Just plain fun to have in the gun room this behemoth is not a delicate flower but a very likable brut! We have enjoyed having this in the shop to show off but know it is your lucky turn to share with your friends.

*Note the weight and the full and full chokes and that the gun is nitro proofed!

This gun locks up vault tight with excellent Damascus barrels which are nice and bright with only an extremely light frost on the inside. *Note the beautiful Damascus pattern!

*Note the large amount of remaining original case color on this gun indicating it has not seen much use. It certainly is very tight on face. The bores are bright and shiny.

The wood is very pretty and sound and the stock dimensions quite modern and long for the time period.

This is a chance to shoot a hammer double with a famous name at a great price.

*The hammer pulls are butter like, just like on the best Purdey hammer doubles. The bores are bright and shiny with minor pitting places. Note the excellent barrel minimum wall thickness.

*Note the weight well under 6 lbs. .We have some RST 2.5" shells to go with this classic.

* I cannot tell you how hard it is to find nice 16g. hammer doubles like this one!

This is the first English shotgun we have ever had that does not have a wood forend.

This high grade gun dates from 1877 and is in very nice condition with exceptional engraving and wood.

The condition of this super light Purdey is very high with over 90% original case color and blue. What a lovely gift this gun would make to be appreciated and put in the field by another American woman! Check out the Purdey invoice where it lists Mrs. Chapins address as "38 Wall Street, New York" and the bill due was 325 pounds. A large sum for a shotgun in the middle of the great depression between the great wars. Purdey records show:

No. 24625 Completed: October 1932 For: Mrs. C.M. Chapin Description: A lightweight hammerless ejector game gun Weight: 5lb. 14¼oz. Calibre: 12-bore (2 5/8in. Case) Barrels: 26in. Whitworth Choke: True Cyl & Tight Cyl Stock: 13 5/8in. Cross-Eyed Notes: Stocked for right hand/left eye, cast off 1 3/16in. and 2 5/8in. bend at heel Finished with a leather-covered Silver’s recoil-pad, with rounded toe and sides Note in choke book: “open shooting for quail and dove”

1st set of barrels proofed at .729; left measures .733, right .734 2nd set of barrels proofed at .729; left measures .730, right .731 2nd barrel chokes: L Cyl., R Cyl. 2nd barrel wall thicknesses: L .028, R .030 Purdey ledger:

No. 13943 Completed: 3rd April 1891 For: F.W. Hayes Description: A hammerless non-ejector pigeon gun Weight: 7lb. 2oz. Calibre: 12-bore (2¾in. Case) Barrels: 30in. Whitworth Steel Choke: Both Full Choke Stock: 14½in. Notes: Action with third grip and clip sides Intercepting safeties 22nd April 1891: Bend reduced, cast-off increased 29th June 1892: Bend and cast-off both increased 3rd August 1892: “New top rib fitted to match game gun and made to balance like No. 12493, increasing weight to 7lb. 7½oz. 17th June 1893: Bend reduced 2nd May 1894: Bend and cast-off both reduced 15th July 1898: Extra barrels fitted, both Full Choke December 1898: Pulls both made heavier [I have not included any details as the movements are never greater than 1/16in. However, the stock was very flat, bend at heel being around 1 5/8in.]

Our Purdey letter tells us this London BEST shotgun was completed in December of 1885 for Surgeon Major G.F. Pollock. The letter also states that Purdey fitted new barrels to this gun, 12316, in the late 1940's. These are the barrels that are fitted to the gun now and they are in excellent condition. Beautiful bright clean bores with long forcing cones

This shotgun is in outstanding condition, tight on face, and field ready. There is about 30% case color remaining and the blacking on the barrels is in the 98% or better. All engraving, including the name and address on the rib is as crisp as the day it was cut.

*Note the outstanding sculptured leaf fences!

