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JAMES PURDEY 16 BORE PERCUSSION DOUBLE RIFLE

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,500.00 USD
JAMES PURDEY 16 BORE PERCUSSION DOUBLE RIFLE
W/ MAHOGANY CASE & ACCESSORIES. Cal. 16 Bore. S# 3436. Bbl. 29". Patrick Unsworth in the "EARLY PURDEYS" indicates that this rifle was sold 24 June, 1841. It was a 16 bore dbl. rifle w/ 29" bbls. & was not known to be extant at the time his book was published. Price is not listed, but similar rifles sold for £84. The rifle does fit all those criteria, the 29" damascus bbls. w/ 10 groove rifling (approx. 1 turn in 40") are engraved "J. Purdey, 314 1/2 Oxford Street, London." on broad flat rib. A 1 standing 1 folding leaf express rear sight is dovetailed through, as is sm. steel bead front sight. Bottoms of bbls. are stamped w/ London black powder proofs, S#s & bbl. makers initials J.P. (James Purdey). Original ebony ramrod w/ grooved brass tip & tail is numbered on tail. Ramrod is held by two plain pipes (sling eye on rear pipe). Patent breeches have scroll engraved rib extension, platinum bands at rear & triple vented platinum plugs. What appear to be original nipples are marked "R" & "L". S#s are on hooks. Breech iron is case hardened & fully engraved w/ very well cut shaded scroll. Locks w/ 2nd type broad flat faced, chamfered hammers are engraved w/ open scroll. Hammers have matching open scroll on neck & stylized dolphin heads. Locks are fitted w/ blued front sliding safeties. Trigger plate is a reinforcing type w/ ball shaped finial & reinforcing screw through ramrod channel. Trigger guard has scrolled grip. Bow is engraved w/ shield & two birds w/ ball of grip & tail w/ scroll. Stock of dense stump figured & lightly marbled European walnut measures 14 1/2" over checkered steel buttplate w/ long scroll engraved top spur. There is a spring-loaded patchbox on right side of butt engraved w/ central flower surrounded by feather burst. Square flat top checkering is at grip & forend. Stock also has sm. beaded shadowline right hand cheekpiece. Thimble has stylized pineapple finial. A steel sling button is on toeline & there is a steel lined hole at top of grip to receive lollipop type rear sight (not present). Stock attaches to bbls. w/ captive sliding side bolt through shaped & engraved steel escutcheons. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: rifle is housed in a period "plum pudding" figured mahogany case w/ inlet shaped brass corners, folding D ring handle & dual pivoting brass hook closure. Case is lined in royal blue velvet. Bottom compartment partitions are topped w/ oak. Rifle fits case almost perfectly, but no Purdey label is present. Case contains "WD" (William Davis) marked brass bullet mold for short conical .645 bullet w/ hollowed base for paper patch, another steel "13" marked mold for .728 diameter rnd. ball, brass & ebony 3 piece cleaning rod, fluted copper bodied powder flask by Dixon throwing a charge of up to 3 drams, ebony handled nipple wrench w/ pricker in handle, bone nipple bottle, aluminum oil bottle by Dixon, 2 lignum vitae handled bullet starters, tin of 4 Walkers percussion caps holding wads & bullet worm that screws into tip of ramrod. CONDITION: very good to fine. Bbls. retain most of their original brown pattern, thinned on sides w/ a fair amount of dark oxidation. Breech iron & locks retain most of their original case hardening color w/ some scattered pitting mostly at front of right lock which is fairly deep. Safeties retain most of their bright blue. Trigger guard retains perhaps 20% of its original blue, most loss due to flaking. Buttplate is all gray. There is some case hardening color on patchbox cover. Stocks retain nearly all of an old oil refinish over some scattered marks & w/ a few subsequent. Sharp edges somewhat softened. It appears checkering was cleaned at the same time & has light subsequent wear. Bores are very fine, sharp rifling throughout, shiny, but w/ some scattered pits toward muzzles. Locks are crisp & safeties work. Exterior of case retains 80% of what appears to be a very old refinish & w/ subsequent scratches. Retaining loops for keylock are broken off. Interior cloth is very good to fine w/ some marks in lid from contact w/ bbls. & a few cuts where it appears a label was removed. Interior partitions are good & do not appear to have been moved. Accessories are very good to fine. A lovely old rifle by London's most celebrated 19th & 20th century maker. (01-18137/MGM30). ANTIQUE. $6,000-9,500.