Westley Richards still makes a lot of side-by sides; shotguns and double rifles vying with one another for prominence each year. Most of them are made on our own Taylor-patent hand detachable lock system, which is widely considered the most robust and practical design ever created for the manufacture of sporting guns.
When the demand for over & under guns began to gain momentum in the 1920s, Westley Richards naturally wanted to join the party and, like many other ,major gunmakers, created a distinct model, which was based on the ‘drop-lock’ idea. This became the ‘Ovundo’, which had some success but, with hindsight, was not the right pattern for our 21st century over & under.
For that, we took the best of the last century of over & under design and applied our own style and superlative build quality standards to making it the way we believe it should be made.
To date, we have made some heavy 12-bore over & unders, with 3” chambers, some light 20-bore over & unders, and here we would like to illustrate and describe a medium-weight game gun currently awaiting hardening.
Every order is bespoke, so every gun will differ either slightly or significantly from the last one. Here, the customer has specified pinless lock plates, a non-selective single trigger, automatic safety, a double rolled edge trigger guard and 29” barrels with Teague multi-chokes and 2 ¾” (70mm) Superior proof.
This new model is entirely made in England. The barrels are hand-struck to be as light as possible, from British tubes and the kit of parts from which the action, locks, forend and furniture are hand-filed and machined is, likewise, entirely English made.
Two decades ago, our then Managing Director, Simon Clode instructed the company to begin making sidelock shotguns using the very best mechanisms and styles of the British gunmaking tradition to create what were then, and remain today, some of the most outstanding examples of best gunmaking it is possible to behold.
Today’s over & under models perpetuate that tradition, with our current M.D., Anthony Alborough-Tregear, who learned his craft from Simon Clode, insisting that every facet of these guns be carried out to the absolute highest standard, regardless of time and material cost. The aim was uncompromising: to build the best over & under shotguns available today, at any price.
We have chosen to depict the gun you see here in an unfinished state as a mark of our confidence in the build quality. We hide nothing.
The steel parts have just been prepared for case-hardening. All this will now (October 2024) go for hardening, after which it will enter the final stages of construction. We anticipate it will be finished by the year’s end.
With these over & under guns, Westley Richards has made a determined effort to raise the standard of modern gun making in this configuration to a level others will have to work very hard to equal. They are not only beautiful and highly finished, they are utterly reliable and handle beautifully.
We may have been making guns for over two centuries but our team is constantly striving to make tomorrow’s guns better than yesterday’s.
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 shotgun, double 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.
