Westley Richards "Highest Possible" Air Pistol

[Certus]

Hi Graham,

I know just what you mean regarding the general decline in manufacturing standards and the tendency to discard things rather than repair them these days. I collect these old air guns as much for the engineering interest and ingenuity of design as much as anything.

Regards

Brian

[micken]

Hi Brian

Many thanks for another interesting and informative thread. I'm looking forward to your future contributions.

Cheers,

Mick

[Adam77K]

Well Brian, the facts are that nothing made before cannot be made again. It is the economy of scale though.
As a hobbyist and enthusiast I think nothing of spending a couple of weeks - on and off - refinishing a stock or several hours making a retaining block for a pistol, deciding which steel to use and ordering a piece, setting up the drill press, cutting and dressing the part, gettinkg it Blued or electroplated.
Nobody would do that for a couple of pounds. If I worked out how much time I have spent doing this sort of thing I could pay myself a fortune!
No, as a hobby I find it extremely rewarding, but as a job......
This is why, when Nick (from Magic9design.com) or UK Neil give me a price for something I either pay it or don't have the job done.
Sadly, in these "modern times" I see more and more youths with real potential sitting in front of a TV -playing games- wasting their lives when they have so much potential but there are NO real hands on practical courses they could attend to allow these talents to flourish. I know very, very few talanted, capable young artisans - but I see a load of old fogeys such as myself who have spent a lifetime mending and making do with no-one to pass on our skills. Thank God for forums such as this!

Good points. The way technology is changing most jobs (and the rate of change is increasing) "making stuff" is going to be more about automation, more about designing stuff on CAD followed by 3D printing, then these skills are dying out. I think the only way to keep them is if younger people are attracted to these things as hobbies or pastimes. Like knitting or weaving: automation killed off hand weaving as an industry except for high end expensive clothing. The only way the skill survived is via handicrafts.

But the problem with that is, there don't seem to be the ways for those interested to learn the skills. You can take all sorts of craft courses at the local college but I'm not aware of much around these sort of engineering skills on a hobbyist level.

But, in the Internet age, how do you learn to do something? Google, forums and youtube! I re-sealed my car doors last week (perishing seals a known problem on Mk1 SEAT Leons) from a blog post with photos. A work colleague taught himself to change brakes etc the same way. In this way, forums like this, and the guides posted up by Tank et al could be a very real legacy for the future.

[Tank]

Well, guns are like buses, if you wait long enough, one will turn up. This is a mint, untouched, unmolested example.
It was bought from Westley Richards by George Sheard who was a soldier in the Lancashire or Cheshire Regiment during the First World War, the Great War. He was killed just before the Armistice in 1918 and it has been in a drawer ever since.
Amazing, a one hundred year old pistol in absolutely pristine condition.

Interestingly, this is numbered 1063 and up to now, it was thought that the last production number was 1052 so it appears this is quite possibly, only possibly, he last one made. Dennis Hillier in his book makes the suggestion that only one thousand were made and that the last known example was numbered 1052. It is really impressive in the hand.

[Certus]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the 'non-concentric' Westley Richards 'Highest Possible'. Although a bit ungainly, I'm attracted by it's large, Victorian revolver appearance which Westley Richards attempted to streamline with the introduction of the much less successful 'Concentric' version in 1921.

The 'Highest Possible' patented in 1907 has the honour of being the first 'production' air pistol to be manufactured in Great Britain. The lowest Ser No recorded for the type is 11 and there are unconfirmed reports of a Ser No as high as 1222 with a confirmed Ser No of 1212 being sold at a Wallis & Wallis auction in March 1992.

Regards

Brian

[Tank]

And then, along comes another. A very early example this time, with an inexplicable bend in the trigger?

[Certus]

Hello Graham,

Shame about the bent trigger blade. I'm sure a man of your skills will be able to re-form it without breaking it off .

As you rightly say an early example of these lovely old pistols. If possible, could you please let us know the Ser No.

Regards

Brian

[Tank]

Brian, it is number 182. The trigger blade is of course straightened now
I just wanted to share the pictures with you and really, the steel is good quality and took no effort. Strange that it was so shaped in the first place? Not to worry, it is right now and I will be leaving it well alone.

[Certus]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for that. The pistol is as you say a very early example probably dating to 1910. As you are probably already aware, these Highest Possibles with the heart shaped cut-out are the most sought after by collectors.

I still think the later Concentric Highest Possible was a retrograde step as it was a smoothbore with non-adjustable sights.

Regards

Brian

[Davidm61]

Hello Graham

Good to hear the trigger is now successfully straightened, and thanks for showing me this, and letting me handle it last Saturday

Regards
David