The History of Westley Richards

While London's gunmakers — Purdey, Holland & Holland, Boss — have traditionally claimed the spotlight in the world of bespoke firearms, Westley Richards has quietly built an equally distinguished reputation from its base in Birmingham, the industrial heartland of British gunmaking. Founded in 1812 — the same year as Boss & Co — Westley Richards holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving gunmaker still operating under its original family name and in its original city. The company's signature innovation, the droplock action, is widely considered the finest boxlock ever devised: a mechanism so elegantly engineered that the lock plates can be removed without tools in seconds, yet so robust that it has served big-game hunters on every continent for over a century. From humble beginnings in a small Birmingham workshop to a global brand with a presence in America, Westley Richards' story is one of engineering excellence, commercial acumen, and a deep understanding of what serious sportsmen need in the field.

The Founder: William Westley Richards (1788–1865)

William Westley Richards was born in 1788 into a Birmingham family with deep roots in the metal trades. Birmingham was the engine of Britain's Industrial Revolution — a city of forges, foundries, and workshops that produced everything from buttons to steam engines. The gun trade was one of Birmingham's largest industries, employing thousands of skilled craftsmen across hundreds of small workshops. Unlike London gunmakers who served the aristocracy, Birmingham makers built guns for the middle class, for export, and for the military — volume was the priority, and quality varied enormously.

Richards was determined to be different. When he opened his workshop at 82 High Street, Birmingham in 1812, he made a deliberate choice to compete with London on quality rather than undercut on price. He apprenticed under some of Birmingham's finest gunmakers and absorbed the best practices of the trade before striking out on his own. His timing was fortunate: the Napoleonic Wars were approaching their climax, creating enormous demand for firearms of all types, and Birmingham's industrial infrastructure meant that a capable gunmaker could scale production rapidly.

Richards quickly distinguished himself as both a craftsman and an inventor. His earliest guns — flintlock fowling pieces and dueling pistols — showed a level of finish unusual in Birmingham work. He understood that precision engineering, not just fine wood and engraving, was the key to a reliable firearm, and he invested in the best tooling and the most skilled workers he could find.

The Early Years (1812–1840)

Westley Richards' first guns were flintlock fowling pieces and pistols, built to a standard that surprised clients accustomed to Birmingham's "trade quality" output. Word spread that Richards' guns handled as well as London-made pieces at a more accessible price point — though still well above typical Birmingham pricing. The business grew steadily, and Richards expanded his workshop, hiring additional actioners, stockers, and finishers.

In the 1820s, as percussion ignition replaced flintlock, Richards was an early adopter. His percussion guns were noted for their fast lock times — a critical factor in wingshooting where split-second timing determined whether a bird was hit or missed. He also began experimenting with rifle designs, recognizing that the expanding British Empire was creating demand for reliable, accurate rifles for colonial service and big-game hunting.

By the 1830s, Westley Richards had established itself as Birmingham's premier gunmaker. The firm's reputation extended beyond Britain — orders came from India, the Caribbean, and the American frontier, where British-made guns were prized for their reliability. Richards capitalized on Birmingham's export infrastructure, which was far more developed than London's, to build an international client base that would sustain the company through the economic fluctuations of the 19th century.

Key Historical Milestones

1840 – The First Patent and the Monkey Tail Carbine: Westley Richards secured its first major patent in 1840 for an improved percussion lock mechanism. But the real breakthrough came in 1858 with the Monkey Tail carbine — a breech-loading rifle designed for cavalry use. The Monkey Tail used a unique hinged breechblock that pivoted upward to expose the chamber, resembling a monkey's curled tail (hence the nickname). The design was a significant improvement over muzzle-loading cavalry arms, and it brought Westley Richards its first major government contracts. The Monkey Tail was adopted in limited numbers by British and colonial forces, establishing the company as a serious military contractor.

1862 – The Fast-Operating Rifle: Richards patented a falling-block rifle action that was among the fastest-operating single-shot mechanisms of the era. The design used a lever-operated breechblock that dropped below the chamber to expose it for loading, then rose back into position behind the cartridge. It was strong, simple, and fast — qualities that made it popular with sportsmen in India and Africa who might need a rapid second shot against dangerous game.

1875 – The Anson & Deeley Boxlock: One of the most consequential moments in shotgun history occurred when Anson & Deeley, two Westley Richards employees, patented their boxlock action in 1875. The boxlock was a revolution: unlike the sidelock, which mounted the lock components on external plates, the boxlock housed all the lockwork inside the action body. This made it simpler to manufacture, more weather-resistant, and — critically — much less expensive to produce. Westley Richards acquired the rights to the Anson & Deeley patent and began producing boxlock shotguns in volume, making quality doubles accessible to a much broader market. The Anson & Deeley boxlock became the most popular shotgun action in the world and remains in production today.

1897 – The Droplock: Westley Richards' crowning engineering achievement arrived in 1897 with the patent for the droplock action. The droplock was a refinement of the boxlock concept: the lock plates were designed to drop out of the bottom of the action body when a concealed catch was released, allowing the shooter to remove, clean, inspect, or replace the locks in seconds without any tools whatsoever. This was a feature normally associated with the most expensive hand-detachable sidelocks, but Richards achieved it in a boxlock — a simpler, stronger, and more compact action. The droplock became Westley Richards' signature, and it remains the defining feature of the company's best guns. A Westley Richards droplock shotgun is immediately identifiable by the small engraved catch on the bottom of the action.

1908 – The .318 Westley Richards (Rimless Nitro Express): Westley Richards developed its own proprietary cartridge: the .318 Westley Richards, also known as the Rimless Nitro Express. This was a medium-bore cartridge designed for bolt-action rifles, firing a 250-grain bullet at approximately 2,400 feet per second — ballistics that made it suitable for everything from deer to lion. The .318 was widely used in British East Africa and India and was chambered in Westley Richards' own bolt-action magazine rifles as well as rifles from other makers. It earned a reputation as an exceptionally accurate and effective cartridge.

