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W.w.greener Sporting Guns.

Thank you once again, Wendy, for those pictures. Happily the church has survived, unlike so many in that area. Last time I was there, a chapel in the main street had closed and had been taken over by a cheapjack retailer, who had vandalised all the beautiful wooden panelling in his efforts to adapt the building to his uses. So sad.

It's very tempting to start researching your last picture, but I think I already have enough projects on the go at the moment! :D

Maurice :cool:
 
Maurice I found it very interesting looking into the family. I am glad we had success in our search with your help I might add.:)

I did wonder where the people were from commemorated in the last plaque. As you say it's never ending looking into these things.:)
 
Hmm, first two appear to have been born in Durham, but some of the other's deaths do not appear. I'm going to resist temptation and leave it to someone else. :p

Maurice :cool:
 
Hi


Gun maker W.W.Greener, Being a toolmaker (Engineer) I have been interested in shooting and gun making for most of my life, I have a number of books on gun making and one that you may find very useful is called The Greener Story.
I have a copy of this book and it is full of information on the Greener family and pictures of the factory, guns and people who worked there.
I did notice at the being of the book that all the copyrights belong to Graham Greener
But I am sure that he would allow you to use some of the pictures if you wrote to him.
 
Hello Premo thanks for the information, yes I think Maurice mentioned the book it sounds facinating. I have only a mild interest as my husband worked for Greener's in their closing days. He has written a small piece for Carl's magazine. I have emailed Carl and he tells me he has some Greener photo's. We did find some of Phylis Nicklin's. My husband is sure some of the untitled photo's are of the back of Greener's factory.
 
Hi Wendy

Greeners still make guns under the direction of Graham Greener who is the fifth generation. They are based in Wiltshire and only produce a small number of shotguns each year. Graham wrote an excellent book called The Greener Story which is still available.

Hope this helps.

Bill
 
My first ever shot-gun was a single-barrel Greener G.P (general purpose) 12 bore, with a Martini-type rolling breach-block (I think that was what it was called? The chamber was opened by a lever beneath the stock, a bit like a Winchester rifle.). It was very plain, but beautifully made. It was also amazingly heavy for a single barrel gun; but had hardly any kick-back, when fired. The barrel length was 31 inches, which was quite long. I have no idea as to it's age. Does anyone recognise the model?
 
W.W. Greener was also one of the first operators of motor buses in Birmingham - post 279 and a few subsequently in the 'Early days of Midland Red' board have the details.
 
Wendy said:
I have at last persuaded Michael to write down his memories of the time he worked for Greener's 1963-65. I am going to send his piece to Carl for his Brummagem magazine. Sadly we don't have any photo's of Greener's to go with the article does anyone have any please?:):)
Click to expand...
Hi Wendy, think I told you before about my mate Harry Kite, his dad was a master craftsman at Greeners
also whenIi was stationed in Libya, our CO, Col; Ian Gore Langton had a pair of WW Greeners 12 bore shot
guns I heard him mention £250 not sure if that was one or the pair. They were beautiflly engineered, all
engraved and everything. The thing is he only had one arm, he lost one in France in 1944, he also had the
biggest black stallion you have ever seen, wonderful man, he wrote me a glowing reference in my discharge
book when I left the army, Bernard
 
Lloyd said:
W.W. Greener was also one of the first operators of motor buses in Birmingham - post 279 and a few subsequently in the 'Early days of Midland Red' board have the details.
Click to expand...

Thanks Lloyd I missed that post how interesting we both had no idea there was a bus connection.
 
Bernard I have never seen a Greeners gun but Michael tells me he loved to go into the workshops and watch the craftsmen working on the intricate patterns on these guns.
 
JohnO said:
My first ever shot-gun was a single-barrel Greener G.P (general purpose) 12 bore, with a Martini-type rolling breach-block (I think that was what it was called? The chamber was opened by a lever beneath the stock, a bit like a Winchester rifle.). It was very plain, but beautifully made. It was also amazingly heavy for a single barrel gun; but had hardly any kick-back, when fired. The barrel length was 31 inches, which was quite long. I have no idea as to it's age. Does anyone recognise the model?
Click to expand...

John. I know the gun you are describing, it did indeed have a rolling block action, just like the Martini-Henry Rifle.

Some police forces in America still use the Greener GP, because the barrel is not choked and they can fire cartridges with a solid lead slug. Very useful for stopping an oncoming vehicle dead in its tracks!!!
 
Thanks for that Barrie! I really wished I'd kept the gun, but I part-exed it in the 70's for a twin-barrel job. Yes, a 12 guage solid slug is, I believe, the equivalent force of two .44 Magnum rounds in one! As you say, it would literally stop a bus!

Regards, JohnO.
 
I believe that the army had a cut down shot gun double barrel called a man stopper, this only fired shotgun cartrides but with a single sold slug, I am not sure if it was english or american, I know the americans had one inVietnam remington or winchester an 8 gauge I believe but unsure for close quarter work.
paul
 
Michael tells me Greener's made crocodile guns which were basically short shot guns they were short so they could be used in small boats.
 
Here is an interesting piece from Birmingham Mail. Guns For The Arctic Expedition 15 April 1875.

Arctic_Expedition_Guns.jpg
 
Here is an interesting advert for Greener's. I had no idea they manufactured pedal cycles.



Greeners Pedal Cycles 001.jpg
 
Phyllis Nicklin captured the St Mary's Row Greener factory in the photo below. As well as being an excellent record of the factory, I also like the coat of arms above the marbled, columned doorway: two (very proud !) gun dogs and two crossed guns. No mistaking what their business was.

There's a notice on the wall asking for "girls, women and youths". Viv.

image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
This is a much earlier view of the factory - sorry no date. Are the people outside the factory employees or are they queuing for work? Viv.

image.jpeg
 
The man himself - William Wellington Greener (1835, Newcastle on Tyne - 25 Jul 1921, Erdington, Birmingham).


W W Greener.jpg
 
I have moved this thread to the 'Factories & Offices' section of the forum. Viv.
 
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