doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Morphy auction prices / results

From what I saw prices were very low. Now I have bot looked at the American / European guns but the English guns seemed to continue on a downward spiral.
Any comments?

The pair of Purdey's (vintage 1929) with 30 inch barrels of excellent wall thickness and restocked to beautiful wood with 15"LPP that sold for 30 grand plus buyers fee demonstrates all that you had to say; not to mention that the David Sinnerton (two pairs) of 20 bores did not sell--the single 20 bore did.

I would like to know who owns those Sinnerton guns and put them up for sale. I doubt that he has made more than 20 guns in his name.

The jewel of the sale was the Watson Bros. O/U with Ken Hunt game scene engraving.

I wonder just how big the market for matched pairs really is, and surmise that it's shrinking all the time, maybe at a faster rate than for single vintage doubles. If I'm right, lower prices for them are to be expected rather than be a surprise, Purdey's or not.

SRH

From what I understand right now the economy in GB is much more depressed than ours is. Covid shutdown has hurt a lot of people here and there. Is there even going to be any driven shoots this year?

And demand for side by sides is in free fall for all but the best. Look at the prices on box locks. Our field grade guns were 500--1000 five years ago while in GB they were that much or greater. I see a lot of field grade guns listed for sale there for 100-200 pounds. Half or a third of what they were five years ago. And I do not see a bottom in that market.

Five years ago Holt's Auction would have almost every gun go for the high estimate or more. Last several auctions a lot of stock went unsold and more stuff just made the minimum estimate. Is it the economy, declining interest in side by sides in their market and the increasing cost of importing guns? All three I think. Several guns I have bought cost as much to ship as to buy. Even combined, they cost is reasonable if you choose wisely.

Here in the GB the market for s/s guns is dead in reality,younger people mainly come into shooting via clays and are only interested in O/U guns,usually wanting new rather than s/h.
The shooting press compound the situation by promoting heavy load cartridges for game shooting which are totally unnecessary for the type of birds most people here shoot but boosts the ego of the tyros!!!!
You must have 30" minimum barrels and 11/8-11/4oz of 4 shot nowadays,despite most people still shooting 15-30 yard birds!!!
It is a puzzling situation we have arrived at........

A further factor to add to those already mentioned that may be playing a part in decreasing prices for British side by sides here in the UK is the ongoing phasing out of lead shot and its perceived limitations in a 2 1/2 inch chambered twelve bore.This perception may change with the development of 2 1/2 inch steel and bismuth /tin /zinc cartridges . In the majority of walk and stand shoots a 30 yard bird is a good bird which is within the capability of the the new non lead cartridges.
It may also be the case that dealers are loathe to add to their stock while the economic effect of the Covid pandemic is unclear.
While it is true you can get a better value side by side for your money than an over and under, especially if you shop privately rather than through the trade ,I do not see vast amounts of good quality side by sides at ridiculously low prices..
As Imperdix says younger shots and those entering the sport having first shot clays tend to buy an over and under as their first gun with the result that average condition average priced predominantly Spanish side by sides are trading at lower prices.
Bargains can be had when people who bought a nice side by side and have maintained their gun well ,perhaps having shot on few occasions ,decide to retire from the field and and decide not to renew their shotgun certificate. As a result some nice old English boxed boxlock ejectors are put on the market where there is no huge demand and the prices achieved reflect that.

Stan, there is only one thing better than a Purdey is two Purdeys.

I'm not so sure. I'd raise you one Purdey and a Holland - or maybe a Dickson.

But a pair of Purdeys would certainly be a strong hand.

A David McKay Brown round action ,side by side and over and under, and a MacNaughton bar in wood ordered from John Dickson would be a nice mix of practical and elegant.

There appears to be some money in the Amoskeag auction this morning. Billinghurst muzzleloaders went for decent money so far and a 4 bore H&H just sold for $6k but that seems maybe a little low. I'm not sure how to evaluate that one.