Shooting Equipment

The announcement of a new name for the Gun Quarter in Birmingham has shocked the remaining gun-makers in an area that once contained hundreds of workshops where skilled craftsmen made guns by hand.

The trade started in the 17th century and flourished after the British Government placed its first orders for muskets with five local firms in 1693. Originally based in Digbeth, it moved to the area bounded by Steelhouse Lane, Shadwell Street and Loveday Street that was to become the Gun Quarter in the 18th century. By the late 18th century, the Gun Quarter was a thriving manufacturing community. A 1788 Parliamentary report counted over 4,000 gun makers.

The area's craftsmen made millions of arms for the British Government during the Napoleonic Wars and American Civil War. By 1868 there were 578 gun firms in the city. Today only a few firms remain including Westley Richards and Co, which celebrates its bicentenary in 2012.

Simon Clode, managing director of the firm, was upset by the city council's decision to rename the area St George and St Chad, to distance the area from gun crime. "It's a shame they're not acknowledging the history of Birmingham's gun making," he told news organisations. "It was a big employer and played its part in several wars. We're still going strong and export all over the world. The Gun Quarter is something we should be proud of."

When Westley Richards founded the company in 1812 his aim was "To be a maker of as good a gun as can be made". The company is proud to maintain that ambition, with unstinting dedication to superb craftsmanship and precision engineering. Over the years, the company has been responsible for innovations that have set new standards in gun design.

The recently-reintroduced Ovundo shotgun (pictured) combines the fine lines and elegance of a hand-made English gun with the rapid handling of an "over and under". It features Westley Richards' hand detachable locks for ease of use and maintenance in the field. It is priced around £43,500.