Historic Purdey Bicentenary Trio sold

The Purdey Bicentenary Trio, a unique set that consists of a 12-bore side-by-side shotgun, a 20-bore Damascus over-and-under shotgun and a .470 double rifle, was sold to a private collector for an undisclosed fee.

When viewed together the two shotguns and rifle that make up the Purdey Bicentenary Trio represent key milestones in the gunmaker’s 200-year history. Each one features engraving unique to the era in which it was first made, and each contains a specially allocated serial number as well as the Purdey bicentenary logo.

Following the sale of its Purdey Bicentenary Trio, the gunmaker donated a proportion of the sale’s proceeds to charity; £75,000 was donated to both the Prince’s Trust and the Gunmakers’ Company Charitable Trust.

Jamie Roberts, head of philanthropy in the East Midlands & East of England at the Prince’s Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this generous gift from James Purdey & Sons; it will have a huge impact on our work and enable us to help many more young people.”

The money donated to the Gunmakers’ Company Charitable Trust will support their work to provide bursaries to members of the UK gun trade and contribute to the training of its newest members.