doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com English and Scottish gunmakers

It is an affront to all ex Webley men that the name has been debased by putting it on Turkish made guns . Sorry for hi-jacking the thread ,moan over .

There are many published lists of names of gunmakers past and preset , but there is a diference between those that call themself's gun makers and those that actualy make guns or are activly involved in rebuildind and restoring them .To witt , Webley and Scott no longer make guns but they sell guns bearing their name ,so are they realy gunmakers ?

William and Son, on Mount Street in Mayfair, about 200 yards from Purdey's. (Note, William is William Asprey and they make best guns)

gunman, My thoughts ran on the same track as I was reading the linked article. I was so disgusted I couldn't finish it.

Its great to see that there is still a healthy number of gunmakers around. And I like Dig's idea about specifying if the makers actually build the guns themselves, have someone else build it, or finish others' guns and put their name on it. It seems that more and more makers in the UK are doing the later 2.

Like gunman & Krakow Kid, my teeth go on edge when I read about Webley & Scott's demise.
If you read the attached link on page two about Turkish W&S guns it doesn't tell you anything like the truth.
It seems that the West Midlands has spawned a breed of men that can buy a company for tuppence, rape it and sail off into the sunset.
It's very much the same as the Rover story.
Thankfully W&S is now owned by Highland Outdoors who does seem to be doing a decent job despite the guns being made in Turkey.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the moving of John Rigby to California several years ago, in light of the Turks now building W & S guns. How do our friends in G.B. feel about that now? I recall there being some resentment, or at least distaste, at the time.

SRH

The Gun Trade is a trade, like any other.

I personally lament the demise of what was but I'm very pleased there are still some talented and industrious people involved in traditional gunmaking in the UK. It is interesting and healthy to see new technology being used with the aim of producing traditional quality.

William Evans and William Powell, J Roberts and a of of others now sell models made largely on the Continent. Well, a hundred and thirty years ago people were moaning that some gunmakers sold guns made in Birmingham and were passing them off as 'London guns'.

As long as you know what you are looking at it just becomes an informed choice of what you consider good value for money.

Companies move production off shore because it makes economic sense to do so. The gun industry is certainly not unique in that sense.

Modern Turkish Webley guns do nothing for me, but perhaps they have a place. Times change. The Mini no longer looks like it did when I was a kid, and now it is owned by Germans.

Rigby was sold to overseas owners, who used the name to sell an inferior product from that on which the reputation was built. But it is their business, they can do what they like.

We just have to get used to looking at who is doing what NOW, never mind in the past. Manton used to be the best, now the name is a shell company doing nothing. David McKay Brown came from nowhere and is now established as a best gunmaker, William Powell used to make guns in Birmingham, now they badge imports.

Businesses change. We just need to keep an eye on these movements.

Right on, Smallbore.

Dig, as someone involved in the wholesale trade of branded consumer products for my entire life, I couldn't have said it better.

Brand (makers) names are simply a shorthand for consumers. With time we come to expect a certain "something" (quality, value, crapiness, beauty, flavour etc) from a name branded product. Even if we haven't experienced it personally, the experience of others informs us. But it is only a substitute, a shorthand, for the actual qualities that may be associated with a particular product.

Of course, for the most part, it is almost impossible for the brand to maintain the actual qualities that gave it a good name over the very long haul. Thus, those who do are held in high regard and the rest fade away.

I believe that longthorne build their guns entirely in the uk. Including their own barrels machined from billet. I don't know much more about them but they have a website which may be worth a look. (don't know how to post links sorry)
Can't say I'm the 'new' webley's biggest fan but their 2000 sxs looks decent enough. one thing I do like about it is the Deeley and Edge fore end fastener . It looks nice, at least they're trying.
Maybe one day when this over and under 'fad' has passed, we may see some fine British gun makers appearing once more.
P.s. I don't dislike o/u guns. Just believe the old saying that...
'if god had meant for us to shoot them, he'd have made us all with one eye above the other ! '