doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Minimal barrel thickness and Boss & Co Guns

Only Dig would take his Purdey ferreting!

Joe - here is a trick to watch out for - see a gun in a showroom or being sold by someone - the bores look pretty clean except for one or two smallish pits.

You think to yourself 'I'll get those taken out no problem' and see the gun as a bargain. When you buy it, take it home and measure it, you find the seller has already lapped it out to very close to the limits of that proof size and if you take another thou' out you take it out of proof and make it illegal to sell.

I have seen guns sold by well known dealers ten yers ago that selers have brought to me with a price expectation, only to find the bores close to proof max - they had paid top dollar for a 'pristine' gun.

One poster stated something to the effect "If it is proofed at .729 and it is still .729 with XXX barrel walls, it is original." I disagree. A thin wall gun, in proof, may have been struck many times to get as thin as it is. Dig would know much more than I about this situation, but, in my opinion, many thin wall guns in British auctions got that way from the outside.

Most unlikely that walls have been drastically reduced from the outside - the reason for reducing thickness is usually pits that have to be lapped out. External rust is rarely as much of a problem.

Caveat emptor

This gun presents us an interesting market lesson. The market is usually willing to pay about $12,000 for a "restored" Purdey; BV1-OQ1-CC5. Yet this gun brought near $40,000! Why? I'd be very surprised if it is not in the Purdey books as an Extra Finish gun. That would set it substantially apart. The action and engraving are in very good condition; unusual for a gun ready for restoration. In this case, "restoration" is much more than cleaned-up and reblacked barrels, refreshed and regulated lever work, put tightly on-face, recut checkering and refinished wood. This gun has "good as" quality new barrels and wood. The work is by known craftsmen. So, the market now believes this gun has the value of a pristine original of the 1890ish to 1960ish time frame. Don't confuse this gun with a typical refinish/restoration - it is much more.

Because of your utter lack of knowledge combined with constantly misinforming readers here. You apparently haven't learned a thing in your past 5 years of board foolishness.

I think you may be the one with thin skin for having once again been shown to be a troll and poseur.

It was I who said it and generally, guns are not restruck externally. I disagree with your premise.

Somethings afoot, and your on edge about it - musta hit a nerve - so sorry eh!
Say, this isn't one of those soft ended oval bores?

Thin bores and chopped barrels can make people nerve'y