An historical romance
Rachel Draper talks about her love of English guns, gunmaking and how lucky she feels to be involved with these things on a daily basis
It is a fair bet that somebody who was brought up in the countryside would be interested in guns. This is certainly true of Rachel Draper. Her path less travelled was eschewing university, despite academic achievement, to pursue this love of guns, although unrequited at the time.
So, Rachel started work instead. Her first job was at Orvis, the country clothing retailer, but her career path changed significantly when her father encouraged her to apply for a job at William Evans in St James’s, London, a long-standing figure in the London Gun Trade, established in 1883.
It was not the first time her father, Simon, a livestock auctioneer, had been an instrumental influence on Rachel’s shooting life and now career.
Best laid plans
Rachel had accompanied her father, a keen shooter, on game days regularly as a child. She was charged with looking after the family gundog, a rather portly black lab called Poppy. It did not always go to plan.
“She was the nicest dog you could meet, but… she would retrieve one bird and then look at me as if to say, ‘you go and get it’. She even started picking up other Gun’s birds from their pegs as it was less far to walk.”
Not a talent that endears a gundog or handler to the other members of the shoot, which Rachel describes as being “very traditional. It was an old-school shoot; all men. I grew up thinking ‘it’s a man’s sport ’.”
But it did leave an impression. Rachel said she remembers fondly the elevenses, the hospitality and the socialising, meeting lots of interesting people, one of the aspects of the sport that she still enjoys today.
A family move from Warwickshire to Oxfordshire and her teenage years saw Rachel estranged from shooting. “At secondary school I distanced myself from country pursuits as all of my friends lived in towns and had no concept of rural sports.”
Then came the uncertainty that many experience as their school days end, and shooting beckoned again.
“When I left sixth form I didn’t know what to do. I felt lost. I just knew university wasn’t for me.”
Feeling down and despondent about the future, her father took her clay shooting to cheer her up. “I enjoyed it so much and felt a real confidence boost each time I hit the clay.” He also gifted her a Beretta Silver Pigeon 20-bore that very same day and from here Rachel’s mind was set, shooting was something she wanted to be involved with in a big way. When she landed the job at William Evans , aged 19, things really came into focus for Rachel and her love of guns, particularly English guns, burgeoned. Her job as a sales associate and helping in the gunroom there immersed her in the history
and traditions of the industry.
As she puts it: “In London I was surrounded by more traditional guns. I got deeper and deeper into shooting and I learnt more about the trade.”
Family sport
Rachel participated in a few game days every season, no doubt encouraged when her father said she could have the No 2 gun of his pair of William Powell Phoenix over-and-under 16-bores. She said her father was passionate about shotguns and always wanted to talk about them, which definitely had an effect on Rachel but not so much on her brother, Edward, although he’s “a very good shot. Annoyingly.”
She ponders when asked if there is such a thing as a ‘naturally good shot’. She says having lessons is “always a help”and will equip you with the basics but “being calm is a good skill; it’s a mental thing”.
She continued her shooting education at Atkin Grant & Lang, the Hertfordshire-based gunmakers, before moving on to her current job at William Powell.
Passion
During this time Rachel’s passion for English guns developed. “The beauty of English guns is the history behind them. They are made by craftsmen of a different era. Each gun has a story to tell.”
One of those craftsmen is Ian Sweetman, Rachel’s partner, who she met through her work. Ian, a Sporting Gun contributor and former employee of Purdey, has set up his own gunmaking business, IS Sweetman Gun & Rifle Makers. Rachel describes him as having a “huge impact on my life”.
Rachel’s job at William Powell and Ian’s business mean the pair have less time out in the field than they would like. But they take whatever opportunities they can, occasionally being lucky enough to receive invitations from friends and still often sharing a day with Rachel’s father.
When in the field, Rachel will be in possession of her FT Baker shotgun, Birmingham-made, circa 1930. She describes it as a “beautiful side-by-side 12-bore. I wouldn’t trade it for a Purdey or Holland & Holland. I pick it up and it feels totally effortless.”
The draw to shotguns such as her Baker is the craftsmanship involved and the heritage they represent, “I like guns but I love gunmaking; the romance and history.”
Her love of the old values extends to being out in the field, “the traditions of the game day and the etiquette that goes alongside”. She recalls how Nick Ridley, the Sporting Gun writer, made a comment that really resonated with her, stating that he remembered “pretty much every bird he’d ever shot”.
Rachel’s favourite form of shooting is driven and she recalls a recent visit to Shropshire, where she experienced a “very enjoyable day” with Lloyd Fox of Fox & Co, the bespoke gunmakers, a perfect example of quality shooting over quantity. “I only shot two birds. They were challenging. I normally shoot in the Cotswolds, which is flatter.”
Her aim is to continue to immerse herself in her career and the traditions of the sport, and to continue writing articles about the history of gunmaking and her experiences.
“The gunmaking industry has allowed me to create a life I am very grateful for; offering a lot of opportunities and meeting some exceptional people.”
“They are made by craftsmen of a different era and each gun has a story to tell”