Comparing manufactured guns to trade made guns is much like comparing boxlocks to sidelocks. All four catagories can produce a "best work" gun. Manufactured is for high production numbers and trade made is for versatility. Parker sold a high percent of a large number of relatively pedestrian guns. Purdey sold a high percent of a relatively small number of "best work" guns.
Is Purdey's the Parker of the UK?
DDA
Interesting raison d'etre for the different types of companies. Sure makes sense for Parker.
I'm not sure, however, that I would ever describe Purdey or Boss as being "versatile" companies or as having a versatile product line. They had/have extremely narrow product lines, appealing to an extremely narrow segment of the potential market. The only way they can survive today is to market that narrow product line to the entire world. That's almost the very definition of "not versatile".
