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Changes to munitions manufacturing from mid-1800s Birmingham

Just referring to the title of this thread, I'll leave it to others to comment who know far more about this subject than I. But I feel that this dreadful accident, and others, led more to the demise (quite rightly) of the handling and processing of explosives in central Birmingham, rather than to the end of the main Gun Quarter activity itself (which was always the highly skilled work of making the guns themselves). As I understand it, that activity remained very significant until relatively recent times.

Chris
 
Born near Aberdeen in 1834 George Kynoch joined Pursall and Phillips, a firm of ammunition manufacturers in Birmingham’s Gun Quarter. Following an explosion in which almost a third of the employees were killed, Kynoch at the age of 27 moved the factory to farmland in Witton. By 1836 he owned the company, calling his new factory the Lion Works. The business ultimately occupied nearly 200 acres of land here.


Kynoch became MP for Aston and Chairman of Aston Villa, he was forced out of the company when he was 54, as he was bankrupt. He died in poverty in South Africa three years later. The Company became ICI then IMI



percussion caps are very volatile and should be handled with extreme care i cringe every time i press one in a casing.
small metal cylinders filled with explosive mercury fulminate that when ignighted ignights the main charge of powder in the shell/cartridge/bullet
 
The 1859 Whittall Street explosion occurred in the ‘Gun Quarter’ a term that became used around the Great War. This incident prompted the government to recognise the dangers of munitions factories in urban areas.

However, it did not significantly impact the gun trade in Birmingham which continued for many years. The real, sustained decline of the Birmingham gun trade began in the early 20th century (after about 1918) — not in the Victorian period — and accelerated sharply after the Second World War.
 
It was booming NO PUN LOL
In the the 1860s supplying
both sides in American Civil War
Confederate agents were in Brum
as well as Austria/Lorenz Rifle
France/M42 Rifle
British Whitworths/Lancasters and Patt1853s
as well
They even used White Gold as currency
 
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Donbogen said:
It was booming NO PUN LOL
In the the 1860s supplying
both sides in American Civil War
Confederate agents were in Brum
as well as Austria/Lorenz Rifle
France/M42 Rifle
British Whitworths/Lancasters and Patt1853s
as well
They even used White Gold as currency
Click to expand...
I knew about supplying both sides in the US civil war but did not realize that agents were there and from other countries. It is such a shame that the industry moved away, they had such great skills and products.
 
Pedrocut said:
The 1859 Whittall Street explosion occurred in the ‘Gun Quarter’ a term that became used around the Great War. This incident prompted the government to recognise the dangers of munitions factories in urban areas.

However, it did not significantly impact the gun trade in Birmingham which continued for many years. The real, sustained decline of the Birmingham gun trade began in the early 20th century (after about 1918) — not in the Victorian period — and accelerated sharply after the Second World War.
Click to expand...
Why such a rapid decline, was it quality related?
 
The decline of Birmingham’s Gun Quarter — once one of the world’s leading centres of firearms production — was the result of a combination of economic, technological, social, and legislative changes that unfolded mainly during the 20th century

Deindustrialisation: After World War II, Britain’s heavy industries (metalworking, manufacturing, etc.) went into long-term decline as global competition increased and production moved abroad to lower-cost countries.

Loss of Small Workshops: The Gun Quarter had traditionally been made up of small, specialist workshops working collaboratively. As mass production and automation became dominant, these artisanal methods became less competitive.
Globalisation: International competition—particularly from cheaper European and later Asian manufacturers—undercut Birmingham’s firearms makers.

Mass Production vs. Craftsmanship: Birmingham’s gunmakers were famous for high-quality, hand-finished weapons. However, 20th-century demand shifted toward mass-produced, standardised firearms, which were cheaper to make elsewhere.
Outdated Infrastructure: Many Gun Quarter buildings were old and unsuitable for modern mechanised production methods

Stricter Gun Laws: The UK introduced increasingly strict firearms regulations throughout the 20th century (notably the Firearms Acts of 1920, 1937, 1968, and post-Dunblane 1996). This reduced domestic demand for civilian firearms
.
Export Restrictions: Changes in international arms trade regulations also limited export opportunities.

Postwar Redevelopment and Decline of the Area: Parts of the Gun Quarter were demolished or redeveloped during Birmingham’s postwar urban renewal, including the construction of the A38(M) Aston Expressway, which physically cut through the district.

Shift in City Priorities: Birmingham transitioned from an industrial to a service-based economy, reducing support for traditional manufacturing areas

Changing Social Attitudes
As gun ownership declined and the association of firearms with crime or tragedy grew stronger, the domestic market for sporting or decorative weapons diminished


 

Most weapons and ammunition were handmade by skilled gunsmiths or small workshops.​

Production was slow and inconsistent.
After mid-1800s:
Factory-based production replaced artisanal work.
ntroduction of machine tools (like lathes, milling machines, and presses) allowed precise, interchangeable parts.
Standardized calibers and mass production became possible, improving reliability and logistics.

