A gun-making dynasty which began in Birmingham 159 years ago has taken a step closer to returning after a new shop was opened.
Former management consultant Steve Horton has relaunched W. Horton & Sons with a base in Price Street, in the city's famous Gun Quarter, marking the return of the firm after 90 years.
Mr Horton plans to resume gun-making later this year, though in the meantime the firm's shop will be selling shotguns made by existing gun-makers, shooting accessories and clothing as well as carrying out servicing and repairs.
The revival of the 159-year-old family business sees three generations of the Hortons returning to the gun trade, with Steve joined by his father Ken and son Harry, who works there on Saturdays.
The finance expert, who formerly worked in the private equity and supply chain consultancy fields, had hoped to relaunch the business via a crowd-funding initiative but the business has now been reborn thanks to the backing of the Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust and a start-up loan.
W Horton & Son was founded by William Horton in Birmingham's Gun Quarter in 1855.
The business supplied guns to members of Britain's aristocracy among others, including the Earl of Strathmore, Claude Bowes-Lyon – the Queen's grandfather.
The late Queen Mother was also presented with a pair of the firm's shotguns on her 21st birthday.
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Mr Horton, from Rednal, said the aim was to re-establish the business in the city before returning to manufacturing.
He said: "It is coming together. We opened in December and are now busy advertising and trying to get social media up and running.
"What I am trying to do is start with a multi-faceted retail business and then start making guns later this year.
"Part of the market research I did revolved around why businesses don't work. I have seen so many gun-makers start and fail.
"A lot of people who want to start making guns put the blinkers on and don't realise how expensive it is to bring a product to market. They end up with no budget to do the marketing.
"Without the bread and butter it is pointless me making guns, I would have a shop with no guns in it. You have to give people a reason to come and see you.
"I have paid good attention to why other gun-makers failed, including not having enough of a budget for marketing and only having one string to their bow.
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"I am trying to have lots of strings to my bow and all of those together make a fully-rounded business. You can't afford to be a one-trick pony, especially in today's market."
As well as a range of shotguns by established names such as Aya, Arietta, Army & Navy and Beretta, Hortons is also selling old British shotguns sought by collectors and enthusiasts.
The retail outlet builds on a business selling second-hand shotguns Mr Horton had already established. The first Horton shotgun will aim to be the most competitively priced British made gun when it goes on sale.
"I started three-and-a-half years ago and set up in a very small way selling second-hand guns to get into the trade," said Mr Horton.
"I started that way to understand if I was going to reinvigorate a business how it was going to look. I did a lot of market research, which revealed people wanted something in the mid-tier market.
"Some bespoke guns cost a lot. If you buy a Purdey you won't get much change out of £70,000. My aim is to create a full-on English gun at a reasonable price point – it will be the lowest price point in the 海角视频."
W Horton & Sons was forced to relocate to Glasgow as a result of competition in Birmingham's thriving Gun Quarter, which at one point had around 7,000 gun-makers. It was latterly run by William Horton's son Oliver.
"The family ceased trading in 1924, partly due to the fact Oliver had two daughters and it was not the done thing in the 1920s to hand over a gun-making company to women," said Mr Horton.
"He sold the stock, gave dowries to the people marrying his daughters and cleared off to Africa. The name is certainly no detriment but means more to me than anyone else.
"However, I still get people sending me pictures of Horton guns from all over the world. Horton guns are still about and still being used all over the world.
"The Queen Mother had a pair, gifted to her on her 21st birthday, they are probably in Sandringham now."