For over two centuries, James Purdey & Sons has ranked among the finest names in gunmaking. From shooting champions to English royalty, Purdey sporting arms have been treasured far and wide, and owning a shotgun or rifle from the famed London gunmaker is a dream come true for countless sportsmen, shooters, and collectors today.
When it comes to fit, accuracy, precision, and exceptional workmanship, Purdey shotguns represent the upper echelon of the sporting arms genre. Rock Island Auction Company offers some of the finest vintage and modern Purdey shotguns for sale, including the phenomenal consecutive trio of Simon Coggan game scene engraved 28 gauge Best Quality over/under shotguns featured above and the exceptional pair of S. J. Kelly engraved sidelock double guns pictured below.
Filled with luxury arms from the world’s finest collections, Rock Island Auction Company’s May 17-19 Premier Firearms Auction in Bedford, Texas features exceptional examples from every genre of the sporting pursuit, including Holland & Holland, Boss, Westley Richards, and other elite names in English gunmaking.
Founder James Purdey
Company founder James Purdey received his first apprenticeship in 1798 at the age of 14. Seven years later, his talent and commitment earned him a position with Joseph Manton, arguably the most renowned London gunmaker of his era. Manton stressed the importance of detail in every aspect of armsmaking, with James Purdey later remarking, “But for him, we should all have been a parcel of blacksmiths.”
After working for Reverend Alexander Forsyth, the inventor of the first percussion lock, James Purdey decided to build a business of his own. In 1814, Purdey set up shop at 4 Princes Street, near Leicester Square in the West End of London. Purdey started small, producing only six firearms in his first year of operation. By 1824, Purdey was manufacturing 165 guns a year, including, pistols, rifles, and exceptional double guns like the percussion shotgun pictured below.
Marked serial number 424, this example is one of the earliest and rarest Purdey percussion guns ever offered, a 14 bore double barrel shotgun with a stunning curly maple stock from the 1820s. The shotgun was recently inspected by James Purdey & Sons Ltd, and they confirmed this gun as the only known Purdey in private hands stocked with a spectacular piece of birdseye maple.
James Purdey Expands
In 1826, Purdey’s success led to the need for a larger shop, and the company moved to 314 ½ Oxford Street, formerly owned by Purdey’s mentor Joseph Manton. James Purdey’s reputation led to patronage from some of the most famous names in English history, including Charles Darwin and Queen Victoria.
London’s sporting arm scene was thriving, and Purdey wasn’t the only rising star to get his start with Joseph Manton. Other famous artisans trained by Manton included Thomas Boss, William Greener, Charles Lancaster, and William Moore, all who went on to compete with Purdey in the shotgun market. Boss worked for James Purdey before forging out on his own, and Charles Lancaster supplied barrels for Purdey’s early business.
Purdey Shotgun Evolution
Born in 1828, Purdey’s son, James the Younger, was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. By 1853, the younger Purdey collaborated with his father to invent the express double rifle, and five years later the elder Purdey retired to allow his son to assume full leadership.
James the Younger witnessed immense change in the firearms industry throughout his more than six-decade career. He remained at the forefront of innovation by taking out several successful patents including the Purdey thumb lever and the Purdey bolts locking system, both still used on many double guns today. Combined with the acquisition of Frederick Beesley’s self-opening action and William Wem’s ejector patent, Purdey was able to offer a cutting-edge design for sportsmen that has remained functionally similar since the 1880s.
In 1877, with his two eldest sons, James III and Athol entering the family business, James the Younger changed the company name to the now-familiar James Purdey & Sons. Six years later, Purdey moved to 57 South Audley Street, a storied site with firearms enthusiasts today that continues to serve as company headquarters.
‘The County Gentleman, Sporting Gazette and Agricultural Journal,’ an 1880s title for the British publication that became ‘Land & Water’ magazine, summarized the London gunmaker as follows: “Men do not go to Purdey because they want to economise; they go to him and pay his price with the utmost cheerfulness because they are well aware that by doing so, they will have done for them all the art of smoothbore making can do.”
