When James Purdey founded his eponymous brand in 1814, he had already acquired a wealth of gun-making experience under the tutelage of industry legends like Joseph Manton. In turn, his company quickly gained a reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, with which it has remained synonymous ever since. Brummell visited Purdey’s factory in Hammersmith, affectionately known as “the workshop”, to find out more about how the company’s artisans painstakingly build its high-performance firearms.

James Purdey was a renowned innovator and Purdey today is no different, with our first stop being the CAD (computer-aided design) department. Over a decade ago, handmade Purdeys were reverse engineered so that the interrelationship between hundreds of a prototype’s parts could be analysed onscreen. The design team can virtually simulate gunshots to examine these parts in relation to all the forces acting upon them. When pixelated prototypes have been sufficiently refined, the designers create plastic models using 3D printing to literally get to grips with them.

Every Purdey is meticulously crafted using hundreds of man-hours on the manufacturing floor. Making barrels is the first stage. Weight must be distributed along each barrel with exactitude. It’s important that the tiniest of imperfections are filed, since looking down the barrel lies at the core of shooting. And when it comes to internal dimensions, the craftsmen are dealing with thousandths of inches.

It’s also the first of several stages that involve a laborious technique called smoke blacking. This ensures an airtight fit between parts like the barrels, action, stock, trigger plate and safety catch. A paraffin lamp is used to apply soot to surfaces, which are then put in contact with one another. Negatives in the soot indicate where minute bumps have caused rubbing. These are eased down with a dexterity any heart surgeon would be proud of.

There are also many bespoke elements to this scrupulous manufacturing process. Andrew Ambrose, Purdey’s sales director, explains that it depends a lot on the model as to which parts can be tailored to the individual client. ‘On all our models the list is long and includes our clients having the ability to choose and design the engraving pattern (except the Purdey Sporter), select their own wood for the stock, enjoy a bespoke gun fitting with the stock being made to their measurements, and choosing their preferred barrel length, rib style and chokes.’

The most personal choice is offered at the engraving phase. Alongside a range of possible patterns, Purdey is renowned for the elegant botanical motif that is its signature rose-and-scroll design. Customers often combine it with a colour case hardened finish that brings out a patina of vibrant colour on the metalwork.

But, much as in a tattoo parlour, you can also commission your own original concept. That might be a North American landscape populated by bears and elk, or your beloved hunting dog running down the lock plates and action. In any case, Purdey provides recommendations for engravers with expertise in particular styles, from in-house engraver Stefano Pedretti to Phil Coggan.

Commenting on the significance of the bespoke experience, Ambrose says: ‘From a purely functional perspective, by having a perfectly fitted gun which will then balance perfectly, it means the client’s shooting will be greatly aided. Being involved in the decision-making on the other aesthetic areas of the gun ensures the client will enjoy many years of personal satisfaction from owning a Purdey. This also means that when they pass the shotgun or rifle on to the next generation, they will also pass on those incredible memories of not only knowing they have helped design the gun but also the numerous stories and experiences linked to their use of it.’

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