doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Old Damascus Barrels

Nice. But when I read thumblever I think of Pape' s patent. That is an under lever by my understanding. Am I missing something?
Jeremy

Good observations, all. It is a Purdey and is for sale at Watson Bros. in London. Their website has a few more pictures. I also note that it is marked "choke", which would either mean that the original barrels were jug-choked at a later time or as Dr. Drew proposes, it was rebarreled in the "choke era".

As for the Damascus pattern, I believe you ID'd my 1871 Boss a few weeks ago with the same type of 4-iron Turkish, so perhaps a contemporaneous material corroboration?

This is Purdey's "British Best" c. 1873; 3 Iron "Oxford"

Dr. Drew, I stand corrected, my contemporaneous Boss was a 3-iron Oxford as in the photo you posted above. I found my buried post/pic and your diagnosis.

As for this Purdey, with likely replacement barrels and black-and-white finish, this Purdey looks like a poseur in the originality department. All the same, somebody buy it please so that I stop visiting that web page!!

That website is dangerous! I really like their Boswell 8 bore double.

Owen, at the risk of being pedantic: it's not a 'thumblever' but (if a Purdey) described as a 'Daw's lever' after the Maker who first patented such a thing. It probably uses the Thumblever internals but if so, its on the 2nd Patent. The 1st has its hinge point much further forward in the bar.

Thanks for the correction, gentleman, of course it has no hole in the trigger guard into which a thumb can be inserted and so it is not a thumb opener. I bet not many Purdeys were made in 16ga with the Daw lever.