The number '4' inlaid in gold on the top lever and forend. Someone had a set of 4 Boss guns made?! They must have shot very fast or had some lucky friends.

The bores are clean and shiny, the ejectors are strong. A Best London gun ready for yet another lifetime in the field.

Some history of Lord Savile:

John Lumley-Savile, 2nd Baron Savile Savile-Lumley was the son of the Rev. Frederick Savile-Lumley, Rector of Bilsthorpe, and nephew of John Savile (1818–1896). The latter was raised to the peerage in 1888 as Baron Savile, of Rufford in the County of Nottingham, with remainder to his nephew John Savile-Lumley (later Lumley-Savile). Lord Savile died in November 1896, aged 78 and was succeeded in the Barony, according to the special remainder, by his nephew John Savile Lumley-Savile, 2nd Baron Savile, who in 1898 assumed by royal license the name of Savile after Lumley.[1] After education at Eton, Savile-Lumley joined Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service. He was nominated Attaché at Brussels in 1874, became 2nd Secretary in Athens in 1879, exchanged into the Foreign Office in 1881, and retired in 1889. In the early 1900s he owned about 33,900 acres, comprising the family estates in Nottinghamshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. He enjoyed shooting, fishing, and golf,[4] and often entertained Edward VII at his principal seat, Rufford Abbey.[5] He was a Justice of the Peace for Nottinghamshire and in 1904 was made KCVO.[4] He married in 1894 but his first wife died in 1912 without issue. He married for the second time in 1916; the marriage produced George Halifax Lumley-Savile, heir to the title.[6] Henry Lumley-Savile (1923–2001) was the younger son from the marriage.[7] He died on 3 April 1931 at Rufford Abbey.

What strikes me about this immediately is the beauty, almost overwhelming. I am certainly attracted to the smokey and mysterious dark and elegant wood. When I pull my eyes away from the wood the perfect proportions present themselves to only be pulled into the fine and stunning engraving.

*The dimensions are great for many Americans being near what we all grew up with , 1.5" at comb, and 2.5" at heel. The dimensions almost all American double guns were built too so this gun will automatically feel familiar to many of us and are likely to shoot very well.

We have priced this Purdey extremely attractively and if you see one of our competitors has one for 10K more know there is a 90% chance ours is as good a gun or better than theirs.

*The photo's for some reason (the bright harsh lights I think) make the sidelocks look polished and super bright. In person they are not that way at all. We will attempt so new pictures soon.

Records show the barrels were reduced to 26" in the Purdey shop and choked for close game shooting. Light and well balanced this one you will never let go of once you get your hands on it.

*If the stock extension is not to your style, we can easily remove it replace it with a best English style leather covered pad. This takes three to four weeks is all and allows one to adjust the gun to their favorite length of pull in the process.

The choking is Ben's preferred constrictions, by coincidence (or maybe not as Ben has had a huge influence on my hunting )the same as mine for upland!

My esteemed close friend and helper Jason Bartel at the Great Northern shoot a few weeks ago picked this gun off the table there and shot the main event, putting over a case and a half shells through it. He proclaimed it did not even have one hickup and gave him a very high score. He would like to have the gun but alas he has four children which are not even near college age yet so is not a place to purchase it. If you would like to buy this for Jason, I am sure he would forever be in your debt or perhaps if you purchase you could let him use it once in a while.

All kidding aside, this is a very nice vintage Purdey with great providence and proof of present and excellent reference for future reliability in the field. There is a story from a past issue of Covey Rise which features this fine double. I am in the process of getting a copy.

*In the interest in disclosing all information on this gun, when we got it there was a hairline crack going with the grain on the left side mid-stock. It stopped after about 3". We successfully invisibly repaired it and it obviously is holding up as with Jasons 300 plus shells through it, it is holding strong.

In its original makers case this fine shotgun would make a superb upland gun. I personally would open the right barrel to skeet and it would be ready to go! We can get this done for only $85.00 and quickly.

This gun dates from 1931 when, being between the wars, it is felt some of the best London guns were ever built. A super value on a London best sidelock that would make a fabulous game gun.

*The gun is set up for Skeet with its very straight stock and skeet chokes. The LOP could be made up to 14 1/2" if a pad were added.

*We have priced this gun based only on the gun's features, so we are not charging a dime for the verbal history that goes with it. If you believe you could help me document the story, I would really appreciate it as I am a huge Sinatra fan and would keep the gun and use it for myself! I keep an autographed fan photo of Sinatra in my office which is by me now as I am writing about this gun.

*This gun was made in 1887 so we can ship direct!

This LOP may be to long for some but we can easily arrange for a pad or checkered butt to your LOP.

The gun is tight in excellent condition and needs nothing.

*Note the choking which will put many birds in your game bag. This is almost the exact choking I use in my favorite game gun and gets excellent results and to be honest, I am a mediocre shot at best.

*if stock extensions are not your thing, we can arrange this to be removed and replaced with a leather covered or conventional pad quite easily.

Normally this gun would be in the 6-8K range but due to some very minor surface pitting in places on the action (see the pictures, super minor) we can offer this beauty for only 4600.00. A super London high grade sidelock at almost a boxlock price. For the hunter that wants a high-quality gun that he or she is not afraid to take in the field this is a super opportunity. The gun is super tight and field ready.

After seeing my write up on this gun received this email from our famous hunting/naturalist gun writer friend concerning this gun:

"Wow Kirby, What a beautiful gun. I love Lang guns. You forgot to mention in the write up that it is stocked to the fences and has absolutely perfect chokes for a game gun. Cheers, George"

*At the recent Great Northern SxS event in WI, Travis, our gun photographer used this gun in the main event. He fired 375 rounds through the gun with out even the slightest hiccup. He said the gun felt deceptively light for its weight due to its exceptional balance and shot extremely well.

The leather cheek piece is authentic and in very good condition. No,10183. - John Brigg 11 December 1896

*I love the elegant wood on this gun.

*Completed in 1899.

Completed in England in 1912, the peak of some of England's best gun making.

Overall, this gun is ready to use as is or with some light restoration could be a real showstopper. We are pricing it very attractively in the as is condition. Most Evans sidelocks are in the 4-8K range.

The gold initial shield has a very or special family crest that would worth researching! See photograph of it .

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.

Great dimensions and LOP could be made up to near 14 7/8" or less if a pad were added.

*Check out the very nice wood!

*Early Spring Sale guns have a no return policy unless we fail to mention a defect or serious problem

* I am really pleased to offer this great little 16 as I am finding it very hard of late to find them in the UK. They seem to be drying up!

You many not think you have heard of this English maker, but chances are you have if you know your WWI history. The Vickers machine gun helped win that war and our gun is by the same maker.