doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Thoughts on Purdey non-ejector 12 bore

Ken - you need to differentiate between "London style best" and "best work." The "London" gun is a style (SLE, stocked to the fences, ejectors, no thru-lumps). The "best work" gun can occur anywhere, including boxlocks. I see no reason to be a slave to Brit driven shooting fashion for USA upland shooting. If you are going to shoot a lot of driven or clay flurries, ejectors are handy. If not, they have little utility. Get a copy of Dig Hadoke's new book before you decide, if you have time.

If your heart is set on a "London best," then take care not to sell yourself short. If you want Purdey and utility, then the ejectors are of little consequence.

There's a pretty nice B quality Purdey on Champlin's list currently.

I think this has been said before but "best" varied from age to age. For example, there are best Purdey hammerguns made well into the 1900s because that's what some very high end shooters wanted.

I would certainly not be surprised to find a London best without ejectors up to 1898 (and, as stated above, beyond but that would be an exception).

If the gun is as originally made (or as close as would be expected given its age and normal maintenance but then with a discount), not one of the lesser grades, and in good shape, I would let it join my other London bests.

Competition was fierce by this time in London. If the gun is the top grade, Purdey made it as a best gun. After all, the shooter likely had a loader for that shell kind of thing.

The seller has confirmed this is a best gun.

Then you should decide how you feel about ejectors. If you wish, call Purdey's and confirm the original specs on this gun; part of the mystique.

I'm with SKB on this one. Handle it and see if it has "the feel." At this point in your search, I'm sure you know what I mean.

Special order extractors on a Purdy? Part of the mystique for sure. Buy it and tell the world it is unique and worth more. Jake

If the gun is in good working condition, if it fits you good enough that you think you can hit something with it, and if you're happy with the gun as it is then what other reason do you need? Buy it.

Very few hammerguns were made after the 1900s, and the king of the Ble - Greener's G-guns, all made way for the London pattern sidelock ejector gun.

Now I am confused. This gun has 90% case colors but has been rebarreled. The case coloring is claimed to be original. How can a gun from 1892 still have 90% case colors but the need for new barrels? Does this sound strange?

Ken