Can I buy a Purdey or Holland and Holland on a budget ?

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This short item came along on my cyber feed and despite the fact that it's obviously very British my ears pricked up, but let's face it the answer is "No, you AYA peasant." Still, it shows something about the state of the market or something like that.


Can I buy a Purdey or Holland & Holland on a budget?


Mike George

October 16, 2020

Many shooters aspire to owning one of these famous English guns

Bespoke shotgun from Purdey £132,000


Bespoke shotgun from Purdey £132,000 Credit: Purdey

People frequently say that they’d love to own a pair of Purdeys or a Holland & Holland side-by-side.

What stops many would-be famous English gun owners is either being on a budget that doesn’t allow them to order one from new. Or the lack of a bequest from a fond shooting relative.

So if your budget is in the region of, say, £2000 to £3000 is there any way you could afford a budget Purdey shotgun or a Holland & Holland? Is there anywhere you can buy one cheaply. Or should you forget the dream and go for something less pricey but still offering good performance.


Budget Purdey shotgun?

Caveat emptor – let the buyer beware – is the phrase that springs to mind here.

Your modest bank balance might buy you a used Holland & Holland or budget Purdey shotgun, but it will be old and likely to be worn out after years of enthusiastic use. You can pick them up at auctions from time to time, but to be honest they are past their prime and won’t do you many favours out in the field, even though you could I suppose say you were the proud owner of a Purdey or Holland & Holland.

AYA No.2 28 bore

Built on the Holland & Holland-style nine pin design, the AYA No. 2 is a true sidelock

A better idea

Owning a celebrated English gun is a romantic notion but it would be much better to look for a gun in good condition by another English gunmaker.

There are plenty of good examples of used, hand-made English guns on the market at the moment and £2,000 to £3,000 will buy you a sidelock ejector by a good English maker which is in sound condition.


However, if you are willing to have a non-ejector sidelock then you should get one in excellent condition.

Ejectors are not really necessary for most shooting. English boxlocks are also good value, and your budget will buy you an extremely good one.

Hammerguns are also modestly priced and you could buy a nice hammergun for special shoots and have a modern over-and-under for everyday use.

Second-hand AYA sidelock ejectors are also remarkably good value. It is always best to put your money into a gun that is in good condition. You should also have some shooting lessons with it too, as the instructor will have some useful advice.

Make sure that the gun fits you well and practice mounting with it, so you are ready for success when first out in the field.


This article was first published in 2014 and has been updated.



https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/answers/budget-purdey-shotgun-8291?utm_source=ET&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_term=_
 
It’s why some of us use the expression “buy the gun, not the name”. There are a ton of finely made sidelocks out there. Very few by Boss, Holland, Purdey or Woodward. That doesn’t mean those other guns are obviously lesser guns.....it only means they don’t have one of those four brand names carved into them.
 
canvasback said:
It’s why some of us use the expression “buy the gun, not the name”. There are a ton of finely made sidelocks out there. Very few by Boss, Holland, Purdey or Woodward. That doesn’t mean those other guns are obviously lesser guns.....it only means they don’t have one of those four brand names carved into them.
Click to expand...

Just like buying a Motor Cycle and buying a Harley Davidson because of the brand.
There are plenty to choose from for less money and will do the job very well.
But, if you want a Harley and you can afford it....
Buy the gun, not the brand .
Rob
 
Back in the old days there was a difference between HD and the rest , now not
quite as much .

Honda ( Suzuki , Kawasaki , Toyota ) make a hell of a Harley .
 
As an owner of an AYA #2 28 bore, I can't imagine a corresponding increase in quality in a $200 k Purdey or H&H. In fact, several of my friends have had Purdey o/u guns made for them and I've had the privilege of shooting a couple of them but other than all the skilled manual labor that goes into one, it's hard to see justification for the price over something like a Beretta, Perazzi, Caesar Guerrini, Krieghoff or several others that can be had for a fraction of the price. Great if you have the money and want high quality but as far as functionality goes, your not missing out on much if you can't afford one.
 
skwerl said:
Back in the old days there was a difference between HD and the rest , now not
quite as much .

Honda ( Suzuki , Kawasaki , Toyota ) make a hell of a Harley .
Click to expand...

LoL, my Kawasaki's used to mark their spot with YamaLube R two stroke oil and that was usually out the tail pipes
KH 500 Tripple and a Kh250 Tripple.

Never met a Jap bike that would leak as much as an 'arley and my 2011 Big Twin has developed a shifter shaft seal leak about $800 in repairs for a $5.00 part.
My point was and is there are many choices/brands to choose from.

Easy to drop names (HD, Yamaha/Purdey Lewis,G E ) the problem is choosing what is affordable and reliable, functional and not just a brand.

The Op is thinking Purdey or a H&H and those are 72,000Bp used guns .

Nothing wrong with those two brands and if one has the $$ to buy and use then carry on and git 'er done with a pic report ;)

https://www.englishguns.com/ for some nice guns ...the challenge isnt the money it is the getting them across the pond to their new home with the colonists LoL.
Rob
 
If you want to see a number of English doubles for sale here in Canada, have a look at Trade Ex Canada's web site. Their guns spread a wide range of prices from a few thousand to $15k or so for a Purdey.
And, no, I have no ties to Trade Ex.
 
