John Rigby & Co. has an eye on the future with the appointment of a new apprentice gunmaker

London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has appointed a new apprentice gunmaker as the company looks to the future, preparing for continued expansion and preserving niche gunmaking skills for future generations. Joshua Dunbar joined Rigby as an apprentice gunmaker in October 2021 and is based at the company’s Pensbury Place workshop and showroom in London.

Joshua is the first apprentice to join the newly launched Rigby Academy, which will see him try his hand at all the different specialisms of gunmaking during a structured five-year training programme. Joshua has already shadowed gunmakers specialising in stocks and metalwork and hopes to have the chance to try his hand at engraving in his spare time. While working at John Rigby & Co. is Joshua’s first foray into the world of gunmaking, he is more than at home in the workshop environment having worked alongside his goldsmith father since the age of 14.

Joshua commented: “I am very happy to have joined Rigby as I believe they are the best bespoke rifle makers in the UK and beyond. I’m finding the apprenticeship very interesting and it’s certainly pushing my ability as a craftsman to reach new levels. One of the projects I’m working on now is my first gun maker’s hammer, which I hope will be by my side in the workshop for many years to come.” 

Rigby managing director Marc Newton added: “Joshua’s appointment is fantastic news for Rigby. We are seeing continued growth and plenty of orders coming in, and project that we will need more gunmakers in the future as that trend looks set to continue. It’s also satisfying to see the first apprentice joining the Rigby Academy training programme, an initiative I feel is essential to ensure the niche skills involved in gunmaking are preserved for the future. I look forward to seeing Joshua make progress and learn to work to the exceptionally high standard we demand at Rigby.”

To learn more about John Rigby & Co., please visit: www.johnrigbyandco.com