Henry Atkin (From Purdey's),
2 Jermyn St, Haymarket, London
12 bore Sidelock Ejector Pigeon Gun
no. 867
Date of manufacture: pre-1895
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
As the top rib and action engraving
of this gun proclaims, 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 Pigeon Gun being no exception.
Atkin's records of this period are very sparse and all we know
is that it was made as a top lever, ejector, Pigeon Gun and at
some time was rebarrelled with 26" tubes. To bring the gun
back to its original specification, we have TIG sleeved the barrels
back to 30", the normal length for Pigeon guns at the time,
and have had Teague Thin-wall Interchangeable chokes fitted. There
are signs that the gun's action was not originally intended to
carry ejectors but these must have been fitted during the manufacturing
process to fulfil the order.
The trigger guard is interesting as it appears to have been purposefully
set over to the left so that, although fully protecting the triggers,
they are easier to access. We suspect that this was a customer's
special requirement for competitive pigeon shooting.
The Chilton locks are of fabulous quality and these combined with
beautiful wood and the Teague chokes make this gun perfect for
the serious target or pigeon shooter.
Presnted in its Leather & Brass case with some accessories
and a reproduction trade label.
WE REGRET THAT
THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN,
PLEASE CONTACT US.
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The Action is of normal late
C19th design and features:
5 x Teague interchangeable thin-wall chokes (IC-Full);
Toplever operating a double bite Purdey Bolt operated by way of a Scott
Spindle with a Scott style top rib extension giving a 3rd bite;
H&H style interceptor sears;
Bar action sidelocks by Chilton;
Double triggers bolted by an automatic top tang safety slide;
Southgate ejectors
and an Anson forend catch.
Gun weight 7lb
Engraving style Best Foliate Scroll. Gold inlaid 'SAFE', Beaded
Fences,
Under-bar engraved 'HENRY ATKIN FROM PURDEY'S'.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½
lbs Rear trigger 4 ¼ lbs
The TIG sleeved steel barrels are 30" 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.
Birmingham 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 |
18.4
(0724")
|
0.727"
|
0.033"
|
Teague Thin-Wall
|
Left Barrel |
18.4
(0724")
|
0.729"
|
0.027"
|
Chokes fitted
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The straight hand stock and splinter forend are crafted from
highly figured walnut. The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed
Gun. It features a vacant, white metal oval, well-defined drop points
and is finished with a 3/4" leather recoil pad. There is a small
wood inlet repair below the LH lock plate. The forend features
an engraved steel forend tip.
The 24 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.
Approximate stock
measurements at date of publication:
Pull to Heel
|
Pull to Bump
|
Pull to Centre
|
Pull to Toe
|
14 3/4"
|
14 7/8"
|
14 7/8"
|
15 1/4"
|
Drop at Comb
|
Drop at Face
|
Drop at Heel
|
1 1/2"
|
1 5/8"
|
2 1/8"
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Cast-off at Comb
|
Cast-off at Heel
|
Negligible
|
1/8" (approximate)
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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;
Scott's top extension patent no. 1902 of 1875;
'Southgate' ejectors patent no. 12314 of 1889;
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872