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Not that I'm buying one, just taking advantage of your knowledge. I've had this photo of a (German?) double for a while and there are several things that I do not understand. click for larger  1- What is the small lever above the safety? Someone told me it might be a barrel selector, but I can't understand why a selector when it's a double trigger rifle?? 2- This is supposed to be a sidelock, why aren't the pins showing on the locks? 3- What is that empty cut space on the quarter rib? Scope mount of a sort? Thanks | ||
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1. After looking at it again, that is a safety lock. It is in locked position now. Move it to the right and it allows the safety to be slid to the on position. 2.Might be a false side lock. Possibly it is a box lock with decorative side lock plates. 3. The rear sight dove tail cut out. If you notice the gun doesn't have a rear sight installed that is where it goes. | |||
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The sideplates may actually have pins in them if you look closely. If you look just above the left tusk on the central elephant, I think you will see a small circle. Similarily, if you look just in front of the left eye on the left elephant you will see another faint circle. I think these are pins. I can't find any others in this photograph. A clever engraver can just about make the pins disappear. Also, if you look just below the water table adjacent to the standing breech you will see a banner with what appears to be the words "J. Purdey & Sons". If this gun is in fact a Purdey, I can guarantee you it is a sidelock! | |||
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WOW! Very good eyes you have there!! Now I can see the pins and the name. Good engraver indeed to hide the pins like this. From what I hear about Purdy this thing must be at least $50,000  | |||
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It isn't German. I can't read the name, but it looks like a Purdey sidelock. That particular rib extension and third bite are what Purdey uses on their double rifles. Definitely British, and not recent. Clearly visible on the water table just forward of the front lump is London's famous crown over V "view" mark that was used for 300 years. It was obsoleted with the new rules of proof in 1954, and hasn't been used since. click for larger
It's variously called a "bolted safety", or "stalking safety". It's intended to prevent the safety being inadvertently disengaged. The lever must be pushed to the right, and the safety then pushed forward in order to fire.
It could be a pinless sidelock, or the pins could just be well disguised in the engraving.
It's the dovetail for the rear sight. ------------------------------------------------ "Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder." Thanks[/QUOTE] | |||
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Yes. For about 2 weeks rental of it. If it's a Purdy, I can't imagine you could even consider it for anything near 50K. Anyone know more certainly? I wouldn't have any specific knowledge. | |||
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Purdey had two unfinished .470 sidelocks at SCI. I looked at them briefly, and chatted with Peter Blaine for a while, but didn't ask the price. Someone told me later that it was $230,000. I don't know if that's right or not. That would have to have been for a single rifle, as it isn't enough for a pair. ----------------------------------------------- "Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder." | |||
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The rifle is in fact a Purdey sidelock. The rib address is J. Purdey & Sons South Audley Street London England. I cant say about this particular rifle but one that I know of sold for $285,000.00 USD recently. Dirk Schimmel D Schimmel LLC Dirk@DoubleRifles.Us 1-307-257-9447 Double rifles make Africa safe enough for bolt guns! | |||
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I don't think anything comes out of the Purdey shop for less than 6 figures. 50K might make a deposit - if they knew you! | |||
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You are kidding right? A Rolls Royce Phantom costs less than that.... Hell, my own house isn't worth that much!! | |||
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H2oboy don't know nothun bout double rifles. Cept a one time he stole two of em rifles from a Wal Mart.   I don't personally know about the Purdy H20 is speaking of but I've held a .600 NE H&H at the H&H booth in Reno that had a $310,000 price tag on it. Some of these rifles are serious big boy toys! | |||
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I've been researching since yesterday and was told on another board that Mike Weatherby in the US sold a Purdy 600 several years ago USED for $395,000 What would that cost new in today's money? Half a friggin million??24 hours ago I was under the impression that no gun is worth over 50K, now I'm hearing numbers that equal the GDP of a small nation  I'm going now to take a dump on my Sako  | |||
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JP577 Do not quote me on this but I have been told that Peter Hofer sold a rifle for $1,000,000.00 USD. I was told this by a friend of mine in Germany who has done some work for him. I do not know any details other than this, but thought you might find it interesting. Dirk Schimmel D Schimmel LLC Dirk@DoubleRifles.Us 1-307-257-9447 Double rifles make Africa safe enough for bolt guns! | |||
