At their upcoming Modern Sporting Guns auction scheduled for 2nd December 2015 Bonhams will be offering one Purdey self-opening gun and four matched pairs. So for Purdey collectors and for those perhaps aiming for a once in a lifetime purchase of a Purdey self-opener or a matched pair this auction presents an excellent opportunity.
The first gun on offer, pictured above and as the feature image at the head of this post, is a 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector gun by J. Purdey, no. 24110. This gun is offered in a Purdey labelled case and is described as “Best bouquet and foliate-scroll engraving, cocking-indicators, much hardening-colour, highly-figured stock (shortened) with pistolgrip, horn pistolgrip-cap and leather covered recoil-pad, the chopper-lump barrels with game rib engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London, Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s Fluid-Pressed Steel
Weight 6lb. 5oz., 14⅝in. pull (13⅝in. stock), 28in. barrels, approx. I.C. & ¼ choke, 2½in. chambers, London nitro proof
In a leather case with Purdey trade-label”
The gun was made in 1930 for Mr. E. Plaut.
Expected price is in the range £12,000 – £16,000
You will find the Bonhams auction page for this gun if you click here.
The first matched pair are 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey, no. 18430/1
These are described by Bonhams as “A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey, no. 18430/1
Weight 6lb. 13oz. (No. 1) and 6lb. 12oz. (No. 2), 14¾in. stock (No. 1) and 14¾in. pull (14½in. stock) (No. 2), 30in. barrels, both approx. I.C. & full choke, 2½in. chambers, London nitro proof, (No. 1 gun left barrel thickness at 20, No. 2 gun the left barrel-thickness at 16. In their brass-mounted oak and leather case.”
These guns are described by Bonhams as follows “A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons, no. 15824/5.The toplevers and ribs numbered ‘1’ and ‘2’, best bouquet and foliate-scroll engraving, traces of hardening-colour, cocking-indicators, well-figured stocks (shortened) with wood extensions, the chopper-lump barrels with game-ribs engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London, Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s Fluid Pressed Steel
In separate cases, one canvas the other leather.“
These guns are described by Bonhams as follows “A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons, no. 15773/4. The toplevers and ribs engraved ‘1’ and ‘2’, best bouquet and foliate-scroll engraving, cocking-indicators, well-figured replacement stocks, the replacement chopper-lump barrels with game-ribs engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London, England
In a brass-mounted oak and leather case.”
These guns are described by Bonhams as “A fine pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons, no. 25584/5. The toplevers, ribs and forend-tips numbered ‘1’ and ‘2’ in gold, best bouquet and foliate scroll engraving, much hardening-colour, cocking-indicators, the well-figured stocks (No. 1 a replacement) with leather covered recoil-pads, the chopper-lump barrels with game-ribs engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London, England
In a J. Purdey leather motorcase (latch missing).”
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