1960s–1990s – Survival and Revival: Like all bespoke gunmakers, Westley Richards faced severe headwinds in the post-war era. The company changed hands, consolidated operations, and at times seemed close to disappearing entirely. But a core of dedicated craftsmen kept the workshop alive, and in the 1990s, under the leadership of Walter Clode, the company began a careful revival. Clode understood that Westley Richards' future lay not in competing with mass-produced guns but in returning to its roots as a builder of the finest bespoke firearms. Investment was directed into the workshop, apprenticeship programs were established, and the brand was repositioned for the global luxury market.

Iconic Firearms

The Westley Richards Droplock Shotgun

The droplock is Westley Richards' masterpiece — the gun that embodies everything the company stands for. Built as either a side-by-side or over-and-under, the droplock features hand-detachable locks that can be removed in seconds by releasing a small catch on the bottom of the action. The locks drop out as complete units: mainspring, sear, tumbler, and all associated components intact and ready for cleaning or inspection. This tool-less disassembly is not just a convenience — it is a practical feature for the sportsman in the field, far from a gunsmith's bench, who needs to clean or dry his gun's lockwork after a day of hunting in rain or dust. The droplock action is built to extraordinary tolerances, and each gun is regulated to shoot both barrels to the same point of impact. A Westley Richards droplock side-by-side takes approximately 600–800 hours to build and commands prices starting around £80,000.

The Westley Richards Bolt-Action Magazine Rifle

Unlike London makers who built bolt rifles as a sideline, Westley Richards was a serious rifle maker. The company's bolt-action magazine rifles were typically built on Mauser 98 actions — chosen for their controlled-round feed and legendary reliability — and finished to Westley Richards standards. Chambered in calibers ranging from .275 Rigby (7×57 Mauser) to the proprietary .318 Westley Richards and the powerful .425 Westley Richards, these rifles were the working tools of professional hunters and serious sportsmen. They featured express sights regulated for specific loads, hand-checkered bolt handles, and stocks of the finest walnut. A Westley Richards bolt rifle from the 1920s, in good condition, is a highly sought-after collector's item.

The Westley Richards Double Rifle

Westley Richards brought the same droplock innovation to its double rifles, creating some of the most technically sophisticated dangerous-game firearms ever built. A Westley Richards droplock double rifle in .470 Nitro Express or .500 Nitro Express combines the instant lock removal of the droplock system with the massive strength needed to contain the pressures of big nitro cartridges. The barrels are regulated with fanatical precision, and the stocks are shaped to manage recoil while maintaining instinctive pointing characteristics. Double rifles represent Westley Richards at its most ambitious — and most expensive, with new orders typically exceeding £120,000.

Legacy and Modern Era

Westley Richards occupies a unique position in British gunmaking: a Birmingham firm that competes with — and in many respects surpasses — the London best-gun makers. The company's history embodies the best of both traditions: Birmingham's engineering pragmatism and London's commitment to bespoke quality. The droplock action, the Anson & Deeley boxlock that became the world's most popular shotgun mechanism, and the proprietary cartridges that served generations of hunters are all products of this dual heritage.

Today, Westley Richards operates from a modern workshop at 130 Pritchett Street, Birmingham, having moved from its historic Bournbrook premises. The company also maintains a significant presence in the United States through Westley Richards Agency USA in Gulf Breeze, Florida, giving American clients direct access to the brand. The Birmingham workshop employs a team of specialist craftsmen — actioners, stockers, engravers, barrel makers, and finishers — many of whom trained for a decade or more before working on complete guns. Annual production of bespoke guns is approximately 20–30 units, with the droplock guns accounting for the majority of output.

In addition to bespoke gunmaking, Westley Richards has developed a successful line of clothing, luggage, and accessories, translating the brand's sporting heritage into luxury lifestyle products. The clothing line includes safari jackets, tweed shooting suits, and leather gun cases — products that appeal to clients who may not be in a position to order a £100,000 droplock but wish to own a piece of the brand. This strategy, similar to Purdey's expansion into clothing, helps sustain the gunmaking workshop's economics.

Westley Richards has also been proactive in modernizing its manufacturing processes where appropriate. CNC machining is used for preliminary operations, but every critical fitting — lock engagement, barrel regulation, stock shaping — is done by hand. This blend of modern precision and traditional craftsmanship allows the company to maintain quality while keeping lead times shorter than some competitors: a new bespoke shotgun typically takes 12–18 months rather than the 2–4 years quoted by certain London makers.

MatchMyGun Verdict

Westley Richards is the proof that great gunmaking is not a London monopoly. For over 200 years, the company has combined Birmingham's engineering heritage with the uncompromising quality of the bespoke gun trade, producing firearms that stand comparison with anything from Purdey or Holland & Holland — often at a slightly more accessible price point and with a more practical design philosophy. The droplock action alone would secure Westley Richards' place in firearms history; the Anson & Deeley boxlock, the Monkey Tail carbine, and the proprietary cartridges make that place unassailable.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Westley Richards' story is its resilience. Founded in the same year as Boss, operating from the same city for over two centuries, the company has survived wars, depressions, and the near-collapse of the British gun trade — and it has emerged stronger than ever. For the sportsman who values engineering excellence, practical innovation, and the tradition of Birmingham gunmaking, there is simply no substitute for a Westley Richards droplock.

Explore Westley Richards firearms on MatchMyGun — browse the complete database of models, from the legendary droplock shotguns to double rifles built for the world's most demanding hunts. Browse Westley Richards Guns →