Hunting dogs, fine firearms, and enjoying both.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 10th, 2013
Last week I put up this post about shooting a James Purdey & Sons .303 double rifle. I had a lot of questions about that rifle, and I wanted to share some more pictures of it with you. I also snapped some pics of a Holland & Holland double rifle that I saw the same [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 8th, 2013
James Purdey & Sons is one of the world’s most famous gunmakers – and for good reason. They’ve been making some of the world’s finest rifles and shotguns for almost 200 years. This video is an interesting look inside the company. It’s good, but long (1 hour and 30 minutes). To make it easier to [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 2nd, 2013
Here’s an as-good-as-it-gets, best quality James Purdey & Sons double rife. Of the 30,000+ firearms that Purdey has made, fewer than 400 of them have been hammerless double rifles. The one you see here is .303, snap-action underlever, made on a Beesley action and in excellent original condition.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Sep 1st, 2012
Henry Atkin, Sr, used to be one of the big boys of the London shotgun trade. Coming from a family of gunmakers, he learned his trade at Purdeys. In 1875 he went out on his own and by 1890 he was doing so well that he moved to Jermyn Street–a prestigious part of town . He [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jul 23rd, 2012
Just like humans, double barrel shotguns have evolved tremendously through the years. The new side-by-sides and over/unders that we see today have benefited from decades of this refinements, and for every design that has made it into the 21st century, many more have have disappeared. Frederick Beesley’s “Shotover” is one of the forefathers that went extinct. Very few [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on May 24th, 2012
James Purdey & Sons has made a lot of shotguns. Since Purdey the Elder started the business in 1814, his company has turned out 30,000+ shotguns and rifles. This is one reason why you see so many Purdeys on the market today. While this one looks like many of ones on the market today, there [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Apr 9th, 2012
Here’s another lot at Gavin Gardiner’s April 18th Spring Fine Modern and Vintage Sporting Guns that caught my eye. Lot 179: Henry Atkin self-opening 12-bore sidelock ejector, N0. 3296 Catalog info: 29-inch chopper lump barrels with 2 1/2-inch chambers, about 1/4 choke boring, the frame, locks and top lever with border engraving and retaining much original hardening colour, [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 6th, 2012
In England, 12 gauge shotguns rule. That’s why it seems like you’ll see a dozen or more 12gs for every 16g or 20g double barrel you come across. And because many of the smaller-gauge guns were made for smaller people, these side-by-sides often have shorter barrels and stubby stocks. That’s not the case with this [...]
