Purdey Doucle Rifle Dream

[CTDolan]

My favorite, of everything (except perhaps caliber). Jones underlever, Beesley self-opening action, Purdey rose and scroll, luscious wood, 1902 vintage, etc. For the money, it's an incredible rifle (at any price it's an incredible rifle, but at $38,500, in my mind, it is an absolute steal).

http://www.sitemason.com/page/ciafgA

 

[CTDolan]

Chambered in 450/400, she'd tick ALL the boxes!!!

 

[Brent in Az]

Handsome rifle!

 

[James.Grage]

I just read about a man of distinction that ordered 9 double rifles from Purdey...

He also had another another maker building another 9 double rifles.... i am thinking Boss (?)

Nice double rifles

 

[CTDolan]

At about $200,000 per (entirely likely), that's $3,600,000 in rifles. Insane.

 

[CTDolan]

In my opinion, he's ordering the finest SxS and O/U rifles on the market. Add a set of Westley Richards' droplock and David McKay Brown round action rifles, and that's all the bases covered, thoroughly.

George Hoenig has a rather interesting (and bull strong) round action as well, but it is of course very non-traditional.

 

[Brent in Az]

How does Purdey compare to H&H.? Just curious. I know they are all rich man rifles

 

[CTDolan]

It's really a matter of personal preference. I happen to prefer the Purdey aesthetic, and the Beesley self-opening action (Holland and Holland uses a traditional sidelock action, generally in the form of a back-action sidelock for the rifles, as it results in a stronger bar).

Traditionally, Holland and Holland has been the better known of the two, with regard to double rifles (it being more their speciality), but of course James Purdey is fully capable of bringing about the same, to full effect (and has, all the way up to 600 NE).

 

[Pondoro]

CTDolan...that is a beauty.. For some reason Purdey made double rifles well into the cordite era with Jones underlever, I have seen one in .500-465 that came out of Kenya to Sweden many years ago. The workmanship on these rifles are just fantastic...I would easily pick a Purdey over a H&H. Buy it if you can...its a steal..!

 

[matt85]

"shooting the British double rifle" lists the bullet diameter at .366"-.369" with a weight of 300gr and a velocity of 1950fps. according to the book you should be able to get 286gr 9.3mm (.366") bullets to regulate at 2060fps from a Purdey double.

it would make one heck of a close range PG rifle!

-matt

 

[CTDolan]

Pondoro, I think the reason they did is that it's a fabulously strong design. The largest such I've seen, from the Purdey workshop, was a 577 NE (the 3", full-on load, elephant crushing load).

Matt, it's a splendid little cartridge. The only issue with I have with it is that it's rather rare, all the way around.

 

[matt85]

Bertram makes brass (make sure to order the Purdey version) and Woodleigh makes a nice 286gr RN SP bullet.

-matt