We continue our look at vintage shotguns and their performance in a driven pheasant environment. As mechanisms improved during the mid 19th century, manufacturers were working hard to improve the speed with which a gun could be loaded, fired, emptied and re-loaded.
Here we test a Purdey made in 1867, with (then novel) rebound locks and operated by the 1863 Purdey patent thumb-hole lever (second pattern), working a Purdey double under-bolt locking mechanism.
The introduction of snap-action guns, improved loading speed over inert actions, like the Jones underlever we demonstrated in Test No.1. So, here we can show the Purdey snap-action with rebound locks shooting driven pheasants in pairs. How many can we kill in one minute? Watch the film and find out.
Testing was carried out at Griffin Lloyd Shooting Ground in Powys, Wales, using 21g Express loads.
Published by Vintage Guns Ltd on (modified )
