In London 1957, Anthony William Rule joined the firm of James Purdey & Son as a young, enthusiastic and willing Lad where he served his formal apprenticeship in the fine art of gun making, under the watchful eye of his Master Mr Harold Delay. Anthony's skills shone as a master gun stock maker and he completed his apprenticeship with James Purdey & Son, The Worshipful Company of Gun Makers and gained the Freedom of the City of London in 1964. In 1967 the Rule family moved to the South West of England to begin a new life in the country. After working from a spare bedroom at their family home Anthony soon began to expand and the journey began. Having true loyalty to his firm, Anthony continued to work almost exclusively for his former company, James Purdey & Son. Later, he was commissioned by many of the fine London Gun Makers including John Wilkes Gun Makers, Holland & Holland Gun Makers and Boss & Co Gun Makers to make bespoke shotgun stocks and forends including many new guns for the above also. After many years of developing his cliental base, Anthony decided he should serve his own private customers and offer them the same London quality at an affordable price and delivery. He designed and built his own workshops, once again at his family home, which became very successful in the years that followed. Anthony's son, Gareth officially joined in 1996 after many years as a boy helping his father. Anthony guided his son through a gruelling apprenticeship, teaching him only the traditional methods of gun stock making, ensuring that all aspects of the company were covered thus giving Gareth a wide knowledge and skill base. Gareth completed his apprenticeship in 2005, not only with the praise of his father "his Master" but also with The Worshipful Company of Gun Makers and The Gun Trade Association. Together they formed a formidable team with the trust and respect that only a father and son can have. The company expanded and they both strived to succeed, opening a workshop together in Somerton in 2004. Suddenly Anthony passed away in the winter of 2010 leaving his widow Jennifer and only son Gareth to continue the family business as he would have wished and spent all of his working life creating. Gareth now serves as Director and Master Gunstock Maker and has expanded the business to a new premises in 2021, to develop the craft of gunmaking for future generations.
