In his joint patent application with E. Harrison (of Cogswell and Harrison) on January 29, 1886 for a Vernier and Wind Gauge Sight Adjuster, William Jackman Jeffery described himself as a “Gun Salesman”, and that is what he was!

After a bitter falling out with P.Webley where he was the manager, Jeffery set up business during 1887 at the age of thirty, and was soon in trouble for such devious practices as “recycling” barrels from other makes and representing them as new, by having the original names struck off and re-engraved.

Just how many guns Jeffery made is unknown – it is possible that he made none, preferring to source from the trade. Early on, the Birmingham maker Thomas Turner Jr made most of Jeffery’s rifles, but I have seen one .333 double that has obvious European origins. H. Leonard & Co seems to have been his major source of shotguns, and most his Falling Block actions came from the Belgium maker Francotte, but some came from Webley and Scott and others. They were finished by firms such as Thomas Turner, Richard Ellis, H. Leonard, Webley & Scott and Charles Osborne. He even retailed Sharps single shot rifles.

Jeffery was basically co-ordinator, buying in parts, and sending them out to out-workers for assembly.

Perhaps, his best contribution is as a cartridge designer, his crowning acheivement being the .600 NE, but he played around with most bore sizes, .500 being a notable exception.