William Moore & Grey - English Gunmaker Returns

William Moore & Grey -- history reloaded

Joseph Manton was probably one of the most influential gunmakers ever. Although he never knew it, it was from his firm that several of the later iconic English gunmakers mastered their skill. William Moore and William Parker Grey were two of them. William Moore set up his own firm in 1808 to be joined later by William Parker Grey. Together, they formed William Moore & Grey, a London best gunmaker that was different by all means.

They produced shotguns, rifles, pistols and retailed Tranter revolvers and later also Webley revolvers. Owners of several patents, they had employees such as Henry Atkin and the equally famous Frederick Beesely who are both very much part of gunmaking legend.

The production of military guns as well as the partnership through Moore & Harris in Birmingham underlined that William Moore & Grey were in the Victorian time, a modern and dynamic company. Due to the reputation that they were building, at one time they had to confirm that hundreds of fake guns of poor quality produced in Belgium and commercialized in the US were not made by William Moore & Grey despite having the name engraved on them. 

William Moore & Grey were gunmakers to H.M. King William IV as well as to H.R.H. Prince Albert the Prince Consort and were getting recognition from the very top, until in 1908, the firm was purchased by Cogswell and Harrison. For a century, William Moore & Grey became something of a historic reference thanks to their high-quality guns that were still in use and being appreciated by their owners.

A new era for the gunmaker 

In 2014, the registered trademark William Moore & Grey was taken over by Swiss entrepreneur and gun aficionado Michael Reiss von Filski. The aristocrat with Swiss, Spanish, German, Austrian and Hungarian roots managed to assemble a considerable collection of old William Moore & Grey guns, held by the WMG Trust. New side by side guns, over and under shotguns and rifles are now being produced in the spirit and tradition of the old firm in close cooperation with legendary Paul Roberts of J. Roberts & Son Gunmakers, who recently became honorary President of William Moore & Grey. 

Only a limited quantity of guns (20 maximum) per year are produced by William Moore & Grey. “Clients can choose exactly what they want, there are literally no limits or restrictions” says Michael Reiss von Filski, who believes that a more individual approach represents the tradition of this gunmaker accordingly. Whether it is a combination of different barrels, the customers wants his name engraved on the barrel or something as specific as a .458 bolt rifle, William Moore & Grey focusses on bespoke guns, far away from any serial production.

Depending on the type of gun, the company uses continental actions or barrelled actions and then has them finished and proofed in England. Some traditional Webley revolvers have also been produced, using the William Moore & Grey engraving, harking back to the time when William Moore & Grey retailed revolvers too.

In May 2018, for the first time since Michael Reiss von Filski has been at the helm, William Moore & Grey exhibited their guns at The World Gunmakers Evening 2018 by GunsOnPegs and were received with a great deal of enthusiasm. It is brilliant to see someone with Michael's passion, wanting to preserve the traditions of this very English gunmaker and at the same time build on the dynamism which is what helped this brand gain such a positive reputation over 200 years ago.

Prices of William Moore & Grey guns

Side by Side Shotguns from £21,000

Over and Under Shotguns from £10,000 - £25,000

Express Rifles, 8mm IRS from £10,000

Bolt Rifle, different calibres from £12,000

Webley Revolvers from £2,800

To find out more about William Moore & Grey, visit their website here or you can contact them via email here.

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