With the shooting season now over , spring always makes for a good time to take stock and think about how you ' ll be upping your game for the year ahead and of course ensuring you have only the very best shotgun , so who else to turn too than that favoured by royalty and aptly called the ‘ King of gun makers ’ a James Purdey and sons ..
James Purdey & Sons has been England ’ s authority on sporting pursuits for over two centuries , and is a name universally respected the world over as a maker of the world ’ s finest quality guns .
Established by James Purdey in 1814 , Purdey is one of the most respected and luxurious companies in the world . Patronised by European royalty and nobility , they could claim to have built guns for all nine kings attending King Edward VII ’ s funeral in 1910 and are holders of no less than three Royal Warrants . Since its creation Purdey has played a significant role in the history of gunmaking and are holders of a number of key patents . Today the firm still continues to operate from its central London location of 57-58 South Audley House , Mayfair a building it has resided in since 1883 . The workshop has now relocated to an external premise with the building now the showroom for a dedicated clothing and accessories section on the shop floor , with the main gun room now located exclusively in the building ’ s historic Long Room , which once featured a “ well ” for looking down into the firm ’ s workshop below . With a 50-strong workforce , Purdey ’ s bespoke guns are lovingly crafted by its gunsmiths in a process not changed much in 200 years in fact each Purdey craftsman ’ s still crafts their own tools by hand at the beginning of their five-year
apprenticeships before using them to fashion the world ’ s finest firearms . To create a Purdey gun it takes approximately two years ( 12,000 hours ) per model . Indeed , the process is so careful and precise that Purdey clients are actively encouraged to be part of the procedure so they can understand the complexity of build-ing a shotgun . When making a pair of guns , seven different craftsmen will have worked on them from ; barrelm-aker , actioner , lockmaker , ejector man , stocker , engraver and finisher .
The process begins with a visit to the West London Shooting Ground , where Purdey has been fitting its customers since the 1930s . Various measurements are taken while the buyer uses a “ try-gun ” with an articulated and fully adjustable stock . Back at Audley House a selection of highgrade walnut wood pieces which will become your gun ’ s stock are selected .