During his life Winston Churchill defended high-tech weapons, convinced governments to develop tanks, and funded new planes and espionage apparatus. It was a life that required being ready to face down homicidal foes, and his example should inspire all free people to be similarly prepared.
Churchill learned early in his adulthood the value of a concealable handgun. While fleeing capture in the Boer War, he was able to escape because of a sympathetic sympathizer who gave him provisions and a pistol. Churchill kept this revolver and carried it with him throughout the rest of his life.
When he took office as Prime Minister in 1940, Churchill immediately began pushing for advanced military technologies and promoting more sophisticated weapons for British troops. He was able to convince his government colleagues to fund more effective airplanes, tanks and other weaponry that would eventually help win the war.
He also funded a range of other projects to ensure his country had the means to defend itself. This included establishing the RAF, which would be the UK’s primary air force. He also established the Coastal Artillery, which was tasked with developing and building new ships to carry the nation’s artillery.
Throughout his political career, Churchill acquired many firearms, both personally and as gifts from friends and others who worked with him. His personal armoury included a pair of Woodward shotguns, a Mannlicher rifle and several other rifles, plus other weapons relating to his military career.
There’s been a bit of a dearth of information on the guns Churchill owned, but Mark Murray-Flutter has done an excellent job of correcting that. In his book, Churchill’s Guns: A Guide to His Private Armoury, Murray-Flutter delves into Churchill’s remarkable collection of weapons.
In addition to his work in the wingshooting world, Churchill was an author and a gunmaker. He created his own system of instinctive wingshooting and wrote the definitive book on it, which was later revised and updated by a friend, Macdonald Hastings, a renowned shooting coach.
Churchill’s preferred gunmaker was James Woodward & Sons, which later became Purdey. He was loyal to Woodward and continued to use his guns even after the firm’s takeover by Purdey.
The Churchill name lives on today, though in a different way. The eponymous Churchill Shooting Ground is an impressive facility that includes a shooting school, gunmaker, sporting agency and events company. The grounds include 150 shooting stands, three towers, five grouse butts and a multi-sport field. It’s a world-class facility that can train students to become top-notch wing and clays shooters.
A shooting incident that happened near a high school in Louisville has left one person with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening. Police have closed off a section of Fourth Street near Churchill Downs and have temporarily asked people to avoid the area. The incident is being investigated by LMPD. The suspect is still at large. The victim has been taken to a local hospital and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Churchill shooting