A shotgun from one of Britain’s historic gun-makers contains about 95 individual parts and involves up to 1,200 man hours. You might also have to wait up to two and a half years for your order. No wonder they are a family heirloom, says shooting journalist Rosie Nickerson.
For the aspiring shot, the ultimate gift this Christmas would have to be a bespoke shotgun, made by one of Britain’s historic gun makers such as Purdey, Holland & Holland or Boss. These traditional gun-makers are at the pinnacle of their trade: the Rolls-Royce or the Aston Martin of the gun world, but with a far longer history (Purdey set up shop in the 19th century, before the Battle of Waterloo).
A shot gun from one of these traditional British gun-makers involves between 900-1,200 man hours from seven or more different craftsmen. Clients need to be patient, as each order takes between 18 months to two and a half years to complete. A pair of bespoke side-by-side shotguns from a gun-maker of this calibre would start at approximately £140,000 plus VAT (depending on specification) and only 60-80 orders are taken per year.
To make a shotgun there are seven different stages involved, each role fulfilled by a different craftsman or team of craftsmen: the barrel maker; action maker; lock maker; engraver; stocker; ejector man and the finisher. Each will have served their five-year apprenticeship under a master craftsman. Every craftsman will sign his work, so each part of the gun will have traceable provenance.
Purdey set up shop before the Battle of Waterloo
Purdey set up shop before the Battle of Waterloo
Each shotgun contains approximately 90-95 individual parts, which fit together perfectly, cut to an accuracy of 200th of a millimetre, a fraction of the width of a human hair. This involves some incredibly high-tech engineering, and allows absolute accuracy and consistency of every part. State-of-the-art engineering twinned with some of the most traditional craftsmanship is what makes these guns the works of art they are.
Purdey’s Tom Nicholls (craftsman) says: “A lot of what we do is done in the traditional way, the hard way, but that gives you a huge sense of pride. At the end of the day, Purdey has always been at the pinnacle of gun-making and after 200 years, we are still striving to be the best.”
For the client choosing a hand-made shot-gun, it all starts with being measured up: out come the tape measure and the ‘try‘ gun. For a Shot to have the best chance of hitting the target, the gun must fit him perfectly. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes so the gun is fitted taking into account the client’s exact measurements: height, width of shoulders, length of arm, distance of the eye to the shoulder. The idea behind this is so that when you mount the gun to your shoulder and look down the barrel, you will hit your target as easily as if you were pointing at it.
This is not just a work of art to be kept in a gun cabinet
The next step is for the client to choose the block of walnut to make the stock, which is a very personal choice as the grain in each block of wood can vary hugely from the next. The wood used is Turkish walnut, as British and French supplies have been exhausted. A walnut stock in the raw is worth more than £1,000. This will need to be shaped and varnished to preserve the wood, but this will make it slippery, so a grip must be created. It needs a grid of bumps and grooves, each of which will be hand-carved into the stock, and takes about 100 hours. One mistake, and the process will have to be started again with a fresh block of wood.
There are many choices for the client to make, such as deciding on length of barrels, as well as choice of rib, choke, triggers. Pat Murphy, Technical Manager at Holland & Holland, says: ‘The fit of the gun is definitely the most important of all, but what makes each shotgun shot truly unique is the engraving. There is an album of patterns used over the years, and we use it a bit like a Bible. The client looks through and picks a scroll from one page and vignette from another, or a game scene. Engravers work direct with clients, to create unique designs such as fine scroll, inlay of precious metals, enamel, bird or animal scenes, even the Karma Sutra!’
The fit of the gun is the most important part of all
Roy Lyu, head of the gunroom at Boss, says: ‘This is a luxury item, not just a work of art to be kept in a gun cabinet, it is a fully functioning tool.”
Boss is mostly known for its over-and-under design, with a single trigger. The patent for this design dates back to 1909 and almost every modern over-and-under shotgun you see on the market today owes its design to Boss.
Buyers tend to be American, followed by British, European and the rest of the world. Some collectors will order a new gun every year. I am told by Holland & Holland that newly moneyed clients prefer to buy ‘off the shelf’ as they want instant gratification, rather than a two-year wait. However, if you are prepared to wait, you will have an heirloom which can be passed down the family for generations to come.
Rosie Nickerson has written regularly for The Field, as well as other field sports publications and Tatler. She started shooting at the age of nine and is regularly included in the list of Top UK Shots. In 2009, her book How to be Asked Again: How to be the Perfect Shooting Guest, was published, which has now sold more than 10,000 copies
Main images: Holland & Holland
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