MARKING 250 YEARS IN STYLE

I recently had the privilege of attending one of the most memorable industry events in recent years – John Rigby & Co.’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The day began at West London Shooting School, where guests were invited to shoot the full Rigby rifle line-up. For anyone involved in the UK trade, it was a rare opportunity to handle, shoot and compare the company’s models side by side, and a reminder of just how deep Rigby’s product quality runs.

In the evening, the focus shifted to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where Rigby hosted a spectacular celebration aboard HMS Warrior. With its combination of naval heritage, pageantry and spectacle, it was the perfect venue for a company marking two and a half centuries of British gunmaking.

The event featured cannon and gun salutes, a dramatic Spitfire flypast, and appearances from the great and good of the UK gun trade – as well as a few familiar faces to those outside of our sector, including Nigel Farage and Donald Trump Jr. Throughout the night, there was a real sense that we weren’t just celebrating a company, but acknowledging the role Rigby has played in preserving craftsmanship, tradition and prestige in British gunmaking.

As a journalist, I been lucky to attend a lot of events over the years. But this one stood out – not just for the production values, but for what it represented: a proud, long-standing British brand with global reach, continuing to find relevance in the modern trade.

At a time when our industry faces regulatory uncertainty and global supply chain pressures, Rigby’s 250th reminded us that heritage, excellence and community still matter.

Here’s to the next milestone. —

In this issue, we unfortunately mark the loss of several key figures in our trade. Richard Purdey, former chairman of James Purdey & Sons; Doug and Shirley Florent, founders of The Oxford Gun Company; and, just as we were going to press, we received the sad news from Lyalvale Express that their former owner, Roger Hurley, had also passed away. I’d like to extend my sincere condolences to the friends, families and colleagues of all four. Their contributions to the UK gun trade will not be forgotten.

Have a great trading month.

ROB SMITH editor, Gun Trade Insider