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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
 
Last edited:
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


 
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