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Joined: May 2012
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 31 |
I was wondering if these are English made Westly Richards with Belgian made barrels or Belgian made trade guns, can anyone help clear this up for me?
Thanks,
Dave
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,859
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
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I copied this, probably off this website, some time ago.
W. Richards from 121 Years Ago (m) -- Back in 1889 the magazine Forest and Stream was doing a series of pattern and penetration tests of various shotguns available to the American shooting public in each issue. For the September 26 issue they decided to take a break from the Greener, Scott, L.C. Smith, Winchester Model 1887, Colt, Remington, etc., and test H & D Folsom's cheapest doubles. Here is a brief quote of what they had to say --
“...but the mean grade gun of no name. "W. Richards," that nonentity in the gun trade, was stamped on the plate, but they were really only those cheap bits of ordnance which come through our custom houses, pay a duty of 40 per cent., and yet may be placed on the counters of the gun shop at $5 a piece. The Forest and Stream has already in past times expressed its opinion about these pestiferous products of the penurious population clustered on Belgian soil.”
Steve
Approach life like you do a yellow light - RUN IT! (Gail T.)
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 753
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 753 |
what he is saying is no
the Belgium W Richards is not a Westley Richards of England
only a cheap attempt to capitalize on the name
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
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W. Richards is to Westley Richards as a J. Manton is to Joseph Manton.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,135 Likes: 125
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,135 Likes: 125 |
and then there are w. richards marked guns that exhibit birmingham proofs and good workmanship...some may have been made by william richards or son who were located in liverpool, england prior to ww1.
keep it simple and keep it safe...
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2009
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"W. Richards" was a trade gun from J.P Clabrough. In Larry Shelton's book J.P. Clabrough Birmingham Gunmaker you'll find an 1887 ad on pg.200 from John P. Moore's Sons (a New York based wholesaler)for a variety of W. Richards guns.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
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W. Richards is to Westley Richards as a J. Manton is to Joseph Manton.
SRH There exist W. Richards guns that are English products, with English proof marks, that are superb guns. I just spent a long weekend in northern MN. with Lloyd3, who has a W.Richards boxlock ejector, built as a pair, originally. He just has the one. 16 gauge, 5 lbs, 14 ozs, with nice, long steel barrels. He hammers the grouse with it. I think he said it was pre WWI, and that the company was in Liverpool. The stuff with Belgian proofmarks are quite different than his. Best, Ted
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2003
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I have a wonderful W Richards Birmingham made 410 ejector first class in every way. Bobby
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Joined: Oct 2009
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 531 Likes: 18 |
The W. Richards of Liverpool had their name on some beautiful
guns. In the 1870s, some of their guns came from William Powell & Son in Birmingham. Holt's recently sold a couple of them.
bbman3 - When you write "W Richards Birmingham" are you referring to Birmingham proof marks or a Birmingham rib address?
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,016 Likes: 1819 |
W. Richards is to Westley Richards as a J. Manton is to Joseph Manton.
SRH There exist W. Richards guns that are English products, with English proof marks, that are superb guns. I just spent a long weekend in northern MN. with Lloyd3, who has a W.Richards boxlock ejector, built as a pair, originally. He just has the one. 16 gauge, 5 lbs, 14 ozs, with nice, long steel barrels. He hammers the grouse with it. I think he said it was pre WWI, and that the company was in Liverpool. The stuff with Belgian proofmarks are quite different than his. Best, Ted I have a J. Manton 16 ga. percussion double that is very nice, and in very high condition as well. Read closely, my comparison did not imply that W. Richards guns are necessarily poor quality, nor that J. Mantons are. It was a comparison in capitalizing on a name. SRH
Last edited by Stan; 10/19/15 07:05 AM.
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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