It's Not a Double, But.....

[John Davis]

Purdey Single Barrel Trap Gun. One of 59. This was the 18th made.

[John Davis]

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[John Davis]

Letter from Purdey

[John Davis]

Edgar Palmer was the heir to and President of the New Jersey Zinc Company. They were the largest supplier of zinc in the United States. He was an avid yachtsman and a graduate of Princeton. He was major benefactor of Princeton as well.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Wow! One fine single.

[Shane Rhodes]

Beautiful gun!

[bill grill]

give us some details barrel length, choke, ect. Beautiful! How does it shoot?

[John Davis]

Barrel is 31 inches and she’s choked.046

[Jean Swanson]

John

Great gun, bet you can not wait to shoot it !!! Probably a James Woodward design , known for perfect balance, the trigger design, and single barrel trap gun. I do not remember the year in the 40's that Purdey purchased Woodward, but both produced BEST QUALITY guns.

Enjoy ,good shooting, your friend from Vermont
Allan

[Brian Dudley]

The sideplate on the right side of the gun is interesting and makes for great symmetry. I have a Sauer SBT that is a sidelock and it only has the plate on the functioning side, all wood on the other.

[John Davis]

I think the she’s going to make a great handicap gun. I like a full choke but this one may be a little too tight for 16 yard singles.

[Brett Hoop]

Annie Oakley - backup to the parking lot kind of trap gun and what a beauty.

[Richard Flanders]

Spectacular gun! Wow. "not a S/S"....we forgive you.... :)

[Steve Cambria]

I think the she’s going to make a great handicap gun. I like a full choke but this one may be a little too tight for 16 yard singles.

....not if you love the sight of orange-tinted, diesel smoke!! :bowdown:

[Chuck Bishop]

Your a lucky guy John! Great gun, I'm sure you will enjoy shooting it.

[Dean Romig]

A fabulous SBT and a Purdey as well!
.046" choke constriction :shock:... there's your new turkey gun John!

We need to hear how it shoots - we'll give you a day or two.:whistle:

Congrats John!





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[John Davis]

As I suspected, she's a little tight for 16 yard singles. No room for error but when you are on them they disappear. She won't be replacing the Parker SB in singles. A little more drop and cast off than I like but an Accu-riser cheek rest takes care of both problems. Incredibly well balanced and the assisted opening Purdey mechanism is amazing. Most certainly a handicap gun. Really seems to like the RST trap loads in 7 1/2. The gun is nitro proofed for 1 1/4 oz. loads.

[Jeff Kuss]

100 ounce and a quarter shots would probably get your attention!

[Dean Romig]

John, you really need to show up at Hausmann’s in 2021 and shoot the Bo-Whoop looong range single targets with that Purdey.





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[Daryl Corona]

That would be the Letterman Cup. I don't think anyone has won it with a Purdey yet. Best bet is to look for a Fox SBT so you can really up your game.:whistle:

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Daryl, I couldn't remember the name Letterman, but that's exactly what I meant.





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[John Davis]

Dean

You never know, I might just be there.

[Daryl Corona]

You'll really enjoy it John. Promise.

[JAMES HALL]

Dean

You never know, I might just be there.

Have gun will travel

[Dean Romig]

It would be a real treat to have the southern PGCA contingent at Ernies.





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[Steve Cambria]

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;317488]Thanks Daryl, I couldn't remember the name Letterman, but that's exactly what I meant.

2021 or BUST!!!! Rock-on W.C.L.!!!

90578

[Mike Franzen]

That gun is so elegant it looks like you should be wearing a coat and tie when you shoot it. Congratulations on finding and acquiring it.

[John Davis]

I've been communicating back and forth with Purdey and they looked up the pattern recorded for this gun and provided the following info:

Schultze, 47grns, 1 1/4oz. No. 6: Patterns 256
EC, 37 grains, 1 1/4oz. No. 6: Patterns 255
"Leader", 1 1/4oz. No. 7: Pattern 330

Appears the gun was built to handle a pretty stout load.

[Bill Murphy]

All the Brit pigeon guns and single traps are proved for 1 1/4 ounces. It was the standard ATA load at the time these single barrel guns were first made. and the standard flyer load to this day. John, I had you pegged for this gun before you told me about it. As far as period of manufacture and rarity goes, the single is probably in the same category as the "bar in iron" late generation hammer pigeon gun. Again, congratulations.

[Reggie Bishop]

John you should do a side by side (pun intended) comparison of the Purdey SBT and one of your fine Parker SBT guns. I for one have never shot either, but I bet it would be an interesting read getting your thoughts on how the guns differ, the pros and cons of both etc. It would make a fine Parker Pages article.

