British
Gunmakers
Explore thirteen maker histories spanning London, Birmingham and the wider British gun trade — from celebrated houses to the craftsmen, patents and workshops behind their names.
The names behind
the English double.
British gunmaking was shaped by generations of individual craftsmen, workshops and celebrated gunmaking houses. English Doubles now documents thirteen of those histories, connecting London and Birmingham makers through their founders, innovations, workshops and surviving sporting-gun traditions.
Explore all 13 histories.
Jump directly to a complete English Doubles history for each maker currently documented in the archive.
Featured Gunmakers
Begin with six foundational profiles, then continue into our Gunmaker Archive below for seven additional histories.
James Purdey & Sons
One of the defining names of the London gun trade, James Purdey & Sons represents more than two centuries of English gunmaking tradition and craftsmanship.
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Holland & Holland
Holland & Holland became one of the most recognized names associated with London’s sporting tradition and the development of fine British sporting guns.
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Boss & Co.
Boss & Co. occupies a distinctive place in the history of London gunmaking, with a longstanding reputation for elegant design and traditional hand craftsmanship.
Explore Boss & Co. →
Westley Richards
Rooted in Birmingham’s historic gun trade, Westley Richards became closely associated with British gunmaking innovation, craftsmanship and sporting tradition.
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William Evans
William Evans became another respected name within the English sporting tradition, with roots in the London gun trade and a history extending back to the nineteenth century.
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Webley & Scott
Webley & Scott is one of the historic names associated with Birmingham gunmaking and generations of British sporting-arms manufacture.
Explore Webley & Scott →London & Birmingham
Two cities became inseparable from the history of British gunmaking, each developing its own collection of makers, workshops and traditions.
The London Houses
London’s celebrated gunmaking houses became synonymous with bespoke craftsmanship, sporting tradition and some of the most recognizable names in English gunmaking.
The Birmingham Trade
Birmingham’s workshops, craftsmen and manufacturers formed one of the great centers of the British gun trade and played an enormous role in its development.
Gunmaker Archive
Continue beyond the six featured houses with seven additional maker histories now documented by English Doubles.
The details define
the tradition.
Engraving, action work, carefully shaped walnut and countless hand-finished details are part of the visual language that makes traditional British sporting guns so distinctive.
Behind every great English gun is a tradition built one craftsman, one workshop and one generation at a time.
Discover the stories
behind the tradition.
Explore the English Doubles Journal for features on British makers, gunmaking history, craftsmanship, proof marks and the English sporting tradition.
Explore the JournalEnglish Double Shotguns
See how celebrated London and Birmingham makers fit into the broader history, mechanisms and craftsmanship of the English double.
Read the Complete Guide →