Powered By Blogger

Sunday 12 July 2009

Triple Barrel Shotgun by MacFarlaine


Born in 1930, George MacFarlaine was raised in India in the days of the Raj. When he was just six years old, George was accompanying his elders on shooting forays to the inland marshes and on hunting trips to the jungles for big game hunting in Northern India.

George attended Sherwood College, a boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas where he excelled in science, art and boxing. When he was 18 years old he left the tropical climes of India where he had learned to speak fluent Hindi and Urdu and write Sanskrit and travelled by ocean liner to study engineering in Scotland. After qualifying in engineering, India beckoned once again. On his return to Bombay, George bought his first gun a Westley Richards which was one of four belonging to an Indian Maharajah.

In the 1960’s George settled with his family in the beautiful English Lake District where MacFarlaine Sports was established as a bespoke gun making business and supplier of the finest shooting and sporting accessories.

3 barrelled ornate shotgunFor more than 48 years MacFarlaine Sports has manufactured the finest English sporting shotguns for customers worldwide, providing a bespoke service. Using the finest craftsmen and materials, the family created a range of sporting guns including rare multi-barrelled shotguns in particular, the three-barrel single trigger ejector shotgun. George made a dozen or so multi-barrelled shotguns which went to customers in South America, England, Germany and the United States of America. Pictured here is the 10 bore triple barrelled shotgun with engraving by Phil Coggan.

George died in 2000 and the business is now continued by his daughter and son-in-law.




Saturday 11 July 2009

Beretta Shooting Clothing and Accessories


The Sporting Lodge always seeks out the finest shooting clothing and accessories. Beretta, Perazzi, Purdey, Le Chameau are some of the shooting clothing and accessories in stock right now. See the full range at
THE SPORTING LODGE


Beretta clothing and accessories are direct from Italy. See the Beretta range for
Fantastic Beretta skeet vests, Beretta gloves, shotgun slips, cartridge bags and belts and many more unusual items not found in the shops.

Thursday 9 July 2009

Beretta - a history of the gunmaking family


Beretta - a history of the gunmaking family.



In 1526 Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta (1490 – 1565/68) of Gardone received 296 ducats as payment for 185 arquebus barrels sold to the Arsenal of Venice. Already in production in the early 1500s, Beretta products were chosen by the highly discriminating Republic of Venice because of their excellence. As the Beretta name became synonymous with uncompromising quality, design, materials, construction and performance, word spread beyond the Italian borders, establishing a tradition that has carried over, uninterrupted, through fifteen generations of Berettas. The trade secrets and attention to detail Jacopo (1520/25 – ...) inherited from his father Bartolomeo were passed on to his own son Giovannino (1550 – post 1577), then to his grandson Giovan Antonio (1577 – post 1649) – on and on from one century to the next.

In the early 1800s Pietro Antonio Beretta (1791 – 1853), in spite of difficulties arising from constant wars and foreign domination, traveled throughout Italy to demonstrate the superior quality of his products and collect orders. Pietro Antonio’s son Giuseppe (1840 – 1903) continued the arduous effort begun by his father, creating new opportunities for the company through international distribution.

In the early 1900s Pietro (1870 – 1957) took the Company reins, introducing modernized manufacturing methods, many patents for mechanisms and simplified construction, consequently establishing Beretta, the first Italian firearms maker, as one of the most modern firearms production facilities in the world. The modernization process was continued by the sons Giuseppe (1906 – 1993) and Carlo (1908 – 1984), securing the Company’s multinational character with commercial and production activity in numerous European countries and the United States. These efforts created successful ventures in the military, law enforcement and private sectors.Today, under the leadership of Ugo Gussalli Beretta and his sons Pietro and Franco, Beretta embarks on the 3rd Millennium with the benefit of centuries of experience. That experience, combined with investments in technology, organization and growing product lines, has prepared Beretta for the demands of the global market of the 21st century. Quality Without Compromise. This core value of total commitment to quality was established by Bartolomeo Beretta almost five centuries ago, and continues to be the bedrock of the company today.

Fjallraven built to last


Ever wondered why great design lasts and lasts? The Fjallraven Kanken is now 30 years old and is still going strong.