The one time I visited London, my friend Max who is Indian was taking me around and I wanted to go see Purdey and H & H. At Purdey, Sir Richard Beaumont himself showed me a 28-gauge that they could finish up in my dimensions for 28000 pounds. Very polite to a visiting Yank that I'm sure he realized wasn't going to be buying a Purdey. I didn't remember the gentleman's name at H & H but he and Max realized they were of the same sect and I had the run of the place!

At the current exchange rate Dave that's close to $37k if my math is correct. A high grade Parker 28 or CSMC 28 would be real close.

I was visiting London over thirty years ago and as I recall with the VAT it would have been about $56000. The times I was in London for work, MOD kept us busy and we really didn't get to do any sightseeing.

VAT does not apply to items leaving the UK right away

Tom, the 38000 BP over under would probably be the trigger plate gun, a recent offering, not the original Harry Lawrence designed Purdey over under, which sells for much more. Holland and Holland equivalent is their "Sporter", which was introduced some years ago. We had one of the first H&H Sporters on the rack at a gun shop where I worked after I retired. I recall that we offered it for sale for about $15000. That H&H just could not be made to work right. I have no idea where it is today.

You guys are lucky! Looks like a interesting place to visit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cW1MXKGj70

Forty Four years ago I worked on North Audley Street several blocks away from Purdey's. I visited a number of times and was never invited to see the gun room. I really don't blame them as I certainly didn't have the means to purchase one of their guns. I did buy a cleaning kit for my father. Holland and Holland was another story all together. There were many guns on display and they didn't mind my stopping by to drool. Rigby's was on Pell Mell at the time and what I saw of it was small, but again guns on display. My father told me to buy one of their used rifles in .275. They told me it would make a nice "Lady's Gun" and I could have it for about 700 pounds. That translated to $1,659. I was making about $7,000 a year so that was out of the question. Besides my priorities at the time were girls and booze.

That will ruin a shooting man's Purdey budget every time!

I got to visit Purdey and Holland and Holland 3 years ago while visiting London. Actually it was one of the primary reasons I wanted to visit London. At Purdey I spoke with a young man in the gun room about duck hunting in rural England with his fathers Purdey and talked about hunting with the large bore shotguns. He was shocked that a strong following of 8 and 4 bores exist in the US and oddly was surprised I loaded my own 8s. I bought Donald Dallas book there headed over to H&H was stopped at the door by one of the salesman who jokingly told me he couldn’t allow me in the store with the Purdey bag and showed me around the store and some of the guns on display including a .577 double listed for £200,000 or something ridiculous like that. I bought donald dallas book there as well as a cartridge belt for my .458 lott. Both stores were a great experience and the staff was very polite to me who obviously couldn’t afford any gun in the store at the age of 27.

I have guns from H&H, Purdey and CSM. There is no comparison between the English "best" gun and the Fox (and mine is a FE 410) IMHO the fit and finish on the English guns is much better and no machine can duplicate the hand finishing of an English best gun. I'm no 12ga person and much prefer the small bores for my upland hunting but last year I bought a Purdey light game gun, a 6lb 12 with 28 inch barrels choked .004 & .008 and with RST 2 inch 3/4 oz loads it's wonderful on grouse, woodcock and quail.
I have a Parker upgrade AAHE 28ga with a second set of barrels (28 inches M/F) from James Purdey.