James Purdey, 314 ½ Oxford Street,
London.
12 bore Bar-action, Bar-in-wood, hammer gun
No. 8854, No.2 of a Pair
Year of manufacture: 1873
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Heritage
Guns' Comment
This gun represents a great opportunity
to acquire a fine condition example of a sporting hammergun made
by this illustrious maker complete with its 'maker's case and
fine accessories. The engraving is still crisp on the locks and
action, it has a highly figured replacement stock and was re-barrelled
by the maker with Whitworth chopperlump tubes around the turn
of the century.
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 a Bar-in-wood design
and features:
Double triggers; Stanton, bar-action, rebounding locks;
Dolphin hammers; Percussion fences;
Top lever operating a 'Purdey Bolt' by way of a 'Scott Spindle;
Wedge cross-bolt forend fastener.
Case is a Leather and Brass mid-weight,
fitted with card James Purdey & Sons label, new handle and straps
and relined in wool baize. Lock is fully functional and has a key.
Engraving style Best fine foliate scroll. 'Purdey Patent' engraved
on knuckle and 'Patent' on toplever.
Gun weight 6lb 11oz Trigger pulls measure approximately:
Front trigger 3 ½ lbs Rear trigger 4 lbs
The replacement Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel chopperlump barrels
are 30" in length, chambered for 2 ½ " (65mm) cartridges
and are of chopperlump construction with soft soldered ribs. Top rib
is of the smooth, concave, game type. The bores are pit free.
London reproof for 65mm nitro powder cartridges between 1896
and 1904.
Approximate barrel measurements
at date of publication:
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Nominal Proof Size
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Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
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Minimum Wall Thickness
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Choke Constriction
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Right Barrel |
12 (0.729")
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0.735"
|
0.024"
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0.008" (IC)
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Left Barrel |
12 (0.729")
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0.735"
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0.026"
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0.008" (IC)
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Replacement Straight Hand Stock and
original Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut.
The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed shot, features a white
metal escutcheon engraved 'EW' and is finished with a ¾"
traditional leather covered recoil pad. There are light internal repairs
to the inletting at the action bar (invisible from the outside) and
a barely visible inlet within the chequering on the forend.
The 20 lines per inch chequering has been cut
to a traditional design. 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
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Pull to Bump
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Pull to Centre
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Pull to Toe
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14 3/8"
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14 3/8"
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14 7/16"
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14 13/16"
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Drop at Comb
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Drop at Face
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Drop at Heel
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1 1/2"
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1 3/4"
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2 1/8"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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1/16" (approximate)
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3/16" (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:
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867,
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863,
'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865.