doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com English underlever snap actions

Over the years I have become addicted to these. One Woodward underlever and two 2'nd patent Purdey thumb hole guns. Woodward is a 12 bore, a 10 bore GT Abbey and a 16 bore Boss. All hammer guns. I see why the top lever ejector's won out for driven shooting but for 97% of US hunters walking up over dogs the snap action extractor is a elegant action in the field or on the clays course. I am contemplating another Purdey patent gun. Anyone else suffer form this condition?

I did but managed to work through mine and settle on more modern designs. I had a Lang sidelock and a couple of T. Woodwards, one of which looked to be a boxlock from outside appearances(the only one I have seen). Currently a first year production H&H Royal self opener has me completely satisfied. Since I bought the Holland I hardly look at shotguns.....weird I know.

What ever floats your boat. Currently I have the S. Grant side lever bug. They aren't cheap but more of a midrange priced gun unless you get into a pristine example which tend to be very dear in price. Saw a Boss side lever, setup on the left side. It worked perfectly even for a right handed person. Guess if you had the money Boss would supply you anything you wanted. Saw a Boss with a second type Prudey thumb opener hammer gun. Money could get about anything back then.

I like side lever and under lever hammerless guns.

I am quite fond of my Woodward .450-400 3-1/4" BPE.










Curl

Woodward bloody well didn't stock to the fences on that one! I see it has a dolls-head, what about third fastener?

I kind of like the idea of manufacturing a snap action, reduced steps from doing a top snap. And with todays modern steel who needs a third bite!

I have, use, and enjoy a Boss hammer with a Purdey 2nd Patent thumb lever (the configuration referenced by KY Jon above). It is a beautiful Victorian artifact that can still be utilized for its intended purpose, garnering some stares on the dove field to be sure.

There is a "philosophical" aspect to underlevers. Having all mechanical functions contained in the receiver makes engineering sense and avoids linking the forend with the action for cocking. Underlevers also avoid all that drilling and fitting of the spindle.

Arguably these quaint thoughts make sense to people who operate their guns by themselves, without the help of loaders.

Once you get the hang of operating an underlever one handed, trapping the stock under the arm and derpressing the lever, rather than using two hands to open them, they can prove surprisingly ergonomic. They behave like assisted openers.

The French went one better with the Ideal, but that is another story.

SKB's post is quite revealing. Since I procured a late Purdey hammer pigeon gun with Whitworth barrels, I have given up looking at shotguns also. I fully understand his comment.

This offering from the Oxford street Purdey emporium with a half number in the address has worked faultlessly for fifty years now, giving that it has reached a hundred and fifty years old. Though I do have one or two little complaints with the gun, being a thumb leaver opener if you let your thumb nail grow a little long it will remove the excess nail for you quite painfully, and because of its age no choking just two true cylinders.
That said it is a head turner of a gun because of the sleek lines of its design, and it still does today what it was built to do in the 1860�s. With having Damascus barrels, it does have a very distinctive sound. In recent times working examples of this bar in wood design have started to be the �I want� for collectors, making it hard to believe in the 1960�s this hammer gun was considered low value scrap and was on its way to be melted down.
After going through the pain of purchase and restoration I have never found the want or need to add another gun to my collection of working guns.