Black powder (gunpowder) was used for centuries but had limitations: low energy, large smoke clouds, and fouling of gun barrels.​

Changes:
Nitrocellulose-based smokeless powder (invented in the 1880s) produced more energy, less smoke, and less residue.
This allowed for smaller-caliber, higher-velocity bullets and longer-range weapons.
Required new chemical manufacturing facilities and stricter safety protocols.
Mid-19th century innovations:
The shift from muzzle-loading to breech-loading firearms.
Development of metallic cartridges (integrating bullet, powder, and primer into one unit).
Examples: The .44 Henry rimfire (1860s) and later centerfire cartridges.
This simplified loading, improved waterproofing, and allowed faster, more reliable firing.

mprovements in steel production (via the Bessemer and later open-hearth processes) allowed for stronger gun barrels and shells.​

Development of brass for cartridge cases — durable and easy to machine.
Better heat treatment and alloying improved weapon durability and accuracy.

Dynamite (1867) and picric acid-based explosives introduced more powerful munitions.​

Later, TNT (1890s) and cordite (1890s) revolutionized shell fillings.
Led to large-scale chemical plants dedicated to producing propellants and explosives.

Creation of arsenals and national armories for centralized state production (e.g., Springfield Armory in the U.S., Enfield in Britain).​

Introduction of assembly line methods by the late 19th century.
More female and unskilled labor employed, especially during wartime surges.

Development of rifled bullets (e.g., Minié ball) for greater accuracy.​

Introduction of shells and grenades with timed or impact fuses.
By the late 1800s: armor-piercing, shrapnel, and high-explosive rounds appeared.
 
it sure did Don
The legendary French Lebel rifle was a revolution in small arms design: It introduced smokeless powder, which gave the rifle double the power and effective range of its competitors like the Mauser 1871/84 or American Springfield Trapdoor.
it set off a chain reaction in the world of small arms whereby all the other nations of the world
were rushing to adopt a design on par with France’s latest fusil
 
Thanks for the information.
So this single rifle reset the global standard for military small arms. It seemed to shock every ordnance department in Europe. Britain centralised arms development at Enfield and Woolwich.

Would it be true to say that Birmingham’s gun quarter survived on Sporting guns (shotguns, rifles for hunting), Colonial or African trade muskets (cheap smoothbores) and Repairs and export conversions.

As far as munitions were concerned it begs the question as to how Kynoch responded to the smokeless powder ?
 

Kynoch’s Response​

Before the 1880s, all gunpowder was “black powder,” a mixture of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. It produced a lot of smoke, fouling, and relatively low energy.
In the mid-1880s, European chemists developed smokeless powders, based on nitrocellulose (guncotton) and later nitroglycerin blends—like Poudre B in France (1886) and Cordite in Britain (1889).

​


Rapid Modernization (Late 1880s–1890s):
Kynoch, based in Witton (near Birmingham), was one of the largest British ammunition makers.When the British government adopted Cordite as its standard smokeless propellant in 1889–1891, Kynoch had to adapt quickly.The company invested in new chemical processing plants to handle nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin, which required very different facilities and safety protocols from black powder production.
Licensing and Government Contracts:
The British War Office controlled Cordite production tightly.Kynoch was granted contracts to manufacture Cordite and cartridges for the military, competing with firms like Eley Brothers and the Royal Laboratories at Woolwich.This helped secure Kynoch’s position as one of the main suppliers for both the British armed forces and the empire’s colonial forces.
Technical Adaptation:Kynoch’s ballistic engineers developed new cartridge designs optimized for smokeless powders, which burned more efficiently and generated higher pressures.They redesigned case dimensions, bullet weights, and primers for the new performance characteristics.They also began producing sporting ammunition using smokeless powders for hunters and target shooters, marketing them as cleaner and more powerful.
Expansion and Collaboration:The shift to smokeless powder pushed Kynoch to become more of a chemical manufacturer, not just a cartridge assembler.By the early 1900s, Kynoch was exporting smokeless-powder cartridges worldwide.Later, Kynoch became part of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926, where its expertise in propellants continued to evolve.

 
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mw0njm. said:
The decline of Birmingham’s Gun Quarter — once one of the world’s leading centres of firearms production — was the result of a combination of economic, technological, social, and legislative changes that unfolded mainly during the 20th century

Deindustrialisation: After World War II, Britain’s heavy industries (metalworking, manufacturing, etc.) went into long-term decline as global competition increased and production moved abroad to lower-cost countries.

Loss of Small Workshops: The Gun Quarter had traditionally been made up of small, specialist workshops working collaboratively. As mass production and automation became dominant, these artisanal methods became less competitive.
Globalisation: International competition—particularly from cheaper European and later Asian manufacturers—undercut Birmingham’s firearms makers.