Having shot a holland royal and an aya #2. Id say the targets didnt notice the difference in the price ranges. Both guns were truly beautiful and handled well. Ill likely not be able to afford a true holland side lock ejector but id love to own one. I think i could settle with the aya for less than 10th the price
 
FLHTCUI said:
Not rally canvasback, just comparing likes of different materialistic items that have large followings to brand loyalists.
I can delete my comments if you like...
Rob
Click to expand...

Rob, I should've put in a happy face after my comment. It reads much more seriously than I meant it. I'm always going off topic. No big deal.
 
It is true that ‘best’ guns were made by many makers, right into the present day. Marketing and pricing triggers aspects of human nature, and we naturally desire what’s outside our reach. While guns equal in quality to the best of Purdey, Boss & Co., Holland, and Woodward were and continue to be made by many, the mystique of these names still attract. There are reasons why the rich and powerful had their guns built by these makers, certainly for the quality, but also for positioning the owner in society, and for the subliminal messaging aimed at those who could not afford them. And the same occurs nowadays with guns, cars, watches, and yes, even motorcycles.

But it’s a shame to discuss the most revered makers without pictures…

Holland gun number 824, made in 1861 for Alan James Gulston of Dirleton and Derwydd, Wales, one of the largest landowners in Britain at the time, and a fabulously rich man. Holland’s premises were on New Bond Street, adjacent to the fashionable Mayfair district, and a few doors from Aspreys, the luxury jeweller.
dK9hFJh.jpg


Holland gun number 963-A, possibly one of a pair, made in 1863 for an unknown owner. In these years Harris Holland (and his apprentice nephew, before he became a partner and the firm renamed as Holland & Holland) made about 30 breech-loading sporting guns a year, long before there was a ‘factory’ production.
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Boss & Co. gun number 2024, built for Charles-Cecil Martyn and delivered in 1863. Martyn had been elected to Parliament but was kicked out when it was determined he had bribed voters...
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Boss & Co. number 2068 built in 1863 for Sir Sandford Graham, 3rd Baronet Graham, Kirkstall, Yorkshire and Edmund Castle, and Captain, Grenadier Guards. His father, the 2nd Baronet, was a close friend and travelling companion of Lord Byron, the English poet, peer and politician.
bp7Ll0b.jpg


Boss & Co. number 2201 ordered in 1864 by Sir John Harpur-Crewe, 9th Baronet of Calke Abbey and High Sheriff of Derbyshire, possibly for his son Vauncey, an avid collector of natural history specimens.
C1rLPVS.jpg


Last is a hefty 10-bore by James Woodward, converted from a Charles Moore percussion pellet-lock gun. Woodward (no. 64) and Boss & Co. (no. 73) were both on St James Street, near St James’s Palace and the location of the most prestigious gentlemen’s clubs.
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Sadly I do not have a Purdey to show today, but I remain ever hopeful one will come my way in this lifetime. Not because it is a better gun, because it isn’t, but for the social history it represents.
 
Again some magnificent pieces Pinfire. I'm particularly attracted to the Holland 824 and love the mixture of heavy engraving in tandem with the unengraved surfaces on Holland 963A. And who could resist that gorgeous Moore/Woodward conversion? As with many on here, I have best guns by Westley Richards, Stephen Grant, JD Dougall, Wm. Moore and Grey and others that are very much the equal of The Big Four in every way and were fully competitive with these makers when they were made.The big four became status symbols of the rich and famous, titled and royalty at a time when this was very important in Britain. The Big Four survived to this day (Woodward is owned by Purdey) and so have been able to sustain their reputation as 'the best', much as Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz with cars. Others make just as fine autos but they do not have the prestige, very important to some people.
 
Steve, came damn close to buying one of those in the late 1980s. But then, test driving it in the countryside north of Oakville, the ridiculousness of an early 30’s me tooling around in a Rolls struck home and I found a similarly ridiculous but more age appropriate ride. A Pantera!
 
I have owned this Purdey bar-in-wood hammergun for nearly 50 years. Its greatest attribute is pride of ownership. I still vividly remember shooting my first ever pheasant with it many years ago. I was fortunate to purchase it at a fair price from a keen long time collector whose greatest concern was not the price, but rather preserving this fine shotgun. I have more than fulfilled my commitment.
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Cow Town Bill said:
If you want to see a number of English doubles for sale here in Canada, have a look at Trade Ex Canada's web site. Their guns spread a wide range of prices from a few thousand to $15k or so for a Purdey.
And, no, I have no ties to Trade Ex.
Click to expand...

Having a slightly increased amount of disposable income, I've had to persuade myself to stay away from Trade Ex Canada, they're just too nearby for my financial safety. But as the days get shorter and darker, my resolve is slipping....
 
I have a Purdey percussion 14 bore in maker's mahogany case. If I were to find the right buyer then would definitely be making an offer on Bill's hammer centerfire gun.
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