doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com New Purdey rifle with a floating barrel

Am I the only one that thinks this is reactionary to Rigby dominating the modern English bolt gun market?

Interesting, it looks like American styling lines. I suppose they're banking on selling the name, but may not be doing the name much of a favor. I think they might have considered it an option as a rough use gun, rather than making claims that it's a new 'best' rifle benchmark and criticize the performance of their previous bolt rifles and likely the clients that purchased them. I've wondered why some of the makers don't offer a discriminating line of 'shot and regulated by' rifles from the trade. I think a bean counter built that rifle, not a gunmaker.

Agree. In this day and age a fine gunmaker would most likely need to subsidise "best" guns with other products, but Purdey already sells a massive collection of these products such as belts, socks, walking canes, china, glasses, pants, shoes, dog pillows and about a million other products. I don't think they should have dropped the classic bolt gun and called this cheapened one the new "best". Same goes for the half-Italian Sporter boxlock with monobloc barrels, and the upcoming O/U Purdey boxlock that will be English made. They are ruining a reputation built over two centuries in my opinion

a $25,000 "rough use" gun? Yeah, right.

I don't know what they are looking for, but anyone selling a new rifle for $25K is not talking a language I understand, rough gun, smooth gun, I don't care what you call it.

On the other hand, if they are doing whatever they have to do to prevent their own extinction, then more power to them. I just can't help.

That can actually backfire and lead to that extinction. If for example Rolex began offering secondary lines of plastic watches and ones half built in China, a lot of people would stop buying their top tier watches because the "cachet" of the entire brand is gone.

Why would anyone pay 25,000 GBP ($35,000) for this new free-floating gun when they can buy a similarly accurate J.P. Sauer for $4,000 or a Sako 85 for even less? These historical names are now virtually transforming from "best" makers into manufacturers who offer top grade and lower grade lines, just like Beretta or Browning. As these best makers continue to kill whatever mystique and romance associated with the perceivable exclusivity of the brand, there will be no reasons left not to choose a Beretta or a Browning instead.

I think this is what happens when a company is owned by a luxury goods conglomerate whose board knows nothing about gunmaking

A $10,000 Mauser Rigby seems to be a good deal now. However, my choice for elegant hunting is an early Springfield custom by a known maker. I just don't understand the Purdey.

The scope rings look much too high to me. Little or no chance of any check weld for deliberate shooting. Also would be completely unsuited for mounting quickly for shots at moving game.

Certainly will not mount like a Purdey shotgun.

I�m not much of a rifle guy, and really I don�t give a hoot, but free floating makes a more accurate rifle. If a rifle isn�t accurate, I�d say it�s a POS. Accuracy is all that matters in a rifle, at least to me. Looks like Purdey is trying to make a very accurate rifle, at least that�s what I see. It says �Purdey� on it, hence the price. This gun will always have value, because of the name, even though no better than a lesser name.

I own Purdeys and I also own rifles that cost less than $300 and shoot less than one inch groups at 100 yards. I don't need to spend $25,000 on a rifle that shoots a one inch group at 100 yards. I will buy Purdeys for different reasons than group size.

Give me an American made custom gun - everything you can wish for and ACCURATE. Also costs less than 1/2 what the Purdey costs and is a better rifle.

They do make really fine shotguns.