Some of the conceptions of shooting in Great Britain we're getting here certainly were not accurate 100 years ago. No, they did not have the vast areas of public land we had (and have) in this country, but there was a whole lot of "rough shooting" taking place. (That's why you see plenty of very plain Birmingham-made doubles without ejectors.) It was certainly not a case of "if you're not of the rich and titled gentry, you don't get to shoot". And at the same time--Nash Buckingham's writings remind us of this as well--there were private duck clubs and quail plantations in this country where one also did not shoot unless one were of the rich gentry. There were working class Brits, especially in the rural parts of the country, just as eager to go out and pot a duck, partridge, pheasant or rabbit as there were working class Americans. About the only difference is the gun they carried. You would not have seen many pumps over there, but you would have seen a lot of guns the equivalent of a Sterlingworth, Elsie or Ithaca Field Grade, or Parker Trojan.
"Better", where guns are concerned, does not necessarily mean more expensive, if you're talking better mechanically and more durable. Is a Parker A1 Special "better" than a VH? Not mechanically, and not when it comes to durability. So why would anyone compare a Purdey to a VH any more than they'd compare an A1 to a VH? The differences are far nicer wood, much more extensive engraving, considerably more attention paid to fit and finish--things that make the more expensive gun more of a work of art, but not necessarily a "better" gun in terms of reliability.
And Lowell, I don't think you'll find many $2K plus 12ga Sterlingworths. You'll certainly find 20's and 12's in that price range, but there are far more 12's, which makes them less sought-after on the market. In fact, there were more than 2x as many 12ga SW's made as 16's and 20's combined. But the same small bore premium is at work where Brit doubles are concerned, and for the same reason: Far fewer 16's and 20's made, in comparison to 12's. Almost certainly a greater differential than even with our American classics.