*Note these barrels have been professionally shortened to 28" from the original 30" length for quail hunting. James Purdey Kindly provided us with the ledger history:

No. 19574 Completed: 30th September 1909 For: P.R. Cobb Description: A hammerless ejector game gun Weight: 6lb. 11oz. Calibre: 12-bore Barrels: 30in. Whitworth Steel Choke: Cyl & Mod Choke Stock: 14 7/16in. From the Purdey ledgers: Built to match No. 14052 Later passed to F. Longmans of the Royal Fusiliers 29th July 1920: Both this gun and No. 14052 were purchased from C.J. Longmans 13th August 1920: Resold to Major Herbert Litchfield, Stock adjusted to 14 3/8in. 11th August 1924: Left choke reduced to pattern 160 (Tight Cyl?)

This gun is in outstanding condition with all engraving crisp and the barrel black in near 100% with beautiful bright clean bores.

Pre 1899 so we can ship direct.

*This lovely lady was born in 1896 . *see page 303 "Atkin, Grant, & Lang" by Don Masters.~

Henry Atkin worked for James Purdey before he hung his own shingle and built his fine guns.

*Note the 29" barrels. My favorite barrel length.

If a longer length of pull is needed we can arrange for a leather covered pad to be installed for up to an inch increase in LOP.

* I would like to point out if this stock is too long or short for you we can have a leather covered pad added for a very fair price to fit the gun to your needs.

The condition of this gun is very nice. It features a Purdey style hidden third bite and also the slender Churchill rib which I particularly like.

*Note the great modern stock dimensions.

This gun is tight on face and field ready. A great value in an English sidelock with good stock dimensions and super wall thickness.

This is a very nice example of an English sidelock. It is well balanced and feels great between the hands as any well made gun should.

I did not know much of this maker so I did some sleuthing on internet and actually found quite a lot:

Built between 1901 and 1905 by address's on rib William Atkinson was the son of Joseph Atkinson of Lancaster. He was born in 1851. By 1871 William had joined his father in the business in Lancaster, but in about 1874 he opened his own business at 52 Stricklandgate, Kendal, Westmoreland; in about 1878 this moved to 8 All Hallows Lane. There may have been a branch of the firm in Preston. In 1874 William and his wife (Eleanor b. 1850) had a son, Joseph Harvey Atkinson, and in 1876 another, Arthur Falder Atkinson (both born in Kendal), they both worked in the business as gunmaker's assistants, there were also had two daughters born in Kendal, Edith (b.1873) and Maud (b.1878) who appear to have worked in the business. In 1881 Joseph Atkinson retired and William took over the business in Lancaster re-naming it William Atkinson. In about 1885 the firm moved to 20 Market Street, between 1890 and 1901 they took over the adjoining premises at 18 Market Street. Between 1890 and 1894 the business in Kendal moved to 58 Highgate. Joseph Atkinson died in the late 1890s, and in 1900 the firm Lancaster business was re-named William Atkinson & Sons. By this time the firm had a substantial trade in bicycles. In about 1901 a branch was opened at 11 Skipton Street, Morecambe, Lancashire. This was probably run by one of the sons, it appears to have closed in about 1905. Between 1901 and 1905 the Kendal business became known as Atkinson & Griffin, it appears to have ceased trading in 1925. Between about 1905 and 1909 the firm in Lancaster occupied premises in North Road. In about 1935 the firm moved to 26 Market Street, Lancaster, but the Lancaster business appears to have closed in 1940. In 1955 Thomas Atkinson & Sons was recorded at 19a Stricklandgate, Kendal. Thomas Atkinson was certainly related, perhaps only distantly. The firm appears to have closed in about 1985.

A very sound in proof gun with very nice barrels.

With 12 gauge or smaller inserts this gun might lend itself to be a good gun for the vintager sporting clay course as the weight and stock dimensions are good.

This gun, like the Churchill XXV guns, features the narrow and sleek Churchill style rib. This is a superb value in an English boxlock.

Built in 1938. Note the modern dimensions for rising birds. Pheasant? Sporting Clays! Yes!

*Chokes are tight but can easily be opened.

*Note the amount of original case color. Looking from the breach end the bores look clean bright and shiny. Looking from the muzzle end I see in 6-8 inches some light pitting which could be removed with a back bore but I would not bother as it is very minor.

If you don't care for stock extensions like the one on this gun always keep in mind we can remove this and you can have a recoil pad installed in its place.