Lowell,

There was a time when Purdey did not build just best guns. A good measure of their output was built in Birmingham by companies such as Scott. The same goes for most of the London trade. The London trade has limited its output to best guns when it serves them to. I agree that a best gun from Purdey, Boss, or Holland and Holland is the pinnacle of the art, but a good many Birmingham makers build just as well without the price or the snob appeal.