Mass Production vs. Craftsmanship: Birmingham’s gunmakers were famous for high-quality, hand-finished weapons. However, 20th-century demand shifted toward mass-produced, standardised firearms, which were cheaper to make elsewhere.
Outdated Infrastructure: Many Gun Quarter buildings were old and unsuitable for modern mechanised production methods

Stricter Gun Laws: The UK introduced increasingly strict firearms regulations throughout the 20th century (notably the Firearms Acts of 1920, 1937, 1968, and post-Dunblane 1996). This reduced domestic demand for civilian firearms
.
Export Restrictions: Changes in international arms trade regulations also limited export opportunities.

Postwar Redevelopment and Decline of the Area: Parts of the Gun Quarter were demolished or redeveloped during Birmingham’s postwar urban renewal, including the construction of the A38(M) Aston Expressway, which physically cut through the district.

Shift in City Priorities: Birmingham transitioned from an industrial to a service-based economy, reducing support for traditional manufacturing areas

Changing Social Attitudes
As gun ownership declined and the association of firearms with crime or tragedy grew stronger, the domestic market for sporting or decorative weapons diminished


Click to expand...
Thank you for that, a lot of obvious mistakes there to long to debate here!
 
Pedrocut said:
Thanks for the information.
So this single rifle reset the global standard for military small arms. It seemed to shock every ordnance department in Europe. Britain centralised arms development at Enfield and Woolwich.

Would it be true to say that Birmingham’s gun quarter survived on Sporting guns (shotguns, rifles for hunting), Colonial or African trade muskets (cheap smoothbores) and Repairs and export conversions.

As far as munitions were concerned it begs the question as to how Kynoch responded to the smokeless powder ?
Click to expand...
Actually it was the (French) smokeless cartridge that was the change agent, and forced others to follow.
 
To handle nitro-powders safely, Kynoch had to rebuild and re-engineer large parts of its Witton site:

New pressing and blending sheds were built in earthen-banked “traverses” to contain explosions.
Separate proof ranges and chemical laboratories were installed.
Kynoch hired chemists and ordnance experts to manage the new materials (something previously unnecessary in the purely mechanical black-powder era).

By the mid-1890s, Witton had become a modern explosives-handling site, producing cartridges for sporting, military, and colonial markets.
 
Pedrocut said:
To handle nitro-powders safely, Kynoch had to rebuild and re-engineer large parts of its Witton site:

New pressing and blending sheds were built in earthen-banked “traverses” to contain explosions.
Separate proof ranges and chemical laboratories were installed.
Kynoch hired chemists and ordnance experts to manage the new materials (something previously unnecessary in the purely mechanical black-powder era).

By the mid-1890s, Witton had become a modern explosives-handling site, producing cartridges for sporting, military, and colonial markets.
Click to expand...
This is the cost of change! Had Kynochs not made these changes they would have been unable to participate in the considerable profitability of the new and quite long lasting technology.
 
Ah profitability !
Arthur Chamberlain became chairman of Kynoch in 1888, just as Britain moved from black powder to smokeless (.303, cordite) and demand surged.
Kynoch quickly entered the smokeless era: by 1894–95 the firm had Government orders for cordite and built the new explosives works at Arklow to supply them. During the Boer War (1899–1902) Kynoch received huge orders for cordite and ammunition, expanding output significantly.

This sparked Parliamentary criticism and press allegations about profits and influence; a Commons exchange in December 1900 referred to Arthur Chamberlain “making a profit of £10,000 a year as contractors to Her Majesty’s Government.” Press accusations even led to libel actions over claims that Kynoch used “improper means” to obtain Government work—illustrating how closely the firm (and Arthur) were associated with lucrative state orders in this period.
 
Pedrocut said:
Ah profitability !
Arthur Chamberlain became chairman of Kynoch in 1888, just as Britain moved from black powder to smokeless (.303, cordite) and demand surged.
Kynoch quickly entered the smokeless era: by 1894–95 the firm had Government orders for cordite and built the new explosives works at Arklow to supply them. During the Boer War (1899–1902) Kynoch received huge orders for cordite and ammunition, expanding output significantly.

This sparked Parliamentary criticism and press allegations about profits and influence; a Commons exchange in December 1900 referred to Arthur Chamberlain “making a profit of £10,000 a year as contractors to Her Majesty’s Government.” Press accusations even led to libel actions over claims that Kynoch used “improper means” to obtain Government work—illustrating how closely the firm (and Arthur) were associated with lucrative state orders in this period.
Click to expand...
I think the bigger picture here is improper means! Personally if a person has “a better mouse trap” they are entitled to to any profits as long as they are acquired fairly!
 
mikejee said:
There is a book, obtainable fro amazon by David Williams " The Birmingham Gun Trade" which is well worth resding
Click to expand...
Just looked we have on Amazon US as well, thank you! I also saw a book (off topic) the industrialization of Birmingham & the Black Country which is also on Kindle which is more to my liking, too much arthritis in my fingers!
 
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