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The rifle is an absolute show stopper and an excellent example of Purdey’s
dedication to creating some of the finest guns and rifles in the world,
a personal pursuit of theirs for over 200 years. This long lineage of fine
gunmaking has seen many changes from flintlock, to percussion, and on into
the cartridge era, always at the forefront of modern technology and style.
Rifles like this .500 Nitro Express double are not often offered for public sale
and would usually require a multiple year long wait. Skip the line and take
home this masterpiece of British fine gunmaking that will be a centerpiece in
any sporting arms collection.
The exhibition quality rifle was built with steel chopperlump barrels featuring
a ramped beaded blade front sight with flip-up moon bead and removable
sliding hood with gold inlaid lines at the front and rear, a sling swivel on the
under rib, and a two-leaf (one standing, one folding) rear sight with gold inlaid
centerline regulated for 50 and 100 yards affixed to the raised rear quarter
rib. The quarter rib is extensively engraved with deep relief scrollwork which
surrounds “.500 NITRO” ahead of the rear sight and the “J. PURDEY & SONS.
LONDON, ENGLAND.” behind, both of which are inlaid in fine gold. There
are wedges of matching scrollwork at either breech extending 1 1/4 inches
towards the breech. The rifle shows correct 2003 dated London nitro proof
marks and is fitted with automatic ejectors.
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