Purdey BEST 16 Bore- 30″ WHITWORTH STEEL, 6LBS, LETTERED, PROVENANCE

Some guns are bought for the name. Best guns are bought for what they still are.

This 1889 James Purdey & Sons 16 bore is not a safe queen. It is a remarkably honest London Best game gun, built on the Beesley action, fully documented by Purdey, and still configured much as it was when completed on December 6, 1889.

Serial number 13449 was built as the second gun of a pair for the Vicomte de Montrieux (The Vicomte de Montrieux was a 19th-century French aristocrat and nobleman who is primarily recognized in historical records for his documented ownership of bespoke firearms), with a vicomte’s coronet engraved in the silver oval at the toe line. That provenance gives the gun historical interest, but the real appeal is more practical: this is a 6 lb. 2 oz. Purdey 16 bore with 30″ Whitworth steel barrels, cylinder and light modified chokes, 2 1/2″ chambers, mirror bores, and excellent minimum wall thickness of .035″ in both barrels.

It is hard to imagine a more fitting configuration for a classic walked-up bird gun. The 16 bore, 30″ barrels, open right barrel, light modified left barrel, extractors, and light weight exemplifies a gun intended for shooting over dogs rather than formal driven work or display-case ownership. Even today, those specifications make immediate sense.  Most bird hunters prefer extractors so as not to litter the field, light weight for easy carry, and chokes that won’t shred their birds.

The gun’s condition is exactly what many seasoned double-gun buyers hope to find and rarely do. It shows honest use over more than 135 years, yet remains tight, centered, mechanically excellent, and fundamentally unspoiled. The engraving remains sharp and clear. The screws are excellent. The highly figured stock and forend are solid, with age-appropriate handling marks and the original fine, flat-top checkering showing light wear rather than modern restoration. The barrels remain in proof, the ribs are tight, and the bores are bright and mirror-like.

This gun is also supported by unusually interesting Purdey workman detail. The Whitworth barrels were made by E. Hodges, the action by Tysall, the stock by H. Dean, the finishing by J. Apted, and the engraving by J. Lucas in the classic Purdey rose-and-scroll house style. The locks were made to the highest standard by John Stanton’s Wolverhampton firm, as was typical of Purdey guns of this period.

The case is a period leather case and is not original to the gun, but it fits well and suits the character of the gun.

For the buyer looking for a pristine, modernized, high-condition London gun, this may not be the right Purdey. For the buyer who understands the finest workmanship, originality, provenance, and field purpose, it is far more compelling. This is a documented 1889 Purdey 16 bore that has survived honestly, remains mechanically superb, and still presents as what it was built to be: a best-quality game gun for serious days afield.