Henry Atkin (From Purdey's),2 Bury Street,
St James's, London
12 bore Sidelock Ejector Gun
no. 434
Date of manufacture: 1883




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Heritage Guns' Comment

The Henry Atkin who built this gun did his apprenticeship at Purdey's under his father, also named Henry, who is said to have been James Purdey's first employee. There is no doubt that he learnt his trade well as all guns produced under his name are truly gorgeous, this sidelock ejector being no exception.
Atkin's records of this period are very sparse and all we know is that it was made for a 'Walter Peake' in 1883 and that it was rebarrelled by Henry Atkin Ltd between 1960 and 1971 when they were at the Bury Street address. The gun has also been restocked to a very high standard and it has been suggested that this might have been gone at the same time as the rebarrelling. We are fairly certain that the gun was not made originally as an ejector and was converted to the very reliable 'Southgate' system, probably around the turn of the C19th. The locks exhibit the interceptor sear most commonly used by John Robertson of Boss & Co fame and are of fabulous quality. The beautiful wood combined with the replacement steel barrels make this gun perfect for the serious target or game shooter.
Presented in its relined leather and brass case with some accessories and its original Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd label.

WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.

 

The Action is of normal late C19th design and features:
Toplever operating a double bite Purdey Bolt by way of a Scott Spindle;
Bar-action sidelocks with Robertson style interceptor sears;
Double triggers bolted by an automatic top tang safety slide;
Southgate ejectors tripped by rods running in the action bar
and an Anson forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 9oz
Engraving style Best Foliate Scroll. Gold inlaid 'SAFE', Ribboned Fences.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½ lbs Rear trigger 4 lbs
The replacement steel barrels by the 'Makers are 28" in length, chambered for 2 ¾ " (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed dovetail lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave, game style.
London reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2014.

Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:

 
Nominal Proof Size
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
Minimum Wall Thickness
Choke Constriction
Right Barrel
18.6mm (0.732")
0.732"
0.026"
0.005" (Skeet)
Left Barrel
18.6mm (0.732")
0.732"
0.028"
0.010" (IC)

The straight hand stock and splinter forend are crafted from well figured walnut.
The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed Gun with a lightly swept comb. It features a white metal oval engraved 'T.J.H', well-defined drop points and is finished with finely chequered butt.
The forend wood is most likely the original, features an engraved steel tip and has 2 small inlets to its edge and an inlet between the knuckle and the forend pin.
The 22 approx. lines per inch chequering is cut to a normal sidelock pattern.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based preparation as used on best guns by one of the top English makers. This finish uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre, only many hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.
Well Figured walnut

Approximate stock measurements at date of publication:

Pull to Heel
Pull to Bump
Pull to Centre
Pull to Toe
15 1/4"
15 7/16"
15 3/8"
15 3/4"
Drop at Comb
Drop at Face
Drop at Heel
1 7/16"
1 5/8"
2 1/4"
Cast-off at Comb
Cast-off at Heel
1/8" (approximate)
1/8" (approximate)
(The swept comb results in an approximate cast at Face of about 3/16")

For the purposes of these measurements, 'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8" from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).

Patents Exhibited include:
Roger's cocking levers patent no 397 of 1882,
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863,
'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865,
'Southgate' ejectors patent no. 12314 of 1889,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.