It is always nice to welcome 'gun enthusiasts' through our doors and author Vic Venters certainly falls within this category. Vic is senior editor of Shooting Sportsman magazine, the author of 2 books, Gun Craft and The Best of British and an avid and enthusiastic wing shooter. Currently on a 'European Tour' visiting craftsmen and gunmakers, Vic spent the day here at Westley Richards talking at length with members of the gunmaking staff as well as suffering an hour of my ramblings and opinion of the gun trade today!
Those of you who know Vic's column in Shooting Sportsman will know of his desire to get the individual craftsmen, who are involved in the making of best guns, recognised in their own right, a job he does extremely well I might add, with articles focusing on the pool of individual craftsman and talents we all rely upon, the sum of which add up to the making of the individual best guns which are available today by the various makers.
Here at Westley Richards, Vic looked at both ends of the lifecycle of the gunmaker, he took Ken Halbert back to his early days when he entered the gun trade 60 years ago, and learned of his journey making guns up to this day. Following on from this he visited with the young men here at the factory who are starting a similar journey, those at the beginning of their apprenticeship with much to learn and many guns to build. We all look forward to seeing the fruits of his visit in future articles.
Vic Venters. Â Gun Craft: Fine Guns and Gunmakers in the 21st CenturyÂ
Vic Venters on March 13, 2014 at 4:49 am
Gulp .... I was afraid that would happen. It is easier to point a camera and the recorder, than to have them aimed at you. All said, it was great to not only catch up with the old hands at WR but meet the young lads and apprentices who are -- literally, literally -- THE future of proper British gunmaking. Without blowing too much smoke Simon's way, he deserves the accolades, and his craftsmen too -- young and old.