By Drew Boxall - Engineering and Communications Director
It is with great pleasure that we at Boxall & Edmiston gunmakers support the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. The work carried out by the trust has a direct impact on the work undertaken at our manufacturing facility in Shropshire, shaping the future of the industry for the good of us all.
We are under no illusion that our entrance to the market may have gone unnoticed. To explain a little about ourselves; we were formed eight years ago by Peter Boxall, former manufacturing Director of Holland and Holland, and James Edmiston, proprietor and managing director of Sterling Armaments.
When forming Boxall & Edmiston, it was no small decision to use their surnames. Their intention was to create something entirely new, rather than rectify some gunmaker name of old and attempt to base their new workings on a former reputation.
We use modern manufacturing methods to a point far beyond the dreams of many engineering companies, let alone our colleagues in the gun trade. Rather than focus completely on the craftsmen working at the bench, we have combined modern manufacturing with the ancient art of British gunmaking, identifying and using the most appropriate method for each stage.
For instance, hand chequering is still far superior to those laser or machined, this is due to the complex shapes of a stock and as such, we only hand chequer. Similarly, a hand applied oil finish is the only true method to get a perfect all over finish, applied over several weeks if not months. Both methods are far costlier, but the results speak for themselves and this ethos applies across our entire production process.
Our range now consists of both side by sides in 12 and soon 20 bore; and over and unders, in 12, 16, 20 and 28 bore, available with a number of different action body shapes. The number of bespoke options also continues to grow, with new features being added to our repertoire as clients make unusual requests, or our engineers and craftsmen think of new options.
In 2016 a joint project with the GTA, Worshipful Company of Gunmakers and BASC, will see an industry wide survey go out to identify training needs. Once the training needs have been identified, a place of learning will be setup to teach the next generation of gunmaker and those working in the industry. This project is yet another step towards bettering our trade and has been a tireless ambition for the Directors at Boxall & Edmiston.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who work at the Game and Wildlife conservation trust, who without, there would quite possibly not be a gun trade, let alone one we work and thrive in.
To all your members who may be reading this, please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss the training centre or if you have questions about our products and services, I’m always happy to help. You can also visit our website here.
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