[Dave Noreen]

Schultze and E.C. were both bulk smokeless powders and should be given in drams. One conversion table I have from an old UMC catalog shows 47 grains of Schultze being between 3 1/4 and 3 1/2 drams. The 37 grains of E.C. would be quite light, between 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 drams, but well before this gun was made in 1928, E.C. became New E.C. Improved, a product of Hercules Powder Company. Such "specified loads" were on the way out by the time this Purdey was made, with most North American trap loads becoming "dram equiv." with DuPont M.X. or Hercules Red Dot.

[Daryl Corona]

Dave, you are truly amazing.:bowdown:

[Mike Franzen]

What year was it made?

[Dave Noreen]

What year was it made?

The letter says completed 25 September 1928. Just in time to use Western's then new Lubaloy Super-Trap Loads --

90616

According to Western's advertising they were used to win the 1928 GAH and the first I see them appearing in Western's February 1, 1929 price list.

[Bill Murphy]

Depending on the brand of shot and the year it was dropped, the #6 loads are in the very high 80s for percentage. Of course, we don't know the range or the diameter of the pattern circle. The proof is in shooting the gun. 90% patterns in a 30" circle at 40 yards are not unheard of.

[John Davis]

Well, I guess I'll just have to pattern her.

[Dave Noreen]

Are those #6 British #6 or U.S. Tatham? Are the Leader #7 U.S. Winchester shells?

According to the Hallowell & Co. chart, U.S. #7 and British #6 are both .10" and 291 per ounce. According to other charts I have U.S. #7 go 299 per ounce and the one on Vintage Outdoors says 300.

[Bill Murphy]

What a great gun, John. Is there any information about what that gun sold for in 1928?

[Dave Noreen]

My 1929 Stoeger catalog lists the Purdey Single Barrel Trap at $750. Of course the real price should be in Guineas.

[Jay Gardner]

On the subject of engraving there is Purdeys traditional rose and scroll and then there is every other gun made.

[John Davis]

According to the Purdey records the original cost of this gun was 105 pounds. It was supplied in a soft Leg-or-Mutton case, made of Mail Canvas, at an additional cost of 1 pound 5 shillings.

[Stan Hillis]

I won a lot on the recent Ward's auction for a full box of Western Xpert Super Trap Load(s). The flap specifies:

XT26HR71/2CS
Hercules Red Dot
3 Drams Equiv. - 1 1/4 Oz. - No. 7 1/2 chilled shot

Shells are excellent shape, but not high brass like the ones you pictured, John.

Beautiful gun. Shoot it well.

SRH

[Bill Murphy]

Stan's box of shells is near the holy grail for early but not too early trap loads. My absolute holy grail is the Western 3" 1 1/4 ounce #7 1/2 Lubaloy load. I called on a box of those several years ago and they were sold. I have wondered whether they were actually ever there. I have never seen a box of Lubaloy 3" trap loads sold at Ward's. Maybe someone here has seen a box offered.

[Dave Noreen]

Stan, the Western Super-Trap loads came in the high brass RECORD hull when they first came out in the late 1920s. With the introduction of non-corrosive priming in the 1931-2 time frame Western began putting up their Super-Trap loads in the FIELD hull. During 1936, Western discontinued the FIELD shell and Xpert became their sole low brass smokeless powder shell.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks, Dave. Was wondering about their vintage. Didn't realize Red Dot was that much of an old timer.

SRH

[Dave Noreen]

Stan, I take it the box of Xpert Super-Trap loads you got was Lot #10240.

91198

The first time I see the Super-Trap Loads being specified with Hercules Red Dot (HR), Western MiniMax (WM) or DuPont MX (MX) is the December 24, 1936 Western Price List. Your shells with the Super-Seal Crimp would be 1939 or later and with the Seal-Tite wads up to 1946. By the April 1947, 11th Edition of the Western Ammunition Handbook, the Seal-Tite wad was replaced with the Super-Seal Cup Wad. Actually Load No. XT26CS was dropped by the undated 9th Edition of the Western Ammunition Handbook, as loads for ATA Trap Shooting had been limited to 1 1/8 ounce since April 1940.

[Bill Murphy]

I would have pegged Stan with item number 10217.

[Stan Hillis]

Dave's right. It was lot #10240. The shells inside are in better shape than the box. Perfect.

Thanks for the closer dating information. If I'm following correctly .....1939-1940. Really appreciate it.

SRH

[Stan Hillis]

I would have pegged Stan with item number 10217.

$1904 ?

That would have required me hitting a topwater plug, Bill. I'm a bottom feeder. :rotf: