LONGTHORNE GUNMAKERS – Northampton, Northamptonshire
The Heritage: Founded by James and Elaine Stewart, Longthorne Gunmakers transitioned from a small Lancashire workshop to a state-of-the-art facility in Northamptonshire’s "Formula One Valley" in 2015. Combining high-precision engineering with traditional gunsmithing, the brand is defined by James Stewart’s revolutionary barrel technology - a feat of mechanical engineering that significantly departs from historic multi-component soldering methods.
The Verdict: Longthorne is the only gunmaker in the world to manufacture "mono-barrels" machined entirely from a single 27kg billet of high-specification steel. As the barrels, ribs and chokes are formed from a single piece of metal, there are no soldered joints to weaken or distort under heat, resulting in a gun that is exceptionally straight and possesses negligible recoil. The method of construction allows barrels to be proofed for Superior Steel Shot up to extra-full choke. Every component is manufactured in-house to aerospace tolerances, with final finishing, walnut stocking and custom engraving executed by local craftsmen to ensure each piece is a bespoke, heirloom-quality tool.
Core Products: The 'Renaissance' Side-by-Side, 'Sporter' and 'Game' Over-and-Under shotguns (available in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge), and patented titanium-barreled models.
