#London

As we fast approach the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Embassy Siege that took place in London from April 30 to May 5, 1980, let’s take a look back at the weapons of the era as depicted in the movie “6 Days”. Having been born during this event, I’m fascinated by the firearms and equipment, and how they’ve evolved since.  In this two-part series, we’ll first take a look at the guns of the hostage takers from “Arabistan,” then, in Part 2 we’ll look at the weapons of the British Special Air Service (SAS).

The Firearm Blog has visited another exclusive gun store in London. In the past, we have visited the Beretta Gallery and the Holland & Holland Flagship store. We can also recommend The Imperial War museum, Part I and Part II. The James Bond in Motion is still showing, but you can check our story here as well

When you hear the words “luxury hunting firearms”, you probably first think about British gunmakers. Needless to say that Holland & Holland is one of the most known of these companies. Apparently,  F.P. Journe is like the Holland & Holland of watchmaking world in that both companies share a similar passion and pursuit of excellence in their crafts. That’s how Daryl Greatrex, the managing director of Holland & Holland, and Francois Paul Journe, the founder of F.P. Journe describe the similarity of their companies in the video embedded below.

A company in London, United Kingdom, designing knives?

Good news for SIG SAUER GmbH & Co. in Eckernförde, Germany.

The armed wing of London’s Metropolitan Police have submitted plans for a new £50 million base in Limehouse in the east of the capital.

This year at DSEi 2017 a number of countries had their lesser known and newly developed vehicle mounted Remote Control Weapon Stations (RCWS) on display for the defense industry exposition in London. Rather than list each entry individually, it is fitting that we include them all here for readers to examine and compare. Although the United States has fielded multiple versions of vehicle mounted remote weapon systems, probably the CROW being the more well known design throughout the U.S. Army, some of these other countries are much lesser known. Specifically at DSEi 2017 were designs from Slovenia, Slovakia, Belgium, and the UAE.

Unlike in the United States, Britain requires that every single firearm imported, produced, or modified on the isle to be “proofed”. This means that at least two high-pressure charges be fired through that firearm before it can be allowed for public sale or usage. Proofing has been an official regulation since the 1600s when numerous Gunmakers put their heads together and asked that a standard be set for their industry. The problem they were trying to solve was that there were too many inconsistencies within firearms of the period and customers were suffering from this through improperly made guns. Today Britain follows the CIP standards set forth by a number of European countries. In the United States we have SAAMI which although is very similar, it isn’t government sanctioned as CIP is.

William Evans is one of the London Gunmakers and has been around since 1883. Their primary gun room is located in the Mayfair district of London, just down the road from some of the other Gunmakers, such as Holland & Holland and James Purdey & Sons. The company sports an outstanding array of high-end shotguns and rifles for the discerning customer. Being in business for over a century, the staff at William Evans Ltd, knows how to take care of a customer’s needs when it comes to choosing a shotgun or rifle. But not only does the company have firearms, but an entire line of clothing, shooting accessories, ammunition, and all sorts of outdoors equipment needs to stay comfortable afield.

This is Part II from TFB’s visit to the Imperial War Museum in London.

If you’re in London please take time to visit one of the Imperial War Museums.

The largest collection of original James Bond Vehicles is now displayed at the London Film Museum at Covent Garden.

Scotland Yard publicly showcased its latest Counter Terrorism Unit dubbed C-Men in an article by the Dailymail.

During a visit to central London I walked past The Beretta Gallery. The Gallery is located very central, 36 St. James’s Street, close to The Ritz (famous hotel), Picadilly and Jermyn Street. An area known for prestigious Gentleman’s Clubs and other custom shops.

After Miles’ excellent TFB article in 2013 about the Holland & Holland Flagship Store in London there’s almost nothing more to add. If you haven’t read it already, please put it on your list of things to do.