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LOT 1420
Exceptional Pair of Alison Hunt Game Scene Engraved J. Purdey & Sons Sidelock Over/Under Shotguns with Cases -A) J. Purdey & Sons Shotgun
- Serial no. 28434, 12 gauge, 28 inch vent rib bbl., blue/ casehardened finish, walnut stock. J. Purdey & Sons is
a standout among the best gunmakers in the world
and could easily be argued as the finest with their guns having found their place in nearly all of the top fine
arms collections in the world. A pair of Purdeys is at the pinnacle of fine arms collecting with this pair a being a wonderful example of their work that would be at home in any collection. Both of the guns in the pair are built with blued steel barrels featuring a single bead sight on the matted flat solid rib which is marked with a gold “1”
or “2” near the base, “J. PURDEY & SONS AUDLEY HOUSE, SOUTH AUDLEY STREET LONDON ENGLAND.” signed on the left side of the upper tube, 1982 dated London proofs, Teague thin walled chokes (none installed or included) marked “tube”, and 2 3/4 inch chambers with automatic
ejectors. The barrels of each gun are mated to a highly attractive casehardened sidelock action with near full coverage scroll engraving surrounding “J. PURDEY & SONS” signatures on either lockplate, “J/PURDEY & SONS” on the underside, and seven circular game bird scenes before spilling off of the action onto the triggerguard, both tangs, and the toplever which is marked with a gold “1” or “2”. The game scenes consist of three individual ducks in flight on the left, a pheasant cock, grouse, and
a pigeon on the right all in flight, and a dove in flight on the underside for gun “1” and three water foul on the
left, a quail, grouse, and wood cock on the right, and a matching dove on the underside for gun “2”. Each gun is signed three times, on the bottom of the game scene and the rear of the scenes on each side “A. L. Hunt” for Purdey engraver and daughter of Master Engraver Ken Hunt. The guns feature cocking indicators on either lockplate, a single gold trigger, right hand rolled triggerguard, and a tang mounted automatic safety with gold inlaid
“SAFE” indicator.