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Parker Hale

mariew

mariew

master brummie
Going through my moms tin I came across this invite for my mom (who sadly past away 4 years ago) and my uncle richard, I didn't know what Parker Hale was, but I remember my mom saying she loved working there, anyway I asked my uncle what they did there and he said they made guns and all mucked in doing all sorts of jobs. Does anyone know anything about this firm and where it was.
 
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Parker Hale is now part of the UK engineering group Modular Industries. It has 80 employees. The company designs and produces a wide range of small arms, small arms ammunition, and small arms equipment, for both sporting and military use. Parker Hale manufactured the 7.62mm Model 82 sniper rifle, which is in use with several military forces, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In 1990 Parker Hale sold the rights and designs of their rifles to the American company Gibbs Rifle, which produces rifles under the Parker Hale title.
it was at bisley works.golden hillock road.small heath
 
Thanks very much for that, I will let my uncle know that they are still going. Marie.
 
PARKER HALE
in the closing decades of the 19 century,we find Alfred gray parker with an address at 69 ickneild street and by 1910,,the style has altered to a g parker & coltd ,264 ickneild st,and find that this company manufactures RIFLE SHOOTING REQUISITES.
In 1915 the fim has moved to 61/2whittall st where they have added GUN IMPLEMENTS to their range and by1920,additional premises have been found and the address becomesBISLEY WORKS whittall st.By 1935 the firm can no longer be found under the entries forGUN ,RIFLE and PISTOL MAKERS;they are now classed as GUN IMPLEMENT MAKERS and have acquired more premises in price st.
A G Parker,the founder ,was a keen rifleman with an inventive turn of mind.He invited his nephew A T C PARKER to join the firm,which continued to prosper,becoming a limited company in 1904.
MR HALE was responsible for the introduction of ;PARKERIFLING: which saw use as an inexpensive way of converting .303 calibre rifles to .22 rinfire for troop training during the first world war.The process of re ligning small calibre barrels was further developed to provide target rifle accuracy.

The founder of the firm died in 1915 and in 1925 MR ATC HALES second son,arthur,joined the firm.

By the 1920s A G PARKER& CO could furnish a range of fullbore 303 target rifles based on the LEE ENFIELD and a variety of aperture sights (rear).some of which were built under licence from BSA and others which were developed by the firm itself.The shotguns on offer were the BSA range,the WEBLEY AND SCOTT double and single and the singal barrel VICKERS VANGUARD.

In 1928 the firm was given a boost by the victory of A C HALE in the BISLEY MEETING. This followed a family record set up in 1926 when three members of the HALE family all reached the KINGS HUNDRED at BISLEY.

The role played by the HALE family in the fortunes of the firm was acknowledged in 1936 by a change of name to PARKER HALE LTD.jUST BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OFWAR PARKER HALE added a shotgun to their range which bore the name PARKER HALE.Three versions of a birmingham made A&D action shotgun were offered at prices from£4 upwards.

In 1952 the firm suffered a major loss in the death of MR A T C HALE.The fifties saw a continued improvement in the business situation and along side the WEBLEY AND SCOTT doubleshotgun,PARKER HALE offered their :COUNTY:12 bore at a price comparable with the grade 3 WEBLEY.

In the late sixties PARKER HALE introduced rifles of their own manufacture.In 1969 ARTHUR C HALE, who for 17 years had been chairman and MD ,retired,being suceeded by his brother S C HALE,with JOHN LeBRETON as MD.

iN 1982 the company lost ARTHUR C HALE,BUT there was still a HALE,a third generationmember named roger hale.

The sporting rifles formely madein bham are now made under the MIDLAND&PARKER HALE name by the GIBBS RIFLE COMPANY USA.
 
the firm started the decline with the introduction of the pistol ban in the mid 90s,people werebeing made redundant or just left.in 1998 the firm was bought by a bit of a know all named david cockayne who traded as bremmer arms/modular industries who made springfield riflesnew riflesmade from spares ,he started trading under bremmer arms at the game fairs but no one had heard of bremmer arms,they started to remake the cadet rifle the L81A2,ALSO STARTING TO DEVELOP new machine pistols and sniper rifles,he spent huge amounts on research and developement but wouldnt listen to expert advice from his highly skilled workforce ,he did it his way and no one elses.in 2000 the official receiver was bought in,with just 6 people left to wind it down.
A firm called ROTHERYS UP NORTH OWN THE rights to manufacture PARKER HALE accessories such as cleaning rod ,oils swabs ,jags and brushes.
Although the firm was bought by gibbs rifles it was actually by its owner val forgette who trades under the name of NAVY ARMS,they tried to introduce the midland rifle back over here that was manufactured in the usa ,out of 70 60 of the rifles FAILED OUR STRINGENT PROOF REGULATIONS
 
