Westley Richards Finest Museum Grade 12 Bore Sidelock Shotguns

The ‘Royal’ as we recognize it today, actually took its final form in 1922 with the addition of the self-opening system under the forend. It can be made as a self-opener or an un-assisted model, relying on gravity to open the breech. Self-openers, though more complex, have long been considered a higher complication and more desirable.

The combination of a simple bar-action sidelock with a coil-spring self-opening system and Holland/Southgate over-centre principle ejectors has long proven reliable, easy to maintain and pleasant to use. Keen eyed readers will recognise it as the model for the AYA No.1 and AYA No.2, as well as the guns of William & Son and, of course, Holland & Holland.

When a customer asks for a side-lock, the British gun trade often favours this platform, as we have in the building of this remarkable pair of guns. A sidelock offers greater surface area for the engraver and here we can see Paul Lantuch has taken full advantage of that extra space to apply a series of dramatic equine scenes.

The major areas of steel canvas are the lock plates and the bottom of the bar. Each of these surfaces has been filled with subtly different scenes of mythically stylised horses in action. No two panels are quite alike but the theme recurs, giving the guns a lifelike quality as the light plays off the bucking figures, which are carved in exquisite detail, with rippling muscles, flaring tails and flailing hooves.

The burnished silver quality of the figures is enhanced by the clever use of a stippled and black-matted background to fully elevate the scenes so that they appear to jump out of the metal encasing them.

There is sparse and tasteful application of gold inlay to the name on the rib as well as the top-lever. Gold bands encircle the breech ends of the barrels and denote ‘SAFE’.

The furniture is decorated with the same black stippled background, from which raised, bold scrolls emerge. A single horse adorns the top-lever of each gun and the fences are carved and stippled to match. A line of galloping horses is carved into the barrels, as if heading from the action towards the muzzles.

On museum grade guns like this, the engraving is the outstanding detail. It takes months, or years, to complete and makes each commission unique. However, we must remember that every build begins with a best quality sporting gun; there is no compromise on fit, finish, testing or performance. Should they ever be required to do so, this pair would perform flawlessly in a grouse butt or on a pheasant drive.

The creative journey the team embarks upon when building a special gun, or pair of guns, is often modified along the way. Our finishing team spent a long time considering the best plan for showing-off Paul’s engraving. Case hardening was considered, as was a bright finish, but the black backdrop to the prancing, steely horses offered a unique aesthetic.

This final inspiration was taken from the traditional blue and white Wedgewood pottery decoration, of which Paul’s horse scenes are reminiscent. As the photographs show, this decision and the painstaking work in the finishing shop helped create something very special. Such work however came at a cost; it took fifty-five hours to complete the polishing and inking work.

Add to the artistic engraving and the sublime finishing, exhibition grade walnut stocks, finished to a high-gloss, and the best deep blacking of the barrels. This combination of finishes ties the elements of decoration together and makes for a beautiful result. The butts stocks have engraved heel and toe plates, perfectly fitted and appearing to grow from the wood.

Paul Lantuch specializes in semi-mythical interpretations of worldly creatures and his engraving scenes are like those of no other living human. They are heirlooms of the future; true pieces of art.