Hence, his son, William Wellington Greener, struck out a line of his own (the W.W. Greener was a firm believer in the concept of muzzleloaders and refused to make any breechloaders. It was around this time that the company began to really prosper. Money obtained from supplying South Africa with two-groove rifles enabled the company to erect a factory on "Rifle Hill", Aston, in 1859. Greener was appointed to make guns for Prince Albert. Hence, he moved his business from Newcastle to Birmingham.ĭuring the period of 1845-58, W. In November 1844, he determined that most of the materials and components he used for gun making came from Birmingham, and his business was being hampered by the distance between the two towns. Greener begins in 1829, when William Greener, who had been working in London for Manton, a prominent gun maker, returned to his hometown of Newcastle and founded the W. The company produced its first firearm in 1829 and is still in business, with a fifth generation Greener serving on its board of directors. Greener is a sporting shotgun and rifle manufacturer from England. Examples of historical guns made before 1985 are shown on the Historical Guns page.W.W. However, Greeners also have a long tradition of producing spectacular carved ‘art guns’.Įxamples of some of the shotguns and rifles made since 1985 are shown on the New Guns page. There are two ‘house’ patterns of engraving ‘Greener Scroll’ and ‘Four Seasons’ (game scenes) which can be adapted to suit different game or calibre of gun. Each add their own specialist knowledge and skills to ensuring the finished product is an exceptional combination of art, science, engineering and reliability. These craftsmen include barrel makers, borers and filers, action makers, jointers, spring and parts makers, stockers, smoothers, polishers, engravers, hardeners, freers, finishers, gun case and accessory makers. Since 1985 the present owners have built up a team of the most skilled and experienced craftsmen in England to make exquisite sporting shotguns and rifles for those sportsmen and women, collectors and enthusiasts who want the best in the world. Webley, which acquired the gunmaking part of the business continued to make the single barrel GP for a few years, but it was not until 1985 that the company was bought by its present owners, David Dryhurst, Graham Greener (W W Greener’s great-grandson), Ken Richardson and Richard Tandy. So, in 1965 the company was sold, the old factory with its imposing Victorian edifice was pulled down and production for the company as a family run business ceased. The company under the two brothers, and later Leyton Greener, Harry’s son, concentrated on well-made, but less expensive ‘Empire’ models and single barrel GP shotguns - developed from a riot control gun for the Egyptian Ghaffir police force.īut the building of the inner ring road in Birmingham meant the factory complex fronting St Mary’s Square had to go. Production was switched to military requirements during two world wars and during the intervening period demand for very high quality sporting guns diminished. W W Greener’s two sons Harry and Charles took over the business from their father in 1910 and ten years later the firm was incorporated into a limited company. This book, like The Breachloader and how to use it published in 1892, ran to nine editions. Like his father he wrote several books the most famous of which The Gun and its Development was published in 1881. By the turn-of-the-century in 1900 he had the world’s largest sporting gun factory employing over four hundred and fifty skilled craftsmen. The cross-bolt which he invented in 1867 to strengthen the action of breach loaders resulted in the strongest action, weight for weight, of any gun made. The former allowed him to win all The Field Trials from 1875 to 1879 and this led most wing shots to use Greener guns to win prizes and competitions all over the world. Probably W W Greener’s greatest contributions were, affecting the system of choke boring, and, inventing the famous cross-bolt. After William’s death in 1869 his second son, William Wellington Greener, continued the family tradition of making high-quality sporting and military guns, and his inventions helped to develop the breach-loader to make it the modern sporting gun we know today.
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