http://www.neaca.com/Double%20Barrel%20Firearms.html

this is probaly the most fancy 45-70 ever

BOOMie, that rifle has been re-bored to .458 cal, and chambered for 45-70! It was origenally a 400NE 3" or "400 Purdey straight" loaded with 47 gr cordite and a 230 gr lead bullet.

If you will look closely at the proof marks, the 45-70 2.1 is stamped over the origenal proof marks. IMO, the seller is insinuating that this was made , chambered for 45-70 by Purdey, in 1930 and it certainly was not, again, IMO!

It is a beautiful rifle, but it is certainly not origenal!

For clarification he clearly states the gun was originally a 400 as built by Purdy and shipped to Rodda. He clearly states he does not know either when or where or who rebored and rechambered the gun. He does state the gun was built by Purdy in 1930 which it undoubtly was. Don't know how he could have been more honest.

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Originally posted by zimbabwe:
For clarification he clearly states the gun was originally a 400 as built by Purdy and shipped to Rodda. He clearly states he does not know either when or where or who rebored and rechambered the gun. He does state the gun was built by Purdy in 1930 which it undoubtly was. Don't know how he could have been more honest.

Zim, you are absolutely correct I simply didn't read far enough down the text, and stopped at the quote below, and started examining the pictures.

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We have just bought this super and wonderful James Purdy & Sons Double Side by Side Rifle in .45-70 caliber manufactured and finished by Purdey in 1930. It is in as new condition, in its' proper leather case and with Purdey accessories.

This rifle is very close to one sold about a year ago at Christie's. Purdey, originally 400,made in '24, rebored to 45/70, engraved by Ken Hunt. That one had leopards on both sides and very nice it is, too. In this case, it had belonged to the Maharaja of Baroda, passed to the M. of Jodphur. Bought in about '75 by Paul Roberts at Rigby and re-bored and re-finished by him. Marked "Re-bored by Rigby" on the barrels and has the Gaekwar name (M.'s of Baroda) on the barrels. Shoots very well and just about the perfect pig gun. Paul told me he did this with a bunch of guns, so they were probably in the same lot. I wonder what it went for.

I'm not positive, but I think this may have been the same gun that Champlin's sold a while back. It was also a lovely Purdey .400 rebored to .45/70. George had it priced at $22,000. There was a string on it here and everybody thought he was crazy.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

It's not to late, it's available at Cabelas.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun...sp?hierarchyId=10473

The one George had didn't have the Hunt inlays, so there are a fair number of these out there. This jives with what Paul said. $45K for this one....that's a bit. The one at Christie's went for about $20K at the then current rate of exchange, I think.

Amazing. It isn't the same rifle. I found the old thread. George's didn't have the added Hunt inlays, but was otherwise the same. Reproved London, 1975, and this one was done in 1977. Serial numbers 24,000 and 24065, so both probably made in 1930. Rebores, the added Hunt inlays...these have Paul Roberts written all over them. $45 freakin' thou. Sorry, but non-original Hunt inlays don't enhance value that much!
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

That price is out of this world. Wow. Especially when you can't tell what is original and what was added when.

NEACA describes the bear on the engraving as a grizzly - it is a black bear.

The inlays do add a lot of "pimp" value to the rifle. Be a good rifle for defending your meth lab...

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Be a good rifle for defending your meth lab...

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:
That price is out of this world. Wow. Especially when you can't tell what is original and what was added when.

NEACA describes the bear on the engraving as a grizzly - it is a black bear.

The inlays do add a lot of "pimp" value to the rifle. Be a good rifle for defending your meth lab...

Touche!

These were originally .405 caliber (400 Purdey 3" Whatever) and now are rebored to .458 caliber and regulated for 405-grain bullets. Must have some very thin barrel muzzles now! It weighs 8 pounds now, maybe a few ounces more when it was a .405 caliber double. That would have been nice as it was before the rebore.

This loss to the world could have been worse.

If they had been .395-caliber barrels made by Purdey prior to the 1920's it would have been a sin indeed. The very thought is SACRILEGE!!!

What a flippin' waste. A 45/70 in a Purdey is like a Versace gown on Rosie....jorge