In less than two weeks, John Rigby & Co. will mark an extraordinary milestone as Britain’s oldest gunmaker celebrates its 250th anniversary. The setting for this momentous occasion couldn’t be more fitting: the historic HMS Victory in Portsmouth, a symbol of British craftsmanship and innovation that shares its birth year with both John Rigby himself and Admiral Lord Nelson – all three coming into the world in 1758.
A vision born of adventure
The genesis of this ambitious celebration dates back three years, to a jet-lagged conversation between Managing Director Marc Newton and Head of Communications Simon K. Barr while sharing a room at a trade show in America. As Marc recalls, “Simon rolled over and said, ‘What do you think about HMS Victory for the 250th?'” What began as a pipe dream quickly developed into a detailed plan, with the pair spending two hours crafting the bones of what would become an unprecedented celebration.
“When you step aboard, it’s like a time machine,” Marc explains of HMS Victory. “You are instantly transported back two and a half centuries to the sounds, the sights, the smells, the feeling.” This time-capsule quality makes it the perfect backdrop for commemorating a quarter millennium of Rigby craftsmanship.
Shared heritage of British excellence
The synergy between these two British icons extends beyond their common birth year. Both HMS Victory and Rigby guns were crafted by hand from wood and metal, using techniques that have remained remarkably consistent for 250 years. Today, as visitors tour HMS Victory during its own £40 million restoration project, they can observe shipwrights working with chisels and mallets identical to the tools still used by Rigby’s gunmakers.
This parallel continues through their shared spirit of innovation. HMS Victory and HMS Warrior now appearing antique to modern eyes, represented cutting-edge naval technology in its day, just as Rigby’s guns pushed the boundaries of gunmaking technology. The introduction of the Mauser action and proprietary calibers like the .416 and .275 “completely changed big game hunting frankly overnight,” according to Marc.
A celebration of adventurous spirit
The event will bring together 250 guests from across the globe, all members of what Marc affectionately calls “the Rigby family.” The celebration isn’t just about highlighting British manufacturing excellence, but honouring the shared adventurous spirit that connects Rigby’s customers with the sailors who once manned Victory’s decks.
“Our customers are very entrepreneurial types. They’ve got a thirst for adventure,” Newton observes. “Rigby is the hunter’s gunmaker, the adventurer’s gunmaker.” This pioneering spirit echoes that of the sailors who navigated the world’s oceans with “nothing more than a compass and the sun and the stars to steer by.”
An evening of British theatre
More than merely a dinner, the celebration promises to be theatrical in scope. Military bands, pikemen and musketeers, cannon fire, and a fireworks display will transform the evening into a multi-sensory experience. The dinner itself will be served family-style, with hearty period-appropriate fare designed for sharing. “The sharing of food is something which brings people together in a very big way,” says Marc. “Rigby is all about breaking down barriers, keeping things real and family, and the dinner will be a representation of that.”
Guests will dine aboard HMS Warrior, seated at tables named after hunting lore and Rigby traditions – the Kumoan table, the Doctari table, the .416 Rigby table, and Treetops table (named after Jim Corbett’s famous book). Every detail has been considered to create an atmosphere that honours the shared naval and gunmaking heritage.
A legacy preserved in wood
In a particularly poignant connection between these two British treasures, Rigby has secured timber from HMS Victory’s restoration to incorporate into special firearms projects. “We will be incorporating some of that wood into Rigby guns, which will link these two British icons together forever,” Marc reveals, ensuring that the relationship between these quintessentially British institutions continues well beyond the celebration.
Cool Britannia!
This celebration exemplifies what Marc describes as “Cool Britannia” – celebrating the innovation, craftsmanship, and adventurous spirit that has defined British excellence for centuries. “Companies like Rigby, HMS Victory, Spitfires… Britain is a seriously cool place,” he reflects.
For Marc, standing on the poop deck of HMS Victory addressing 250 guests will represent the culmination of a remarkable journey. “Almost 12 years ago, Rigby in the UK was nothing more than an idea in my head… and a box of papers in my car,” he marvels. “To be there with all of these amazing people who have all played their part… to celebrate with us not as a group of individuals but as one unified Rigby family, is something which I think will be the highlight of my career.”
While space limitations mean not everyone can attend in person, the Rigby team promises extensive media coverage, including a film documenting the celebration. “For those that aren’t able to come along due to the numbers that we’re able to accommodate, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to catch up with exactly what went on on the night,” Simon assures.
As Marc concludes, “I know, somewhere up above us now, John Rigby, all the Rigby family who’ve come before, Admiral Lord Nelson, Jim Corbett, and one or two others might be pulling the strings to make sure it goes very well.”
For Britain’s oldest gunmaker, this celebration represents not just a reflection on 250 years of history, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Rigby story.