Cogswell & Harrison: Two Centuries of Gunmaking

About this book

Established in 1770 and Londons oldest surviving gunmaker Cogswell & Harrison as the business became known in the mid-nineteenth century has manufactured an extraordinary diversity of sporting guns and rifles during its long and colourful history. In the nineteenth century under the direction of Edgar Harrison the most influential figure in its history Cogswell & Harrison became known for its ingenious innovations in gunmaking technology and numerous patents are listed in the book as evidence of this. Graham Cooley and John Newton chart the changes of fortune that brought great commercial success and some disasters which would have bankrupted many a less resilient company. They discuss the wide range of guns and rifles produced by Cogswell & Harrison including side-by-side over-and-under and single barrel shotguns double rifles falling block rifles bolt action magazine rifles and rook and rabbit rifles. In 1894 the companys Harrow factory was destroyed by fire and in 1922 another disastrous fire completely destroyed its factory in Gillingham Place Pimlico. In 1915 Cogswell Harrison the only son of Edgar Harrison was killed at the companys powder mills at Colnbrook. Yet for much of the twentieth century Cogswell & Harrison prospered at 168 Piccadilly maintained premises in the Strand and for many years a shooting emporium and range in Paris. Today Cogswell & Harrison is making Best guns in a great tradition and faces the future in an uncertain world with confidence. Graham Cooley and John Newton have gathered a wealth of fascinating historical and technical material which will make the book indispensable not only to many thousands of Coggie owners worldwide but also to everyone interested in the general history of British gunmaking.