Congratulations To Our Apprentices

The four pictured here, proudly displaying their apprenticeship certificates have completed their training and now effectively hold a passport, which opens up the world of gunmaking like nothing else.

An apprenticeship completed with one of Britain’s handful of remaining best gun and rifle makers will open doors on every continent and guarantee work for a lifetime. The skills and knowledge our employees develop are rare and much in demand wherever fine guns are used, collected and appreciated.

Some of our new recipients are actually long-serving gunmakers whose training had not been formalised. That has now been rectified with this award. Others are of a younger generation now forcing their way into recognised positions in their departments.

Each one has a story to tell, a passion for gunmaking and a different ambition for which to strive.

Struan Coyle - Finisher

Struan is pictured recently receiving his award. In his time at Westley Richards he has been involved in some major projects, including the revival of magazine rifle bayonet take down system. He was part of the team that helped to reengineer this based on modern production methods.

Struan first began gun-smithing in Zimbabwe but spent eight years working in finance in London and Birmingham before deciding that best rifle-making was where his future ambitions lay. Currently heading up the magazine rifle-making, Struan is about to move into the specialist team building the new Westley Richards over & under shotguns.

Edward Elder - Actioner

Ed's interest in shooting was nurtured through his involvement with the Air Training Corps. There, he learned target rifle shooting and later developed an interest in clay shooting, going as far as training to become a shooting instructor.

His ambitions to join the RAF were thwarted for medical reasons and he moved into the world of classic car restoration and tuning before following a lead from his RAF careers advisor to look into gun-making. He first approached Midlands Gun Services who assessed his potential and steered him to Westley Richards, where he began his apprenticeship in January 2020.

During his time at Pritchett Street, Ed has focussed on actioning, especially magazine rifles and has been training alongside Struan on several projects, notably, he says, a trio of magazine rifles in .416, .425 and .450.

Ed has been involved with many of our outside events, like game fairs and shows, where he has got to meet the public and share his knowledge and enthusiasm for gun-making outside of the factory walls.

Leo Lambert - Engraver

Leo is a graduate of the Léon Mignon School of Liège, which has provided many of our leading British firms with well-trained and educated young gunmakers. Leo’s passion for engraving has flourished through his work on our best guns and rifles. His interactions with the other engravers we patronise, and exposure to their work and techniques, have helped Leo develop his own techniques to the point that today he stands among the very best at his craft.

His recent work on the enamel rifle (featured recently in The Field magazine) stretched his skill-set, adding gold carving to his other technical disciplines. The opportunity to experiment and achieve ever greater range and mastery of his craft drives Leo onwards.

Leo has now been at Westley Richards for seven years and this certificate represents official recognition of all that he has achieved to date.

Peter Cain - Actioner

Peter spent a large part of his working life in engineering and fabrication before his gun-smithing hobby, and the skills he learned through it, led him to Westley Richards about eight years ago. Peter is representative of older recruits who come to us with well-honed existing skills and experience, which translate easily into best gunmaking.

Peter’s certificate is recognition of his success in moving from one career into another, transferring his existing competences into a sphere in which he can indulge his passion for gun-making. He has made his passion into his trade.

British apprenticeships went through some tough decades, where few factories were training enough future gunmakers to ensure the longevity of our trade. Happily, today the situation is a great deal better. A healthy crop of trained and qualified gunmakers looks likely to be joining the workforce on an annual basis in the years to come.

For that, all lovers of fine English rifles and shoguns of every era should be grateful.