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British Shooting Show 2025 - Careers in Craftsmanship

Barely have most of us cleared away the Christmas wrapping paper and recycled the tree when the gun trade begins preparing for the British Shooting Show; the first major event of the year on home soil.

Actually, Westley Richards staff have been busy much earlier, with exhibitions in Atlanta (Dallas Safari Club) and Nashville (Safari Club International) attended in early and late January respectively. Tirelessly flying the flag for British gun-making is all part of the job!

The dates set for the British Shooting Show are 14th - 16th February and the venue is the National Exhibition Centre, Halls 6,7 & 8. The NEC is nicely central, with good motorway access, and the venue, which is fully enclosed, makes an excellent environment for showcasing all that is new and good in the industry.

Westley Richards will be displaying a number of historic guns and rifles from the company’s collection, as well as some superb examples of modern production.

Visitors will better appreciate the heritage that over two hundred years of gun-making in Birmingham infuses into our current products by seeing examples of what Westley Richards gunmakers were creating before the Great War or as British soldiers and Zulu impi clashed at Isandlwana and Rourke’s Drift.

Westley Richards was once not only an important sporting gunmaker, but an influential and innovative developer of military firearms.

 

As always, some of our gunmakers will be in attendance at the show to talk about and demonstrate their work at the bench, where traditional skills with a file and chisel still dominate the creation of our best guns and rifles.

This year, we will also be highlighting the work of our engravers. Every gun that leaves the factory is fully engraved by hand in the most beautiful and artistic manner, be that our traditional scroll patterns, or fully bespoke, stylised beasts and birds, or realistic game scenes.

Part of the purpose of our presence at the British Shooting Show is to foster pride in the Midlands and in Birmingham about the incredible products still made here and exported all over the world.

There are fantastic opportunities for local young people, or those re-training from related industries, like engineering, to forge rewarding careers as gunmakers at Westley Richards. Our training programmes are world-class and impart skills all but impossible to learn outside of a real gun-making factory, coupled with more academic elements provided in conjunction with local educational institutions.

We invite all those interested in gun-making careers, including would-be engravers, to discuss the opportunities the gun trade offers today.

We do, of course, also welcome any sportsmen or gun enthusiasts to come and inspect our displays, learn about our history and our guns, and seek advice on any Westley Richards guns or rifles they may own and wish to learn more about.

Do come and talk to us, we are very approachable and would love the opportunity to show what we do and discuss anything of interest. This year’s British Shooting Show promises to be the best yet with ‘over two thousand brands under one roof’ according to the organisers.

Enthusiasts for British gun-making will be able to visit Boss & Co., Holland & Holland and John Rigby & Co., as well as numerous continental gun manufacturers. There will also be plenty of outfitters, knife makers, used gun dealers, ammunition manufacturers and other shooting-related products and services to discover.

Put February 14th- 16th in the diary and make it a day out to remember. We will be in Hall 6!

Tickets available directly from the shootingshow.co.uk and to enquire about gunmaking apprenticeships contact us at applications@westleyrichards.co.uk

 


 

Whether for the discerning collector or the avid sportsman, Westley Richards firearms represent the epitome of excellence in the world of bespoke gunmaking. Known for the droplock shotgun, over and under shotgundouble barrel rifle and bolt action rifle, the company has achieved an illustrious 200 year history of innovation, craftmanship and artistry. As part of our best gun build, clients can choose from three levels of gun engraving: the house scroll; signature game scenes; and exhibition grade masterpieces. All Westley Richards sporting arms are built at their factory in Birmingham, England. Discover more about the gunmaking journey at our custom rifles and bespoke guns pages.

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