In May 2025, John Rigby & Company marked an extraordinary milestone: 250 years of continuous British gunmaking.
Set against the historic backdrop of HMS Victory and HMS Warrior in Portsmouth Harbour, this new film hosted on YouTube captures a remarkable evening that united two national treasures. Rigby’s quarter-millennium of craftsmanship, heritage and innovation was celebrated aboard the very ships that define Britain’s naval and industrial legacy.
The film celebrates a rare moment in time, bringing together Rigby’s craftsmen, customers and global family to celebrate 250 years of gunmaking, Britain’s wider engineering and maritime heritage, and the idea that tradition, when properly upheld, continues to evolve rather than stand still.
From the founding of Rigby in 1775, through the age of sail and the Victorian era of engineering brilliance, and into the modern renaissance of the marque, the occasion honoured not only the past but the people who have carried Rigby forward across generations. Guests were taken on a journey through British history, craftsmanship and imagination, from the wooden decks of Nelson’s flagship to the ironclad might of Victorian engineering.
Reflecting on the significance of the evening, Rigby Managing Director Marc Newton said:
“This celebration was, above all, about our people. Rigby exists today because of the craftsmen and women who take such pride in their work, who understand the responsibility of carrying this name forward, and who care deeply about every rifle that leaves the bench. I am immensely grateful to our team, past and present, whose skill, dedication and belief have ensured that Rigby’s traditions remain alive, relevant and respected.”
As Admiral Lord Nelson once declared, “England expects every man to do his duty.” For 250 years, Rigby has done precisely that.
Watch the video now below or on YouTube and step into 250 years of tradition, upheld and carried forward for generations to come.