gunmaking were brought together under one roof, these are:John Dickson & Son - James MacNaughton - Dan'l Fraser - Alex Martin - Alex Henry - Thomas Mortimer." more

"It has been the general consensus of opinion throughout the gun trade that the development of the best London gun could be taken no further, and that every gunmaker's main task was to emulate the great guns built between the wars as best as possible..." more

Over 100 years ago Sauer & Sohn created a symbol of perfection: the “Meisterwerk” shotgun. Today, the fine art of gunmaking climaxes and brings the legend back to life.

Handcrafted perfection: the Sauer & Sohn side lock shotgun is a ­one-of-a-kind original. It is the only gun mechanism that was developed according to the rule of Thales.

1. The rule of Thales: the leverage is in its optimum when the centers of rotation of all parts are located on a circle line 2. Trigger catch 3. Hammer 4. Intercepting safety 5. Briddle

Working together, Sauer & Sohn, master gunsmith Marko Frühauf and master engraver Hendrik Frühauf created a Side by Side that is beyond compare and sets the standard for the rest...more

Only a handful of Birmingham gunmakers survived the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the period of austerity that followed. But one was established, survived, and ultimately succeeded during this difficult period for the trade. Albert Arthur Brown was the son of John Joseph Brown, a gunmaker who had at one time worked for Webley & Scott, B.S.A., and W. W. Greener

and who ended his working career as resident caretaker with Greener.A. A. Brown was an action filer who carved the leaf fences for the Birmingham trade. Although English gunmakers are a conservative lot by nature, not given to decorating their products with the bas-relief so familiar on Teutonic weapons, better-quality sidelocks are occasionally found with ivy, fern and oak leaves chased to the fences.

It is difficult, demanding work requiring a hammer and chisel instead of the normal hand-held graver, but Albert Arthur Brown

was considered one of the few men capable of executing it.In 1930, after working for F. E. &

H. Rogers in Loveday Street and just a few months after the collapse of the U. S. Stock Exchange precipitated the world's worst economic crisis, Albert Arthur established his own business at 27 Whittal Street in what was then the heart of the gun quarter.A very wealthy few managed to breeze through the Depression in magnificent style, ordering best guns as usual. Since A. A. Brown made a specialty of building high-quality guns that were ultimately signed by more prestigious firms, he appears to have survived by virtue of the trickle-down effect. On the eve of the Second World War Albert Arthur was joined by his eldest son, Albert Henry, born in 1913. A few months later a second son, Sidney Charles, born in 1916, also came on board... more

An Unrivalled Tradition: Founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1735, John Rigby & Co. has forged an enduring history of manufacturing excellence and design innovation that is unequalled in the annals of rifle and shotgun manufacturing. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the company built dueling pistols and defensive weapons, such as the blunderbuss, that established its reputation for utter reliability in life-and-death situations. Later, and continuing to this day, the company’s mainstay has been the manufacture of the world’s finest firearms for dangerous game and other large animal hunting.

Many of the world’s most-famous hunters and adventurers have relied on Rigby rifles. The renowned tiger hunter Jim Corbett carried a .275 Rigby; Kermit Roosevelt, son of Teddy, shot a .450 Nitro Express Rigby double rifle during their 1909 African safari; legendary elephant hunter Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell used a .275 Rigby; and the famed African safari guide Harry Selby had a .416 Rigby as his favorite lion rifle... more

William Evans has been at the forefront of the traditional art of gunmaking since 1883.
Our range now includes sidelock 'under and over', 'side-by-side' guns, double barrelled sidelock rifles and bolt action rifles... more

William Westley Richards set up his gunmaking business in 1812 to design and make guns that could not be bettered. Not only has the company achieved that original ambition, it has also been responsible for a remarkable series of inventions that have set new standards in gun design.

Westley Richards' commitment to innovation is matched only by its dedication to superb craftsmanship. The company's standards of manufacture go far beyond those of precision engineering, and every part of every gun is made, finished and fitted with faultless accuracy.

For supreme performance, there is nothing to match a gun, or pair of guns, designed and made for an individual shooter. Every aspect of the gun's specification can be chosen to match a person's needs: the bore, the barrel length, the type of locks, the trigger mechanism - a truly comprehensive range of choices, which can then be matched with a stock of exquisitely figured walnut, shaped precisely to fit the user... more

Five generations of the Greener family have been making the finest shot guns and rifles since 1829. Founded by William Greener and made famous by his son William Wellington Greener the company continues to make the very best English guns with Graham Greener, fifth generation, being fully involved as a director of the company. David Dryhurst, one of the last apprentice gunmakers trained by the company and Richard Tandy, another exceptionally talented gunmaker, are two of the directors making the very best quality W W Greener sporting shotguns and rifles today.

From rods and tackle in the first shop in 1840 to shooting apparel and luxury clothing at today's Pall Mall residence, Farlows showcases the best in English country living.

Like Buckingham Palace or the London Eye, Farlows' Pall Mall is world-renowned. Just ask any taxi-driver.

A Mecca for fishing enthusiasts - for which the company holds a Royal Warrant - today Farlows entices a unique blend of customers to its Pall Mall headquarters for fly-fishing and shooting equipment, contemporary performance clothing, and luxury lifestyle apparel and accessories.