GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
KING ALPHONSO OF SPAIN'S TRULY SUPERB BARRE RELIEF ENGRAVED PURDEY HAMMER PIGEON SHOTGUN WITH CASE AND FACTORY LETTER, SUBJECT OF RECENT ARTICLE IN "DOUBLE GUN JOURNAL".J. PURDEYSXS HAMMER PIGEON1939512GACASED W/ACCESMODERN; C&R(1909) Cal. 12 ga. 2-3/4" Chambers. 32" Chopper lump bbls with slightly concave matted pigeon rib, are engraved "J. Purdey & Sons. Audley House. South Audley Street. London." and "Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth's Fluid Pressed Steel" on tops. Bbl flats are stamped with London nitro proofs for 2-3/4" chambers. Bottoms of bbls are stamped "CHOKE" with SNs and bbl makers initials "W.H" (Bill Hill). Tube numbers "53217" and "53218" are on loop. Robust bar-in-iron top lever action is fitted with rebounding bar locks with flat faced serpentine hammers. Action also features hidden third fastener, side clips, and dbl triggers (front with "spring blade" meaning articulated). Action and locks are engraved in baroque style by noted French engraver, Magloire Aristide Barre, whose family worked for the French royal mint. All engraving is in high relief and consists of full coverage large open scrolled acanthus with floral highlights. Some scrolls terminate in mythological beasts including Griffin heads on lockplates and satyrs on fences. Other highlights consist of masks and torsos, with a superb greenman on bottom of action and Medusa mask on trigger guard bow. A female torso is on top lever and other smaller masks are at tips of lockplates and on trigger guard tang. Because of this extensive engraving the Purdey name and address along with SN are engraved on water table (Stated in factory letter). Very fine intricately marbled and beautifully stump figured European walnut straight grip buttstock measures 15" over Silver type pad, and features classic drop points and flat top grip checkering. King Alphonso's crest in gold is inlet on toe line. Splinter forend with Anson release has more superb engraving with masks on iron and forend tip. Actioners initials "AR" (unknown) are on the interior of the iron. Bore diameter: left -.730, right - .731. Bore restrictions: left - .031 with .001 recess (full), right - .033 with .001 recess (full); (This is standard Purdey boring for pigeon guns. Recess giving superb tight patterns with a hot center). (Factory records indicate "both fullest choke".) Wall thickness: left - .029, right - .027. Drop at heel: 2-1/8", drop at comb: 1-7/16". Cast approx 1/4" off. Weight: 7 lbs. 15 oz. LOP: 15". Period, possibly orig, oak and leather case with shaped brass corners has indecipherable embossing on top. Case is lined in scarlet cloth with gold embossed black leather Purdey label in lid, and contains a pair of snap caps, square oil bottle, and 2-pc cleaning rod, all Purdey marked, and relatively new. PROVENANCE: Factory letter with specifications and notes, copy of ledger page. Copy of note regarding new bbls. Copy of page from Purdey's "The Guns and The Family" quoting Tom Purdey as saying that King Alphonso was "one of the best friends Purdey ever had" as he ordered many pairs of guns over the years, and hundreds of thousands of cartridges from Purdeys; these orders continuing throughout the first World War. Barre information from THE FIELD article from 5/2016 titled "Beasts on the Beauties". DGJ Summer 2017 with article "A Gun Fit For a King, King Alphonso's Purdey" with many photos. CONDITION: Very fine, as partially refinished. Factory records indicate new bbls were made in 1923 to "shoot as well or better than old bbls". These bbls retain nearly all of what appears to be an old re-black over some light pitting, with some subsequent marks and flecking. Action retains approx 70% of what appears to be its orig black finish with high points pleasingly silvered giving added depth to superb engraving. Buttstock retains most of what appears to be its orig finish with oil rubbed in over the years as maintenance with many marks and knocks. Newer pad does not fit particularly well at toe due to cracked plate. Checkering considerably worn. Forend wood possibly replaced at time of re-barrel, as it is rather plain. Checkering worn, but not as much as grip. Bores are excellent. Action is tight. Bbls are on face. Locks are fine. A soft guard or bumper at rear of trigger guard bow, is possibly orig. (Factory records indicate "padded guard".) Case leather is considerably darkened, rubbed and stained. Straps are fair to good. Newer handle is good. Renewed interior cloth is excellent with some slight soiling. New label is excellent, as are accessories. A truly stunning hammer pigeon gun. It is not uncommon for live pigeon shooters to use hammer guns today, because of their absolute reliability. 52661-1 MGM295 (60,000-100,000)