Part 1, with a focus on both new guns and rifles that have left the factory over the last 12 months, and highlights from our pre-owned inventory, went live earlier this we week. Part 2 showcases our readers' favourites from the world that surrounds these revered guns and rifles, whether that is time well spent in the field, the world-class manufacture behind our sporting arms or their celebrated owners in years past.
Stewart Granger - Film Actor, Big Game Hunter And Westley Richards Aficionado
In the late 20th century, no actor conjured up the heroic image, personal toughness and ideals of courage of the professional hunter more than (‘Jimmy’) Stewart Granger (1913-1993), who appeared in King’s Solomon Mines in 1950 and then in The Last Safari in 1967, both of which helped to underline the drama of big game hunting in the modern imagination.
Safari Packing List 2023
Westley Richards has been the outfitter of choice for generations of adventurers and 2023 is no exception. A visit to the store in Birmingham or a thorough perusal of the website will provide inspiration and answers to all those questions about what to pack to ensure your safari is a success.
Interview with Westley Richards Riflemaker - Struan Coyle
Westley Richards aficionados will be acutely aware of the company's long and unrivalled heritage in riflemaking. From the muzzle-loaders carried by early pioneers of safari, like William Cotton Oswell, through to the many thousands built for military service in the British Empire and Commonwealth, right up to the modern era of entirely bespoke sporting doubles and magazine rifles used by patrons of today.
When Smaller is Greater than Bigger
Every year – usually towards the back end of July – my father packs his bags, grabs his gun, and drops off the face of the Earth, bound for some exotic location to shoot some equally exotic animals.
Super-Clean in the Finishing Shop
The concept of a ‘best’ gun has always been quite fluid. Gunmakers’ archives illustrate this in the wording of orders. For example, the first Holland & Holland ‘Royal’ Nitro Paradox, built in 1903, is entered as ‘extra best’ quality.
The Explora Blog is the world’s premier online journal for field sports enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, conservationists and admirers of bespoke gunmaking, fine leather goods and timeless safari clothes. Each month Westley Richards publishes up to 8 blog posts on a range of topics with an avid readership totalling 500,000+ page views per year.
Blog post topics include: Finished custom rifles and bespoke guns leaving the Westley Richards factory; examples of heritage firearms with unique designs and celebrated owners like James Sutherland and Frederick Courtenay Selous; the latest from the company pre-owned guns and rifles collection; interviews with the makers from the gun and leather factory; new season safari wear and country clothing; recent additions to our luxury travel bags and sporting leather goodsrange; time well spent out in the field; latest news in the sporting world; and key international conservation stories.
