Opening the Door to Crockart & Sons
On a narrow side street in the quaint town of Blairgowrie, sits a rather unassuming stone building bearing the name “Jas. Crockart & Son” with a tagline of “Gun & Fishing Tackle Makers.” First off, gun shops in the rather firearm-unfriendly United Kingdom are fewer and farther between these days, but what they lack in numbers is more than made up for in quality.
Crockart is not “just” another gun shop. In fact, the Crockart name was once synonymous with some of the finest Scottish-built double shotguns and target rifles. I must have been standing in awe and admiring the shop’s walls lined with long guns, taxidermy, rubber boots, and tweed outdoor wear, as Jamieson quipped, “It’s not a museum; you can help fill up that machine,” as he pointed toward the cash register.
Indeed, he is correct; this is a well-stocked, full-service sporting shop. However, it’s anything but ordinary, with a story that dates back farther than most any in the United States.
The History
James Crockart, born in 1817 with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the outdoors, opened the doors to his first gun shop in 1852 in the same town where we find the brand today. Over his lifetime, Crockart built fine sporting and target rifles and shotguns, among many other creations. Himself an award-winning marksman, Crockart used his firearms to claim countless trophies, with his rifles proving to be some of the most accurate out to 1,000 yards even 165 years ago.
Several of his six sons followed in his footsteps, taking the reins upon the elder Crockart’s passing in 1896. The earliest firearms are marked simply “Crockart,” with latter models indicating the addition of “and Sons.” Though the Crockart family is no longer tied to the store, Jamieson carefully maintains a stunning collection of memorabilia from those early days, evidenced by countless receipts, newspaper clippings, ledgers, and photographs he shared with us.
“I feel as though I’ve been here since 1852, but not quite,” he says with a chuckle, though his passion for the brand, the products, and the rich history shines through with everything he does. Jamieson shows off stacks of news clippings proclaiming awards won over a century ago by Crockart rifles. Astute shooters will quickly recognize the name Farquharson, but Crockart was more than holding his own in the same competitions with his own piece, known then as the Blairgowrie Rifle. That meant shooting distances out to 1,000 yards with muzzleloading long guns.
From documentation at the shop describing the early rifles, the bore was thought to be “much like a pentagon” with the very narrow lands and “five elliptical grooves, not very deeply cut … with a wavy appearance with the crests or points toward the projectile.”
Unfortunately, Mr. Crockart never patented his advancements, so it’s difficult to define exactly what could have been done in his own name. Though that design may not have garnered mass appeal, the company’s shotguns and rifles continue to have a stout following among collectors and shooters alike.
The Guns
Walking into the Crockart & Son gun room reveals a wall lined with fine double shotguns dating back over a century and half, many bearing the Crockart name. Jamieson’s sharp memory quickly recalls stories about many of the guns as we carefully handle each. Crockart masterminded exquisite designs on double rifles, muzzleloaders, boxlock actions – you name it from the era, and he likely built it.
There’s one that came to Jamieson in a box of parts and was meticulously restored, one that Jamieson had proofed and hunted with recently, and another that was built in the 1850s for the gamekeeper of Ballindalloch Castle where we hunted only days earlier. An extensively engraved thumbhole action reflects the precision engineered quality of hand-fit arms. The history is palpable and lends an incredible sense of the lore not only of the shop, but of Scotland, and all those hunters and shooters who have gone before, carrying these same guns, walking through these doors.
Jamieson points out that due to some of the UK’s increasingly stringent firearm regulations, more and more of their fine firearms are being sold into other countries. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d find some the rarest Crockart rifles in the United States,” he says with a hint of sadness. Though Jamieson continues to do his best to acquire any Crockart firearms that go up for sale in the UK, he’s only one man. As for me, I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for the Crockart name on used racks and online sites like GDC in the future.
Related: Blimey! Traveling to the UK with Guns
Believe it or not, though, it’s not all doom and gloom in Scotland. Hunting remains a much-pursued pastime in Scotland, with opportunities aplenty. From driven hunts to the more revered “stalking,” tweed-clad gentlemen and women regularly head afield in search of red deer, more commonly known as stags, as well as roe deer. Perhaps even more common is the pursuit of game birds like pheasant and grouse, clearly indicated by the racks of scatterguns at Crockart.
The Shop Today
Though it has moved locations several times over the previous 170 years, Crockart & Son retains its old-world charm. The brand is not currently building firearms but does offer one heckuva selection not only of Crockart-built guns, but firearms from antique to modern.
What’s more, Jamieson oversaw the company restart production with a limited run of Crockart shotguns in 2002, though the heyday of the name is surely in the rear-view mirror. That said, Jamieson maintains the quality of the age-old gun building craft by leading a full-service gunsmithing shop. His knowledge of correct restorations and repairs is second to none. Believe it or not, the focus is not only firearms.
In the early days, as Jamieson explained, the Crockart family worked together as a multi-faceted shop for discerning sportsmen and women. They hand-tied fishing flies, offered taxidermy services, loaded cartridges, and stocked all the related gear for outdoor adventures. That spirit is alive and well today.
Jamieson’s fervor clearly lies in the gun room, but he also stocks top-quality hunting apparel, waterproof boots necessary in Scotland’s notoriously soggy terrain, and plenty of fishing gear, too. Don’t forget that the country is home to an outstanding Atlantic Salmon fishery, with fly anglers including King Charles III plying their trade in local rivers. No trip to Scotland is complete without a stop at Crockart. And be sure to shake hands with Jamieson, whose dry sense of humor and rich knowledge of firearms is sure to enhance every visit.
What’s Next?
What will become of Crockart & Son after Jamieson retires remains to be seen. Though he’s talked about selling for years, there’s no doubt the shop wouldn’t be the same without him, if it would even continue at all. But for now, he’s quite content to be the caretaker of a most honorable store, firearms namesake, and Scottish institution.
Spending even just a few hours in such a place left us with a feeling of nostalgia, along with, of course, the desire to return home to the U.S. and find those hidden gems in out-of-the-way shops, or even in the Guns.com Collector’s Corner.
Likewise, that also makes one wonder which brands we’re buying today that will stand the test of the next 150-plus years to be known not only as survivors, but works of art, collector pieces, and darlings of the next generation? Unique firearms like those from Crockart open the door to stories and people that warm the heart and make hunting and shooting the joy it is.
