My choice would be either a 29in barrelled 16- or 20-bore game-gun with standard rose-and-scroll or a similarly decorated heavy, side-clipped action 30in or 31in barrelled pigeon-gun – which might be just as well set up for high birds and sporting clay-pigeons. Prices start at about £57,000 including VAT. It has always tended to be a little heavier than some of its competitors and many experienced shots would say it shoots the better for it. Finally, the Purdey is as famous for balance as its impeccable design, fit and build quality. The Purdey’s work is also singular and rarely copied because of its complexity (it should be noted, however, that the gun was first offered as a non-ejector in the 1880s). The refined ‘WEM’ ejector mechanism is a modification of the Southgate over-centre type (long the favourite of the gun trade) but requires finer adjustment than others of similar principle. Another clever feature of the design, created by Frederick Beesley and sold to Purdey for £55 in the late-Victorian era, is that one limb of the V-type mainspring is used to power the tumbler (hammer) in each lock and the other the self-opening feature. It cocks on closing (unlike the Holland & Holland Royal, which became its great rival), so the springs are at rest when the gun is disassembled. Traditional action decoration includes classic hand-cut Purdey rose-and-scroll engraving, but other options are possible at greater cost.įrom the technical perspective, the Purdey gun is possibly the greatest side-by-side ever made. The Purdey sidelock is made at the firm’s Hammersmith factory by a combination of craft skills and high technology (both being used wherever an advantage in the quality of the finished product can be achieved). THE BEST SHOTGUNS IN THE WORLD Purdey side-by-side self-opening sidelock The experience of using the guns detailed (with a couple of exceptions), and the overall impression that they have left with regard to shooting characteristics and manufacturing quality have been of paramount importance in compiling the list. There are certain other questions: what has been especially significant or innovative? What cannot be left out? What really ‘sings’ when you shoot it? Practically speaking, any gun listed must remain in production, too.
CRITERIAĭesign excellence, aesthetic quality, overall form, reliability, decorative detail, integrity of materials, value for money and shooting performance might all be considered. There is the inevitable difficulty of judging old against new, form against beauty, value for money over performance. It is an onerous task to choose the world’s best 20 shotguns. These best shotguns are at the apex of the gun world. The Field has sifted through the myriad option to reveal the definitive list of the world’s 20 best shotguns. However, when it comes to the best shotguns in the world there are some sure fire shotguns that even the most cantankerous would agree on. The shooting world is packed to the gunnels with people who all share the thrill of the sport but have very different criteria for the shotguns they use. That is why we are an authority on the very best in shooting, hunting, fishing and everything you might find in a country house.Īnyone who has an interest in the sport will hold their own opinion as to what makes the best gun. The best shotguns in the world – what makes them? Personal taste, artisan craftsmanship, expense? A favoured and ancient AYA might shoot like a dream and knock the highest of birds of out of the sky, but it won’t make the top spot according to the next man, who wouldn’t swap a Beretta 692 for its weight in gold. THIS FEATURE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2007
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