Westley Richards &Co,Bham
40 grange rd
bham
west mids
0121 472 1701
established in 1812.William Westley RichARDS.THE FOUNDER,WAS BORN IN 1788 and he died in1865,he was responsible for a number of inventions connected with the muzzle loader.
Although founded in bham,the firm was not typical of the bham trade,and its premises were in the old high street quite some way away from the gun quarter.
A LONDON RETAIL OUTLET WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1815AT 170 NEW bOND sT under the management ofwilliam bishop.
in bham,westley richards,the son of the founder,took over the business fromhis father in 1840 and a further series of inventions did much to influence the development of guns ,rifles and revolvers.
Sporting guns received attention and patents were taken out covering the following features:
1858 drop down barrels
1861 drop down and sliding forward barrels
1862 the famous top lever and dolls head extension
1862 patent rifle sights
1864 top lever design modified to improve the operation
1866 Monkey Tail capping breachloader further improved.
Westley Richards retired in 1872 and that year saw bolt action and sliding breech block designs.
In 1878 his last patent covered the locking system for the drop down barrel gun.
John Deeley took charge,having joined the firm in 1860 ,and between 1873 and 1907 he was partly or wholly responsible for some 17 patents.
One of the most important of these patents,where the firm was concerned,was British Patent No 1756.This was taken out jointly with W Anson in 1875,protecting the famous box lock Anson & Deeley action.
In 1896 the firm outgrew the premises in the High street and moved out to a factory in Bournebrook,on the south side of the city.
The Westley Richards factory as it is today still builds the finest box lock guns and when you place your order,you are given the serial numbers of your gun and you can follow its progress through the factory