Purdey single trigger... the restock.
by James Flynn
James Flynn, Gunmaker, LLC.

Recently, a client sent me a Purdey single trigger gun for a restock.. The stock was in fine shape except that it had drop at the comb like a Kentucky rifle. The new owner wanted the gun restocked to more suitable dimensions. When truly custom English and European guns are made, the action tangs and trigger plates are angled and spaced to flow gracefully into the butt. If one wishes to add much height to the comb, in this case one half inch, the tangs must be forged up to appear and function correctly. If the stocker simply leaves more wood on the comb the stock will begin to appear like a boat paddle. This simply is not done on a fine gun.

Such alteration is much easier said than done. Remember, this is a sidelock and if one moves the tangs up, the locks stay in the same position. As the trigger goes up, it gets closer to the sear tails and tolerances decrease. When the trigger gets too close and bears on the sears, the hammers will not cock. Bending the sears on a Purdey can get complicated quickly but I will not discuss that because it was not necessary in this case.

The trigger plate has a short tang that required bending up and this simplified the job, as it did not require modifying the trigger and sear spacing. Please remember, when one changes just about any one thing on a gun, it usually requires subsequent changes. Alterations are subject to Newton’s law of physics: “For any action there is an opposite and equal reaction.” After bending the tang of the trigger plate the tang screw hole had to be slightly altered but that was all that was required for the trigger plate.

Another minor change was the automatic safety link. The link follows the contour of the action tang so the link had to be bent to follow once again. The layman would never consider these modifications but they must be done and they take a lot of time and knowledge in the long run. Of course we must not forget the top lever as it too must be bent to follow the contour of the top tang.

As the tangs are forged up, the critical angle and spacing of the safety/trigger function can be affected. When the top tang goes up, the safety leg will go towards the butt while the trigger leg goes towards the muzzles. This relationship must also be remedied with forging the safety leg forward to properly mate with the trigger leg.

These are just some of the problems a competent stocker has to deal with in doing restocks. It is nice when guns are stocked in elegant wood but it is better when they look good and work. There can be a lot more to such a job than meets the eye.

James Flynn, Gunmaker
P.O. Box 7461
Alexandria, LA 71306 USA
Phone: (318) 445-7130
Hours 9am -  12pm & 1pm - 5:30pm weekdays CST

Flynn's main page | Leather Covered Pads & Parts Making | Restoration of a Holland & Holland
Restoration of a Rigby Double Rifle | Stocking of a Westley Richards
Flynn - Article #1 Browning SxS Shotgun | Flynn - Article #2 Fine Gun Cleaning
Flynn - Article #3 Purdey Restock | Flynn - Article #4 Guyot Shotgun Service