Think of the home of English gunmaking, where quality is king and the guns of your dreams are hand-built by skilled artisans. Have you thought of London? Renowned as the base for distinguished makers, London has the monopoly on today’s big names, but if we were to look back a mere 100 years or so, the British gun trade would look very different.
The Birmingham gun trade can trace its origins to around the 17th century, with large government contracts being taken on in the late 1600s, committing the gunmakers to produce 200 military firearms per month for a whole year. Birmingham has always been a city built on trade, hard labour and skilled craftsmen. The thriving metalwork industry offered the ideal habitat for the development of firearms.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Birmingham gun quarter was growing at a rapid pace, with a total of 62 workshops involved in gunmaking, according to Sketchley’s Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Walsall Directory of 1767. There were 35 gun and pistol makers, eight barrel makers, five finishers, 11 actioners and HO three stockers. With the introduction of the percussion system, Birmingham took responsibility for more than two-thirds of England’s gun production between 1804 and 1815.
With this increase in the manufacturing of firearms, it was decided by Act of Parliament that a Proof House should be established in Birmingham. In 1813, it became the second official proofing body in the country. In the space of six years, between 1855 and 1861, six million arms were tested and proofed in the city.
Esta historia es de la edición April 15, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 15, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside