The Gordon Riots of 1780 began when Lord Gordon, head of the Protestant Association, led Londoners on an anti-Catholic protest that turned violent and became widespread rioting. Gun makers, in an attempt to keep firearms out of the rioters hands, sent their weapons to the Tower of London.
The Tower was the headquarters of the Ordnance Office, a government body in charge of small arms production. They would receive requests for weapons from recognized purchasers, make contracts with the various parts manufacturers, and deliver the weapons, stamped, in order to account for their distribution.
The influx of weapons sent over during the Gordon Riots filled the armory in the Tower of London. When the Ordnance Office was offered an additional five thousand guns from a foreign manufacturer a few months later they realized they had a problem on their hands: Should they purchase these weapons in order to keep them out of unwanted hands? If they did, would the English manufacturers take issue with the purchase and themselves arm opposing forces?
One solution was to open up additional warehouses. The Ordnance Office refused to follow through with this plan and instead shut down all orders, straining their relationship with gun manufacturers who so recently had shown their willingness to support the Office during the riots. The gun manufacturers had no choice but to wait until the Office decided they needed more weapons since their contracts with the government offered the most sure path to wealth.
