Treading quite carefuly on this one. Planning to look into it further - lots of anecdotal evidence emerging from my sources here. Were the proof house under loading before? Are they over-loading now? Has all this new-fangled reliance on CNC machining rather than having action filers do the donkey work led to a tipping of the balace away from the strength of the old guns? Are all proof loads going Pete Tong or is it just Magnum Proof? It it getting better or worse? Since my last post, at least one more such proof failure has been reported to me - not Purdey but another noted maker of best guns.

Much speculation. No official word.

I'll wait a while, see what floats my way and perhaps prod the good Colonel for a quote. If I write the story as a commentary on gun trade gossip, I'll make enemies and if I dig in to the mire to write it as a factual account of what has been going on I'll make enemies.

Either way, the messenger gets shot and the 'authorities' and those with vested interests in keeping us all in the dark go on their complacent little way.

Last edited by Small Bore; 04/23/08 03:19 AM.
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