26-Aug-2026
Few names in British gunmaking carry the weight of W.W. Greener. While London houses like Purdey and Holland & Holland command the headlines and the six-figure price tags, Greener represents something different: serious, honest Birmingham craftsmanship that working shooters could actually afford. If you’ve been searching for a W.W. Greener shotgun for sale in the UK, and our listing data tells us plenty of you have, this guide covers what makes the marque special, why the Greener GP has such a devoted following, and what to look for when buying one today.
A Birmingham institution
The Greener story begins in 1829, when William Greener established his gunmaking business, later moving to Birmingham where his son William Wellington Greener built the firm into one of the most prolific and inventive gunmakers of the Victorian era. W.W. Greener the younger was as much an evangelist as an engineer; his book The Gun and Its Development remains one of the most influential works ever written on firearms, and the innovations that came out of the St Mary’s Works were adopted across the industry.
The most famous of those is the Greener crossbolt, a top-fastening system that locks the barrels to the action with a transverse bolt through an extended top rib. It became a byword for strength, copied and licensed by makers across Europe, and it is one reason vintage Greeners have survived a century of hard use in the field. The company also produced everything from humane dispatchers to harpoon guns, alongside boxlocks and sidelocks that competed with far more expensive names.
The Greener GP: A working legend
Ask most UK shooters what “Greener” means to them and the answer is usually two letters: GP. The General Purpose, a single-barrel 12-bore built on the Martini falling-block action, is one of the most distinctive shotguns ever made in Britain. Adapted from the military action that armed the Empire, the GP was simple, virtually indestructible, and cheap to make. It became the keeper’s gun, the farmer’s gun, the wildfowler’s tool: kept behind the kitchen door, dragged through hedges and salt marshes, and passed down through generations.
That utilitarian history is exactly why the GP has become collectable. Survivors in good order have a rugged charm that no modern gun replicates, and the Martini action is a fascinating piece of engineering in its own right, cocked via the underlever, with no external hammer to snag. Later guns were also produced under the Webley & Scott umbrella after the firms came together, so you’ll encounter GPs with various markings and specifications on the second-hand market.
What are W.W. Greener shotguns worth?
Greener values span an enormous range, which is part of the appeal. A well-used GP remains one of the most affordable routes into classic English gun ownership, while a best-quality Greener sidelock in fine condition sits in another bracket entirely, competing with respected London and Birmingham names. Between the two sit the firm’s boxlock non-ejectors and ejectors, the classic game guns, where condition, originality and bore dimensions drive the price far more than age.
As with any vintage English gun, the details matter. Guns with original case colour, crisp engraving, good wall thickness and barrels free of pits command a healthy premium. Sleeved barrels, re-lapped bores and refinished stocks are not necessarily deal-breakers at the right money, but they should be reflected in the price. Because values vary so widely with condition, it pays to compare several examples before committing; browsing current W.W. Greener listings on Rightgun.uk is a good way to calibrate what the market is actually asking.
Buying a Greener second-hand: What to check
Most Greeners you’ll encounter are seasoned veterans, so a methodical inspection is essential. Check the action is tight on its hinge, with no perceptible movement between barrels and action when closed. On crossbolt guns, confirm the bolt still engages fully; it was designed to take up wear, but a gun that’s “off the face” needs a gunsmith’s attention. Look down the bores in good light for pitting, and ask for wall-thickness measurements on any older gun; many Victorian and Edwardian barrels have been honed over the years.
Pay attention to proof marks. Older guns may be in black-powder proof only, or chambered for 2½-inch cartridges rather than modern 2¾-inch loads, a crucial point for the ammunition you plan to feed it. Nitro-proofed guns with 2½-inch chambers are perfectly usable with the correct cartridges, which remain widely available in the UK. Our general guide to buying a second-hand shotgun covers the process in more detail.
On GPs specifically, check the falling-block action closes crisply, and the underlever locks up without slop. The design tolerates neglect remarkably well, but a rusted action or a cracked stock wrist will cost more to put right than the gun may be worth.
Who should own one?
A Greener suits several kinds of UK shooter. The heritage enthusiast gets a genuine piece of Birmingham gunmaking history with a story richer than almost any competitor. The rough shooter and wildfowler gets a tool that was designed for exactly that work; a GP with tight bores will still account for pigeons and rabbits as effectively as it did a century ago. And the collector gets a marque with enormous variety, from humble single-barrels to exhibition-grade sidelocks, most of it still undervalued relative to the London names.
They also pair naturally with an interest in other classic English guns; if the style appeals, it’s worth exploring AYA’s Spanish-built sidelocks, which carry the traditional pattern forward at accessible prices, or stepping up to Holland & Holland territory at the top of the market.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Greener GP still legal to use in the UK? Yes. The GP is a conventional Section 2 shotgun, held on a standard shotgun certificate like any other 12-bore, provided it retains its original configuration and passes current proof requirements.
What cartridges does an old Greener take? It depends on the individual gun’s chambers and proof. Many older Greeners have 2½-inch (65mm) chambers, so check the proof marks, or have a gunsmith check them, before buying ammunition. Never fire modern high-pressure loads through a gun proofed only for black powder.
Are W.W. Greener shotguns still made? The Greener name has survived in various forms and limited quantities, but the guns you’ll find on the UK second-hand market are overwhelmingly from the firm’s Birmingham heyday, roughly the 1870s through the mid-twentieth century.
Is a Greener GP a good first classic gun? Arguably the best. It’s simple, strong, inexpensive to buy and easy to understand, an ideal introduction to vintage gun ownership before moving on to doubles.
Find your Greener on Rightgun.uk
Whether you’re after a working GP for the foreshore or a boxlock ejector with its case colours intact, the right example is out there. Browse the current W.W. Greener shotguns for sale on Rightgun.uk, set up an alert for new listings, and if you have a Greener gathering dust in the cabinet, listing it takes only a few minutes; there’s a dedicated audience of UK enthusiasts searching for these guns every week.
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