A 12-BORE HAMMER GUN BY J. PURDEY, No. 10886, toplever, non-rebounding backlocks, best bouquet and scroll engraving, brushed bright and reblued finish, figured stock, rebrowned damascus barrels

A RIPON HAMMER GUN LORD RIPON 1852-1923 One of the greatest game shots of all time, to whom half a million head of game fell in his lifetime, Lord de Grey, later 2nd Marquess of Ripon became a legendary figure in the shooting field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Shooting was his passion and he spared no effort in perfecting his skill. Once he was discovered late at night in his host's library, with his loaders, putting a final polish to the drill for changing guns when shooting. It is said that on one occasion his speed and accuracy were such that seven birds were observed dead in the air at once. He appears to have started his famous series of game books when he was fifteen in 1867 and 4013 head is recorded for that year - not at all bad for a fifteen year old. The figures began to rise as the years passed and in 1880 and 1882 rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo and other big game species were included in the total bag. Exactly one hundred years ago, in 1893, at the age of 41 he bagged his highest total ever of 19,135 head. Although considered by many to be a humourless and severe personality, his wife, the widow of the 4th Earl of Lonsdale whom he married in 1885, was a most vivacious leader of society. Appropriately, it may be said, he died suddenly while shooting on his Dallowgill moors, near Studley Royal, Yorkshire, on 22nd September 1923

細節

A 12-BORE HAMMER GUN BY J. PURDEY, No. 10886, toplever, non-rebounding backlocks, best bouquet and scroll engraving, brushed bright and reblued finish, figured stock, rebrowned damascus barrels
14 7/8in. stock, 30in. barrels, proof exemption, sold as unsuitable for use
In a leather case

拍品專文

Gun No. 10886 was the No. 1 gun of a set of three 12-bore hammer guns built for Lord de Grey (later Lord Ripon) in 1881. The guns were built to match existing guns already owned by Lord de Grey, and Purdey's confirm the existence of a note to the effect that new barrels were fitted to this gun in 1886. This is the only gun of the set to have been rebarrelled and it is recorded in Lord de Grey's shooting diary of 1885 that he shot well, 'blew the top of No. 1 gun off as he fired
No. 3'. Presumably his loaders were not moving quickly enough
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