Vintage British Doubles

[zephyr]

for your viewing and to keep (8x60's) Salter and Varge .410 company is a John Wilkes .410 made mid 1920's cambered 2 1/2" with 27" barrels weighs in at 4.5lbswith a quarter to show just how petite these guns are

 

[CJNJ]

Love the Funeral finish on the Purdey . I would pick it over elaborately engraved actions every day of the week . I have a Purdey 303 double rifle which went out “in the black” for the 1897 deer season and then came back in to be finished . I wish it had stayed unadorned .

All the guns on this thread are beautiful and worth coveting but that blacked out Purdey is somehow more elegant than any.

 

[gcbailey]

Love the Funeral finish on the Purdey . I would pick it over elaborately engraved actions every day of the week . I have a Purdey 303 double rifle which went out “in the black” for the 1897 deer season and then came back in to be finished . I wish it had stayed unadorned .

I find the funeral guns beautiful in their simplicity as well. I am guessing whoever ordered this gun felt the same way and must have been a Churchill fan, as the gun was ordered to be finished as a funeral gun. It has a beautiful deep blueing. Also, it was struck light and has 25" barrels, which Churchill believed was the optimum length. Apparently long barrels are all the rage right now so I picked this one up at an amazing price, considering its provenance. I have shotguns from 18" to 32" and barrel length (or gauge) has never been a factor in buying.

 

[PCC600]

I find the funeral guns beautiful in their simplicity as well. I am guessing whoever ordered this gun felt the same way and must have been a Churchill fan, as the gun was ordered to be finished as a funeral gun. It has a beautiful deep blueing. Also, it was struck light and has 25" barrels, which Churchill believed was the optimum length. Apparently long barrels are all the rage right now so I picked this one up at an amazing price, considering its provenance. I have shotguns from 18" to 32" and barrel length (or gauge) has never been a factor in buying.

The extra long barrel craze is lost on me . I’m not a clay buster . I prefer lighter guns ( sxs and o/u) with 28 inch barrels for driven game and walk up shooting . I like fast handling guns .