James Purdey & Sons, Audley House,
South Audley Street, London
12 bore Back Action Hammergun
no. 12191
Date of manufacture: 1885
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
Throughout its centrefire era,
Purdey has been famous for its well defined house styles: it did
what it did superbly and rarely diverted from its normal designs
and styles. By 1885, the Beesley patent, self-opening, hammerless
sidelock was already in production and the hammergun's heyday
was slowly coming to an end. However, shooting sportsmen have
always been a traditional bunch and many carried on ordering hammerguns
well into the 20th century so Purdey was obliged to humour them.
Contrary to popular belief, Purdey therefore chose to outsource
some of their production to trusted members of the outworking
gun trade and gun no 12191 is a fine example of this business
model.
The gun is in the normal Purdey style of 'Island, Backaction lock'
but there is an interesting difference between this and most of
their other 'Island' locks: the position of the lock's through-pin.
Normally this would be at the front of the lock plate but here
it is located in the very centre of the lock plate. Secondly,
the barrel and action flats exhibit an unidentified trademark
and letter 'C', presumably from the outworker who built the gun.
I have no doubt that the gun was finished, stocked and engraved
by Purdey themselves but the initial auctioning and barrelling
was done by another.
So this gun gives us a fascinating insight into the workings of
the very top of the late 19th century gun trade and with its beautifully
TIG sleeved barrels, lovely wood and excellent dimension, it would
make a fine gun for any discerning clay or game Shot.
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 traditional
hammergun design and features:
Much original hardening colour;
Double triggers;
Back action, 'Island' locks;
Low, rebounding, 'Dolphin' hammers;
Sprung strikers;
Top lever operating a Purdey Bolt by way of a Scott Spindle
and Hackett's snap-on forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 8oz
Engraving style Best fine foliate scroll. Unusual ball shaped
fences.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½
lbs Rear trigger 4 ½ lbs
The TIG sleeved steel barrels are 30" in length, chambered
for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed dovetail lump construction
with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type.
Birmingham reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2016.
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 |
18.5mm (0.728")
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0.730"
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0.034"
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0.012" (IC)
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Left Barrel |
18.5mm (0.728")
|
0.728"
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0.036"
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0.021" (Mod)
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The Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend are
crafted from well figured walnut. The stock is cast-off for a right-handed
shot, features a vacant white metal oval and is finished with a chequered
½" Ebonite butt plate secured with engraved screws. The
forend features a finely engraved steel forend tip. There are small
infill repairs to dents in the upper left horn and lower right horn.
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Well Figured Walnut Stock &
Forend
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The very fine 26 lines per inch chequering
is freshened to its 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
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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 1/2"
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14 3/4"
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14 5/8+"
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15 1/8+"
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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 1/2"
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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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1/4" (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:
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863;
'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865;
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867;
Hackett's forend fastener patent no. 964 of 1878.