A Collection of Westley Richards Shotgun Cartridges.

Whilst I was down in Devon last week, the gentleman loading for me told me he had a nice collection of Westley Richards shot cartridges and asked if I would be interested to see them. He then kindly brought them to the shoot and I was able to take a few photographs.

Westley Richards had a very active role in making cartridges both for shotguns and rifles and a good variety were always offered in our our old catalogues. I even remember as a child the shot shell loading machines in one of the sheds at the Grange Road factory churning out cartridges. My Father stopped making them as people were driving into the carpark, asking the cartridge loader to throw 1000 in the trunk of their car and then never being invoiced as the sale was not getting passed through to the showroom. Also cartridges used to be sold solely from the gun dealers and when they became available through ironmongers and farm shops, this drove the prices down and they remain a 'loss leader' to this day and small scale loading is just not viable.

This is certainly a very comprehensive collection of our earlier rolled crimp cartridges and includes some of the Faunetta which are very scarce indeed. My thanks for being given the opportunity to see them.

This is one of the first paper case cartridges we produced. I am not sure the exact date!

The Cartridge Collector and a Loader Roscoe Wright who 'never missed a beat'.

8 Comments

Larry on December 2, 2015 at 3:52 pm

From where did "Fauneta" originate? I am familiar with what it is... but how did the name come about?

Reply
- Simon Clode on December 2, 2015 at 10:46 pm
  
  Pass!! I imagine some play on Fauna but I don't honestly know!
  
  Reply
  - Larry on December 2, 2015 at 11:31 pm
    
    Haha! I have stumped you!!! ;)
    
    Reply
Mims Reed on December 9, 2015 at 9:08 pm

I have two rounds for the 12 bore Super Magnum Explora in my collection.
Merry Christmas to all from the Lone Star State of TEXAS!

Reply
George A Tetreault III Esquire on October 20, 2016 at 6:02 am

I would like more information on the
Solid brass rounds for distance shooting
I was reading The Double Gun Journal

Thanks In Advance
George A Tetreault III Esquire

Reply
- Simon Clode on October 20, 2016 at 11:16 am
  
  Thank you, I am not sure what you are specifically after as I have not been reading this in the Double Gun Journal.
  
  Reply
George A Tetreault III Esquire on October 20, 2016 at 12:04 pm

On your shell display third row from the Left the 6th and seventh from the bottom
The pointed solid brass or copper head rounds
What are those slugs or bullet head's
They look to be good out to 300 yard's or so.

Once a gain

Thanks in advance

George A TETREAULT III

Reply
- Simon Clode on October 20, 2016 at 4:18 pm
  
  These are old Explora bullets. The gun (and the blog) is named after this type of gun. The Choke of the gun is rifled and fires this projectile. The purpose was one gun could be used with either shot or solid bullet.
  
  These are a very rare shell and hard to find.
  
  Reply