At 15 large, and for everyday use, a hammerless Purdey should, by all means, have some warts. That way, "neither sleet, nor snow, nor poacher's light" and all that rot. If it was in proof, and with a stock that wasn't cracked, just about all else could have been forgiven. What was up?
That said, I've seen a few "bests" over the years that were 'sorta ho-hum. Not sure if they left the plant that way, were worked on by gun stooges, or what. And, then there was Henry Ford IIs matched pair of single trigger, pistol grip Purdeys. Not good. Not good at all.
Best,
Ted