Westley Richards
Calibre: 11,43m
Overall length: 133, 5cm
Weight: 3,99 kg
Stripes: 9 on the right
Useful range: 500m
After precise research, here is the result of the investigation “Westley Richards”.
As I thought it, Westley Richards never was Belgian. He was British and made manufacture (amongst other things) rifles in Belgium. When with the mark “Union armurière belge”, it has of it no trace with the house of test of Liège, but all the Belgian weapons passed to the house of test, therefore this firm never be a Belgian firm. It arrived very often at that time that one marks “British Bulldog” on Belgian revolvers and “Made in Belgium” on weapons which had nothing to do with Belgium.
In this case, the salesman (Westley Richards) with ordered many weapons in Belgium and marked above “Union armurière belge”
There is a “Union des fabricants d’armes belges”.
UNION DES FABRICANTS D’ARMES BELGES
The firm Auguste FRANCOTTE has since 1810 until the end of the 20th century manufactured of the weapons of all kinds. It was among the founders of the National Factory of Herstal and the school of arms manufacture of Liege.
It formed part between 1870 and 1876 of a trade union arms manufacturer of Liège, namely the small trade union for manufacture of rifles COMBLAIN for the Guard civique. This arms union was made up in addition to FRANCOTTE of ANCION & Co - DRESSE-LALOUX - PIRLOT & FRESART.
Firm WESTLEY RICHARDS presents in BIRMINGHAM since 1812 had contacts with FRANCOTTE since this one manufactured rifles RICHARDS carrying the famous crowned AF.
This famous firm always exists in BIRMINGHAM and a request for consultation of files could to possibly be addressed him.
GG
