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I am attempting to find written information about the shooting activities of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. I have reviewed a number of biographies and the only references I find come from Gilbert and Jenkins in their respective books about a stalking shoot with Edward VII in which Churchill missed his shot(s) at several stags. I find no reference to any driven or walked up shooting he may have done. This is part of a research project I am doing on Churchill and his personal firearms. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Can't help with sporting guns, but a broomhandle Mauser pistol supposedly saved his butt during Kitchener's expedition to the Sudan.

Have you contacted the Churchill museum in London? Although it covers mostly his time in the war rooms during WWII is does talk a lot about his personal life.

rumor has it that he carried a colt 1903 .32 as his personal side arm.

A recent book by Max Hastings, "Winston's War, 1940-1945," has WSC practicing with small arms at Chequers in anticipation of Operation Sea Lion and a German invasion. It doesn't specify the weapon, but I seem to recall it was a pistol!

Somewhere (not in Hasting's book, I believe) there's an image of Churchill at a driven pheasant shoot during the war years or perhaps just before, possibly in the 1930s.

And, finally, that Mauser pistol was returned to the Prime Minister, many years after his capture in South Africa. Churchill had inserted a calling card beneath one of the pistol's grips. The finder duly returned the lost weapon to WSC in London. (I can't remember where I read this account, but I believe it's accurate.)

JP

I understand that he was a pretty poor shot although game shooting was never his sport he did have a go with various military firearms to try them out. I have a photo in a book somewhere with him shooting a Thompson sub-machine gun and another showing him with an M1 Carbine. Lagopus.....

A Book called 'Come Dawn Come Dusk' by Norman Mursell Gamekeeper to The Duke of Westminster mentions that Winston was a regular guest and shot at 'World's End' near Wrexham. I have a photograph of Winston astride a donkey going to a drive.
He may have been a poor gameshot, but for reasons I have not worked out, he was invited to the best shoots.

larryguy.Blenheim Palace,the birth place of Winston Churchill is considered one of the great shooting estates of England.It extends over some 15,000 acres.Some reports suggests that Winston took part in a rabbit shoot,October 7 1898,in which the total bag was 6943,[A record bag for England].The next day the same shooting party accounted for 1700 pheseants ,614 partridges plus a large number of rabbits.If Winston was so minded he had access to some of the finest game shooting in England!It is almost certain that a record of Winstons participation in shoots at Blenheim will be found in the game books at Blenheim Palace.
In his book, My early life, Winston makes no mention of game shooting.It is clear that he had a keen interest in horses & polo.He was by the way an excellent swordsman winning the English Public school fencing championship,whilst at Harrow.

I'm guessing that the report of Winston shooting rabbits at Blenheim on October 7, 1898 may be in error. The Battle of Omdurman, in the Sudan, took place on September 2, 1898. Churchill rode with the 21st Lancers in that battle. He would have had to hurry to get down the Nile, take ship to England, and arrive in time for the bunny hunt.

larry guy,Just located the following book by Winston Churchill."My African Journey",This book describes a 1907 safari in East Africa.This safari was carried out in grand style,including 350 porters. To quote Churchill,"We have shot lion,rhinoceros,elephant,buffalo, widebeest --the list goes on and on "
Any one who can shoot three of the enemy with a Mauser pistol during a cavalry charge [not to mention the fact that he was recovering from a dislocated shoulder at the time which precluded the use of his sword] must surely have been at the very least a splendid horseman and a good shot!