Gunmaker Webley & Scott, based in the West Midlands, in the heart of England, has been making side-by-side shotguns with the winged-bullet trademark since the reign of Queen Victoria. Established in 1897 with the merger of craft shotgun builders William & Charles Scott and revolver manufacturer Webley, W&S recently was acquired by Highland Outdoors, which has sought to mix modern manufacturing technology with the time-honored wisdom of British gunmaking.
Two new side-by-side guns are available: the Kilworth, a scalloped-back boxlock with a black-finished action priced at £2,000 (about $2,300), and the Imperial, a color-case-hardened, sideplated model (shown) at £2,250 (about $2,600,). The former features scrollwork on the action and around the hinges and Grade 3+ Turkish walnut, while the latter has border engraving and scrollwork around the hinges and 2+ Turkish walnut. Both are made in Turkey and have semi-pistol grips and single triggers, and the 28- or 30-inch barrels are proofed for steel and have multi chokes. The guns come in 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauge as well as .410.
Since the beginning, Webley & Scott has enjoyed a reputation for producing affordable doubles made by coupling machine-made methods with time-honored techniques. It seems appropriate that the new owners are respecting that tradition.
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