Athol Purdey was next to take up the company mantle, guiding the business through the First World War and helping develop designs for single-barreled trap guns and Purdey’s first over/under shotgun. Purdey supported the British war effort, and both of Athol’s sons, James and Thomas, were injured during the conflict. Representing the fourth generation of the Purdey gunmaking dynasty, the two brothers would go on to join the firm and help the company shift back to sporting arms production during the Interwar period.
Purdey Shotguns Today
In the 1920s, Athol Purdey commissioned his factory manager, Ernest Lawrence, to develop an over/under shotgun for the company. Purdey’s “Sextuple Bite” over/under action was costly to produce, and by the outbreak of WW2 only 27 had been sold.
The war had devastated the British economy, and sporting arm producer James Woodward & Sons had been hit particularly hard. In 1948, Charles Woodward, grandson of company founder James Woodward, approached Thomas Purdey to explore the possibility of Purdey acquiring his floundering company. Needing a new over/under action, Thomas eventually obliged.
After a few modifications from Harry Lawrence and his younger brother, Ernest Jr., the Purdey Over and Under was born. The model has remained in production ever since, with the consecutive trio of small bore Purdey over/under shotguns offered by Rock Island Auction Company this May representing the pinnacle of one of Purdey’s most popular shotgun designs and is a true rarity in the genre of elite sporting arms.
In 2014, Purdey celebrated its bicentennial. As one of Britain’s oldest and most revered heritage brands and the sole London gunmaker with three Royal Warrants of appointment to the British royal family, the legacy of James Purdey & Sons is unrivaled. When it comes to blending old-world craftsmanship with modern innovation, Purdey shotguns and double guns remain the epitome of extravagance for today’s sportsmen, shooters, and collectors.
Purdey Shotgun Prices and Values
Gun prices have experienced a remarkable uptrend in recent years, including the luxury sporting arms market. Both classic and modern Purdey shotguns are prized for their rarity, artistry, condition, and provenance, with high-end examples sold by Rock Island Auction Company testifying to the prestige and investment value of these exceptional objects.
With only 30 to 50 individual orders taken by Purdey each year and a production time upwards of 12 months for a highly personalized shotgun, collectors willing to set aside customization can obtain a top-tier, heirloom quality Purdey at auction without the wait.
Purdey Shotgun Quality
Purdey shotguns are the definition of bespoke. Each piece is custom-tailored at every level, from barrel making, actioning, stocking, finishing, fitting, and Purdey’s world-renowned engraving. Thanks to the company’s exclusive lineup of hard-metal engravers, Purdey shotguns display some of the finest artistry of any luxury collectible.
The matching pair of Purdey shotguns pictured below exhibit exceptionally coin finished self-opening sidelock actions with extensive deluxe Purdey rose and scroll engraving. The scrollwork extends to the toplever, triggerguard, with both the upper and lower tangs adding to the elegance of the guns. When it comes to a marriage of artistry and engineering, this example demonstrates Purdey’s marquee quality in every detail of their trade.
No two individual Purdeys are exactly alike, and while finding a matching pair of Purdey shotguns like the pair above is exceptionally rare, a consecutive trio is an absolute holy grail in sporting arms collecting. Each of the three immaculate shotguns pictured below feature an exquisite brush bright finished action with masterfully cut broad leafy floral scrollwork.
A different game bird scene adorns the underside of the action on all three pieces, each displaying the skill of the engraver, Simon Coggan, arguably one of the most talented artisans to ever wield a hammer and chisel. All three shotguns have highly figured and double line bordered multi-point checkered forends with matching engraved bright fittings, truly a tour de force in the field of pinnacle shotgun making.
Purdey Shotguns for Sale and More
Purdey is more than a luxury shotgun maker; they’re an international icon. From hand-laid, deep-finished walnut to intricate engraved scrolling, Purdey sets the standard. Each gun forged from the workbenches of Purdey is a masterpiece every sportsman aspires to own, and you can find the finest Purdey shotguns for sale at Rock Island Auction Company.
From benchmark condition examples to pieces marked by a lifetime in the field, Rock Island Auction Company’s May 17-19 Premier Firearms Auction offers an immense selection of classic and modern sporting arms. If you’re looking for a bounty of master engraving, inlaid precious metals, handsome wood grain, and sought-after special features, May’s auction is can’t miss event for hunters and collectors of every aspiration.
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