the accessories(bad picture)were wire brushes 303 gun oil ,telescopic sight mounts for P H rifles company tie,and the world famous OFTEN COPIED BUT NEVER SURPASSED THE 22 RIMFIRE SOUND MODERATOR(SILENCERS TO YOU LOT)
TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO EX PARKER HALE EMPLOYEES WENT TO MODULAR INDUSTRIES,AND ON THE GRAPE VINE I HEARD MR COCKAYNE COCKED (SORRY ABOUT THE PUN) UP THERE THAT THE OFFICIAL RECEIVERS BARRED HIM FROM THERE BEFORE HE FINISHED THAT OFF.
A VERY SAD DEMISE OF YET ANOTHER GREAT BRITISH GUN MAKING FIRM .
NEVER MIND IN TIMES OF HEROIC STRUGGLES WE STILL HAVE OUR POINTY STICKS TO GUARD OUR SHORES :2funny:
 
Thanks yet again for all of this history I am getting I will send this to my uncle it will bring back so many memories to him, and as you say it is so sad to see British industry being sold off and lets face it you cannot beat the quality, my uncle said when he and my mother worked there in the fifties they only made top notch stuff. Anyhow thank you very much especially for the photos.
 
:angel: A little off topic...
I was a 'Temp Telephonist' for Slumberland Beds (Sleepy Heads mattresses). in the 1960's. Can't quite remember where the firm was though in those days. I think it may have been close to Handsworth Park or some other big park, because I used to walk just 2 minutes up the road to the park and eat my lunch, because as a 'Temp" I didn't know anyone else at the firm.
 
the drop down floor plate with african beast motif(method of un loading rifle)
 
Wow thanks again I will send these on to my Uncle all of this brings back fond memories for him.
 
Old Brummy, This photo is the proof house i refered to, no metal components were done at Armoury Rd 1959 , all the FN rifle barrels and Martini International, shotgun & air rifle barrels were machined at Shirley and we did do barrel proofing at Shirley but samples had to sent to the proof house shown. Len.
 
Lencops Thanks for the pic. Can you tell me just where this picwas taken at BSA.. We may be talking about two different places . I understood the Proof House was the test firing range down behind the sports ground . It was just past the tennis courts and ran along almost the back fence. It was fairly long with brick wall each side a nd a roof on which had openings to let the light in onto the targets areas /. Cheers for now Old Brummy
 
Old Brummy, The photo of the Gun Barrel Proof House built 1813 is in Banbury St, it was not on the BSA factory site, i did not know of a Barrel Proof House at Armoury Rd, my first visit was in 1959 and i think only the Stocking shop and Parker-Hales factory were still on the Armoury Rd site, i only know about the Gun Barrel Proofing at BSA Guns, Shirley. Len.
 
Alfred G. Parker & Company started business in 1880 in Icknield Street, Birmingham. Arthur TC Hale joined the company sometime afterwards and was manager by the time they moved to Whittal Street in 1910 and they called the premises, The Bisley Works, the name becoming world famous and being stamped on the companies products. By 1925 Hale was a director and by 1930 the company was renamed Parker Hale.
In around 1928 Alfred J. Parkers (AG’s son) left and set up his own business Alfred J. Parker & Co., remaining most of their trading life at The Armoury Works in Moseley Road. Hence the possible confusion with Armoury Road in Small Heath. Both companies were renowned for high quality rifle sights as well as guns.

It is interesting to note that Alfred J. Parker & Co only closed in 2007. Parker Hale were acquired by the, now defunct, Gibbs Rifle Company of West Virginia in 1990.


I would be interested to know of any address that Parker Hale had in the Small Heath area and its reference.
 
Malvern i dont know if this would be of any help but the Parker Hale factory that i knew of was at the end of the drive that initially led from the BSA social club. it was near to part of the test track , the reason i know is because my sister worked there in the mid 70's. if required i can get you an arial photo from google.
hope it helps
 
Lencops Thank for the bigger picture and location . . The building I am taking aboutwas a rifle range with brick walls etc I dont know if it is still there . . When I was over there there was a ski slope built close by. and also a motocycle traing track of some sort with a clubhouse or a building of some sort .PerhapsParker-Hales took over the Rifle range permanently. There was a wooden hill made of railway sleepers with a coating of tar onnear the ski slope . The hill was used prewar for stop and restrt testing on some sidecar police models
Getting away from the topic a bit but great to hear a bit more about BSA Cheers Oldbrowny.
 
