Purdey & Sons Double Barrel “Express” Rifle
TITLE: Purdey & Sons Double Barrel “Express” Rifle
MAKER: James Purdey & Sons
MADE IN: London, England
CALIBER: .470-400 FX Cartridge
DATE: early 1870s
DIMENSIONS:Barrel: 27” Length: 44” Height: 8”
INSCRIPTION:Serial Number 14489 / Barrel: J. Purdey & Son, Audley Street, London. / made of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s Fluid – Pressured Steel.
CREDIT LINE: Guns from the Browning-Cowan Family
OBJECT ID: 986-12-011
In the 1850s, James Purdey the Younger coined the term “Express” after trains (then the fastest form of transportation) and in reference to the muzzle velocity of his gun, which clocked in at 1,600 feet per second or more. Purdey’s special two-winged bullet used larger powder charges and traveled at a far greater range than any previous designs.
Demand for double rifles peaked in the 1870s as the superior choice for big game hunters, who felt safer with two-independently firing barrels in the event they were charged by their prey.