Express & Star

Webley guns go Turkish

The 200-year-old Birmingham gunmaking name of Webley has been revived – but the guns are being made in Turkey, not the West Midlands. The 200-year-old Birmingham gunmaking name of Webley has been revived – but the guns are being made in Turkey, not the West Midlands. Mike Hurney, executive chairman of the newly-relaunched Webley company in Willenhall, said today that, like other manufacturers in the region, the business had to move gunmaking abroad to produce airguns and shotguns at a competitive price. "We organised a 'beauty parade' of factories from Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, but finally settled on Turkey," he said. "We believe our shotguns match the quality of the big Italian firms like Beretta but at half the price." Read the full story in the Express & Star

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Mike Hurney, executive chairman of the newly-relaunched Webley company in Willenhall, said today that, like other manufacturers in the region, the business had to move gunmaking abroad to produce airguns and shotguns at a competitive price.

"We organised a 'beauty parade' of factories from Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, but finally settled on Turkey," he said.

"We believe our shotguns match the quality of the big Italian firms like Beretta but at half the price."

The two-century old Webley name seemed doomed in 2005 when the company, based at Frankley Industrial Park in Rubery, Birmingham went into administration.

The firm was founded by William Davies who ran the business in Birmingham making bullet moulds. In 1834, his son-in-law Philip Webley took over and shifted production to firearms.

Webley revolvers were particularly famous – General Custer owned a pair when he died at the Little Big Horn – but the company concentrated on air pistols and rifles after 1979.

Mr Hurney's Airgunsports company, based on the Keys Industrial Park in Willenhall, bought the firm exactly 12 months ago today in a £1 million deal.

Manufacturing was moved to Turkey within a few months and turnover grew from £3.1 million to £4.5 million after the turnover.

The company formally changes its name to Webley today, capitalising on the firm's illustrious history, with all its air weapons branded as Webley and its shotguns as Webley & Scott. Mr Hurney said they aimed to hit £6 million turnover this year, selling 30,000 air weapons and 3,000 shotguns.

But the bid drive will be for export sales. The company has just sold 1,250 air rifles and 600 scopes to Saudi Arabia in deal worth £200,000 and the aim is to break into the huge US market.

The company now employs 23 people at Willenhall. Although all the guns are made in Turkey and Italy, distribution is handled at Willenhall and the company has all its weapons proofed in Birmingham.

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