Purdey Trigger Plate Sporter

This latest, all-London-made iteration of Purdey’s over-and-under is the gunmaker’s response to a collective interest in sporting clays. Superlatives are in order, says Michael Yardley

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THIS test gun is a splendid beast, a 31inbarrelled, 8lb 9oz, James Purdey & Sons over-and-under. Designed as an upmarket clay crusher and named accordingly, the Purdey Trigger Plate Sporting Clays Model is built on the new, all-London-made Purdey trigger plate action (which appeared in prototype form in 2016). Purdey continues to make a mechanically similar, but slightly less refined, over-and-under in collaboration with Perugini and Visini (its major action parts and monobloc are machined in England, sent to Italy for assembly before returning to the Purdey factory for proof, Teague chokes, finish and regulation).

The new London sporter costs £62,000 plus VAT. It combines CNC and spark erosion manufacture with many hours of traditional bench work. The lines are elegant and there is the usual excellent Purdey detailing, lustrous blacking and perfect surface finish on all the metal parts as well as wood hand oiled with ‘slacum’. There is tight scrollwork on the sideplates and belly of the subtly rounded action body executed by in-housemasters. The action is silver finished (colour hardening is an option, too) with blued pins.

The specification includes a detachable triggerlock, non-selective single trigger (with a selective trigger being developed), non-auto safety, extended trigger guard, a ventilated, raised, parallel (9mm), rib, a high combed stock with a steel capped full palm-swell pistol grip (a Monte-Carlo stock is also offered). The fore-end is of a pleasing rounded pattern with a front button release. Following the latest back-to-the-future fashion, the gun is set up for felt wadded cartridges with a .728in bore diameter and short (¼in) forcing cones. Flush Teague chokes are standard with extended and ported ones available as options.