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Welcom to the forum JP577. you might like to look at some of Peter Hoffer's outher work. http://www.hoferwaffen.com/hofer_1.php?lang=en I think it's fun he has a shopping basket on his web site just like Midway..... Bill Member DSC,DRSS,NRA,TSRA A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -Mark Twain There ought to be one day - just one – when there is open season on Congressmen. ~Will Rogers~ | |||
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Is THIS Purdey a "screw-grip"? Jack OH GOD! {Seriously, we need the help.} | |||
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Hi Jack. That Purdey has a third "bite", Webley and Scott and WC Scott guns are known for their the Screw grip (they also made for many other makers). My guess is that the gun in question may have been engraved by Wes Tallet? and would be about $250,000. BR Outshooting2day | |||
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The engraving on this Purdey looks to me like the Brown brothers. It is also my understanding that their going rate for this deep relief 3-D engraving starts somewhere over $150,000. | |||
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QUOTE] I'm going now to take a dump on my Sako [/QUOTE]LMAO | |||
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Purdey has a fully engraved 470 Sidelock (they do not make boxlocks) at their site listed for about 95K, pounds not dollars. Right around $200,000. And, before you faint, check out the H&H site. They have a couple of 'plain' (as in not Deluxe) Royals listed for about the same price. Now if I was going to shell out that kind of coin, and I am not, I'd go with the Purdey. First, Purdey builds far fewer DRs than H&H, with shotguns being their primary focus. New or 'used' you will see twenty H&Hs at auction for any one Purdey DR. That means, second, they will always bring a better return down the line if one purchases as an 'investment.' Few or these rifles ever get used these days (no matter how much 'stupid money' you have, are you going to take a quarter million dollar rifle out to get scratched going through the bush or, God forbid, dropped?) So if you buy to invest, buy the Purdey. Last, and this may bring a howl of disagreement from some, Purdeys are a bit better built and finished IMHO. Not that H&H builds garbage, but the very, very limited production of DRs at Purdey is a function of the time and care used to build them. This shows even on the older rifles. I am the current custodian of a 1900 built Purdey hammerless snap lever in 303. 107 years after it was built, and first used (yes, they used to shoot them back then, and so do I now) it is tight, 'on face' and the bores and chambers as new. The engraving and wood are still stunning. So buy the Purdey. Hey, its cheap if you have enough disposable income. I don't but perhaps you do. :-) Dave | |||
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The rifle in question is in fact a James Purdey 577NE, serial number 29755, made in 1998 and engraved by the Brown brothers. You can see the other side of it on page 162 of "British gun Engraving" book. The selling price was £335 (roughly $655). It is considered to be one of the most beautiful rifles made by them, thus it is featured in their catalog (right click and save as) here.
I will have to agree with you on this. An expert on the subject, Terry Wieland, says this on page 262 of his wonderful book "Dangerous Game Rifles":
Then he goes on to describe that bolted lever and how "working" rifles in the hands of PHs do not need it. He started the book by saying he will not discuss Purdey rifles because they are very few and made for the lucky extra wealthy, thus not really common with Africa's professionals. HTH. | |||
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Either somebody has a photo mislabeled or that gun sat around at Purdey's as a proven barreled action in the white for 43+ years before it was finished. The proof marks don't lie. The gun in the photo was proved prior to February, 1955. ------------------------------------------------ "Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder." | |||
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Dnovo, Welcome to the forum. I think you are verey fortunate that your bores are in such great shape. I have seen several in 303 that were really bad as some one had shot a bunch of corrosive ammo and not cleaned them properly. My friend had one in his shop (I don’t remember the maker) that was so bad it grouped into about 15+ inches at 50yards mostly key holing. He had it rebored and regulated to .375 flanged mag. I was told it would now do 2-21/2 at 100. Bill Member DSC,DRSS,NRA,TSRA A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -Mark Twain There ought to be one day - just one – when there is open season on Congressmen. ~Will Rogers~ | |||
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There are a lot of rifles ruined by corrosive primers, not just the 303s. The former owners of my Purdey clearly knew how to take care of the rifle as the bores and the rifle as a whole is great. I have several Lee Speed and other early British sporting 303s, and have passed on far more than one which had bores that looked like sewer pipes. Ditto for some other early military weapons. Dave | |||
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