Just Left Westley Richards In Birmingham

[sierraone]

Just left The Shop in Birmingham, England about three hours ago . Was given a tour of the entire facility. They did not have a single used rifle or gun for sale at any price. Visited the gunsmiths as they were plying their individual crafts. I was taken in the vault, actually two, to see amazing guns and rifles stored there that are owned by hunters from different parts of the world and a wall of antique Wesley guns. I have never been a business person, but based on what I saw business is very good. Tomorrow, central London gun shop William Evans and even a 220 year old book shop. Friday, John Rigby for a tour.

 

[Clayton]

WOW! You're on the Grand Tour. Wish I were tagging along.

 

[peras]

What a privilege!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Pictures?

 

[sierraone]

Pictures?

No, I had a small camera but didn't feel comfortable even asking. I bought the very large book that is the history of the business. For anyone interested, go to the westleyrichards.com site or Theexplora.com site and you can find many pics of the outside, interior shopping area and the gunsmiths working

 

[sierraone]

WOW! You're on the Grand Tour. Wish I were tagging along.

You would have been welcomed. Usually my son goes on these adventures with me but couldn't make this one!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I'll bet that was a treat!

 

[Buckdog]

the people at William Evans are great and Berretta has a shop close by, BUT don't even bother walking over to Holland & Holland as I was there recently and found them to be very arrogant and rude they would not even acknowledge that my wife and I were alive and in there precious store! And we were the only customers in the place! As I have said before it is no wonder they went under and were bought up by the French Channel corporation.

 

[CTDolan]

Westley Richards seems to be doing everything right and it's good to see that their business is strong.

For those of you who are not aware, their blog (mentioned above) is spectacular.

 

[Brent in Az]

A Westley Richards custom made double rifle, is my dream gun.

 

[sierraone]

What a privilege!

I originally made contact with them on Theexplora.com site about two months ago, told them I was coming to town and asked if I could tour the facility. They immediately said yes. For Rigby, I had met the GM three years ago in Dallas. He remembered me, (probably from slobbering on one of his rifles) and told me to come on also!. William Evans and several others in London, I have only made contact by email or telephone calls on Skype.

 

[sierraone]

the people at William Evans are great and Berretta has a shop close by, BUT don't even bother walking over to Holland & Holland as I was there recently and found them to be very arrogant and rude they would not even acknowledge that my wife and I were alive and in there precious store! And we were the only customers in the place! As I have said before it is no wonder they went under and were bought up by the French Channel corporation.

I am not going to either Holland or Purdey. I have been told I have buy new clothes first. Since I can't afford even their used guns, (conversation with Spike T), I may take a pic from outside, but that's about it!

 

[sierraone]

A Westley Richards custom made double rifle, is my dream gun.

They are making more than a few right now, but they all are sold. They are not building guns today for show. They are all ordered from individuals. The young gun man that gave me the tour, told me how many they are building currently. He may have said 20 or 22, I am not sure.

 

[Brent in Az]

I have heard the waiting list is about 2.5 years to get a custom gun built.

Not that I could ever afford one. I do like to drool over the possibility.

 

[edward]

im sure you will die happy never going to Holland.

 

[sierraone]

I have heard the waiting list is about 2.5 years to get a custom gun built.

Not that I could ever afford one. I do like to drool over the possibility.

Ricky Bond, my guide, said a bolt gun is a 1 1/2 year wait, everything else 2 1/2 years, meaning all doubles, regardless what it shoots. They have an underground 50 yard range for checking the rifles. The shotguns are mechanically checked in a machine underground but have to go to a range to check shot patterns and how and where they cross.

I am not going to either Holland or Purdey. I have been told I have buy new clothes first. Since I can't afford even their used guns, (conversation with Spike T), I may take a pic from outside, but that's about it!

Based on what I learned today, Holland builds a lot more guns than Westley because they stock the several Holland showrooms around the world. At least at this time Westley on builds guns that are ordered. From what I saw, if they change that, they will have to find and hire more smiths.

 

[edward]

whats a westley double going for now days?

 

[Scott Slough]

whats a westley double going for now days?

... if you have to ask ...

 

[Clayton]

whats a westley double going for now days?

If you got one, you couldn't shoot it. An unmanageable task with only one arm and one leg left.

 

[sierraone]

whats a westley double going for now days?

I believe the most simple ones (fixed lock) starts around $60,000, those with side locks or the detachable locks start more around $80-90,000. My guide told me the basic "Westley scroll" engraving starts about $1000 and can go up to more than the rifle itself cost, depending what you want. They have no in-house engravers. The gun is sent out to different engravers in different countries depending on what you want!