Lencops and other Sorry I chipped into this topic without going thru all the previous posting Very rude of me.............. I se now from a very quick look back that the Rifle Range location has been spoken about. Apologies to all .Iwil go back thru the posting from the start and will . chip in again if there is anything I can add Cheers Oldbrowny
 
Old Brummy said:
Lencops and other Sorry I chipped into this topic without going thru all the previous posting Very rude of me.............. I se now from a very quick look back that the Rifle Range location has been spoken about. Apologies to all .Iwil go back thru the posting from the start and will . chip in again if there is anything I can add Cheers Oldbrowny
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No apology needed, Old Brummy, its a memory blip i suffer as well!!, as far as i am concerned we are all friends although we might have different ideas, Cheers to you, Len.
 
Capt Black Great to hear you know of the woodedn hill.. Thanks for thetrouble taken to upload the Google on the Parker Hale Factory site . ..... If Parkerker -Hale has closed up as someone said in a previous poting......te who or what is being done there at te moment...... I see the recreation ground is still there,. There was a small drain or maybe called a brook of some sort that ran on the right hand side of the track leading dow to the Parker Hale site. I crashed into the railngs along the side of it around 1954 and still have the black gravel rash scar under my knee LOL . Have been away from this site looking up the Icknield Port loop . An area I knew a lot abou too as I lived close by. Here we go again though getting carried away off topic . Will look in later on and see whats doing here Cheers Old Browny
 
Capt Black Sorry I signed off as Old Browny should have been Old Brummy . I have been looking again at you post no 50 If you draw aline at the closest poin between the 2 yellow circles you outline on the pic well tha would be where a brick office was built to be used as a means to house a lap scorer sort of person to count the circuits done by the testers at that time . I mention this just in case it is still there .. It was never used ..........its a long story with many angles to it . I have been looking at a pic I have taken at the point where I always understood the air raid shelters were located and I will try and send it to you a bit later .....It shows in the background the crane that was used to unload the coal off the canal boats for the foundry . I have looked at the pic many times but only just dicovered the crane being on it Cheers OldBrummy
 
Old brummy if the office used to be at the top of the wooden hill then i remember it well, it was made from corrugated iron that was open at the front with a brick built 'office' on the right hand side (as you look at it) if this is the building you mention then sadly its not there any more, all part of the 'redevelopment' of the area. i remember the brook as well thats still there tho lol
i would love to see the pic you have , that would be really interesting, thanks.
tony
 
Old Brummy said:
Capt Black Great to hear you know of the woodedn hill.. Thanks for thetrouble taken to upload the Google on the Parker Hale Factory site . ..... If Parkerker -Hale has closed up as someone said in a previous poting......te who or what is being done there at te moment...... I see the recreation ground is still there,. There was a small drain or maybe called a brook of some sort that ran on the right hand side of the track leading dow to the Parker Hale site. I crashed into the railngs along the side of it around 1954 and still have the black gravel rash scar under my knee LOL . Have been away from this site looking up the Icknield Port loop . An area I knew a lot abou too as I lived close by. Here we go again though getting carried away off topic . Will look in later on and see whats doing here Cheers Old Browny
Click to expand...

The sleeper hill was a part of the test track, I have attached a picture of my fellow testers at the top of the hill with a engine made out of scrap. Lou Dalby T & I 1948 to 1959.

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/2370950130/in/set-72157602073893291/"]Sign in to Yahoo![/ame]
 
Louis Dalby Hi Louis I meant to wite to you to see if you knew of this site but I see you allready know of it and of course watching . I write to the opposition site which has a BSA thread also I go as Old Brummie on this site and Oldbrowny on the other . ....Just depends how awake I am as to which alias I use . The flickR video woud not open but the pic of the rifle squad was very good Can you try the engine pic again ??????? On the opposition site some discusion is on about the location of the Air Raid shelter out the back on the waste ground inside the test track. You have a pic I sent you of te old engine and the crane that unloaded the coal for the foundry can be seen in the background Cheers OldBrummie
 
Very interesting to see there is material about Parker Hale on here.

My great aunt had a very good friend whose name was Ella Hale. She was of the family and I met her in 1971 at my gt aunt's funeral. A very pleasant lady and I seemed to get on with her very well, even though I was 50 years her junior.

I wonder if there are any members of the Hale family around?
 
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