British Gunmakers - London

For two hundred years, the gunmakers of London have enjoyed a worldwide reputation for the quality and reliability of their products. Beginning with the Mantons in the eighteenth century and continuing with Purdey, Lang, Lancaster, Beesley, Boss, Holland, and Woodward, London gunmakers have led the world with their technical expertise and craftsmanship. This revised and updated edition chronicles the history of the London gun trade. It provides an alphabetical list of all gunmakers and related trades, and it gives their dates, addresses and changes, and individual histories. There is an alphabetical list of gunmakers’ serial number records while various schedules list those individuals who have taken a leading part in the administration of the trade over the years. In addition, there is an alphabetical index of the brand names used by the various businesses in the London trade in respect to guns, rifles, cartridges, and powders. This invaluable and informative reference contains a rich collection of facts and anecdotes about the London trade, which will serve as an encyclopedia and a guide for both collectors and members of the trade. Above all it stands as a monument to those craftsmen past and present who built the London guns. 296pp.