Guns of the Concours

The Gold Medal Concours d'Elegance of Fine Guns features shotguns and rifles -new and old, from around the world-that are panel-judged in a variety of classes and categories.

Matched sets of British sporting guns evoke visions of the aristocracy on shooting estates with loaders at their sides and high-flying driven pheasants falling to the rhythm of guns being handled with drill-team precision. Edwardian Era game books are filled with record tallies and legendary shooting feats. Lord Ripon is reputed to have had seven birds dead in the air at once falling to his trio of Purdey hammerguns and two loaders.
Whether pairs, trios or more, matched guns are identical in every feature, although shooters often have a favorite that they use when multiples aren't necessary and thus show more wear. Sets frequently are broken when the owner dies and the heirs split up the bounty. Fascinating stories often emerge when sets of guns are reunited-one bought in a shop, for example, and years later another found at auction. A British firm called Matched Pairs (www.matchedpairs.com) registers broken sets in the hopes of helping reunite siblings.
Today, sets of guns are used for driven shooting in both the US and Europe. Sometimes they are bought by shooters merely desiring backup guns identical to their favorites. With vintage guns especially, if one malfunctions on a driven shoot, it is desirable to have a replacement ready at hand.
Henry Atkins No. 766 and 767 were made in 1893 as part of a trio. They are sidelever barlock ejector 12-bore rebounding-hammer guns. No one knows the whereabouts of the third, but a few years ago these two found their way to Atkin Grant and Lang (www.atkingrant andlang.co.uk), north of London. Both were in poor condition, but the AG&L team is renowned for its restoration services, and Managing Director Ken Duglan soon found buyers for the project. The two buyers-close personal friends and business partners-commissioned a complete rebuilding of the guns. As best friends and left-handed shooters, they decided to have the pair for use separately or together.
The guns were rebarreled with 30-inch chopper-lump tubes choked 1/2 in the right and 3/4 in the left and nitro proofed for 2-3/4" cartridges. Both were restocked in exhibition-grade Turkish walnut with straight-hand grips and checkered butts at 15-1/4" LOP and cast-on. Each front trigger was knurled, and both sets of triggers were canted left. The action bottoms show the serial numbers and "Henry Atkin from Purdey's" engraved in gold. The numbers "1" and "2" appear in gold about an inch from the breech ends and an inch behind the breeches on the top of the action bodies. The guns weigh seven pounds each.
The rebounding hammers release the ejectors only when the strikers have been hit. The guns can be opened and closed and the hammers cocked or let down by hand as needed, but the ejectors remain set until one or both hammers are fired and the guns are opened.
S idelevers can be placed on the right of the action, the left or both. A right-handed shooter's preference ought to be on the left side, where the right thumb can reach the lever more easily, yet most such guns have the levers on the right. One theory is that a left-side lever might catch in a right-handed shooter's clothing when passing the gun back and forth to the loader.
Henry Atkin (1834-1907), after an apprenticeship to his father, Charles, at Purdey's, established his own London firm in 1877. To the displeasure of the Purdey family, Atkin was the first of many to add "from Purdey's" after his name on his guns. The tradition continues even today with many ex-Purdey gunmakers.
Over Thanksgiving 2001 the new owners of Nos. 766 and 767 joined Duglan to shoot at Corsewall, Scotland, where they were presented with their completed guns-each in its own oak & leather case with new accessories. At the Fifth Gold Medal Concours, in September 2003, these Atkins caught the eye of the jury and were named "Best Restoration" and "Best Matched Pair."
The present owners have agreed never to split up the guns. Now perhaps the third gun can be found, completing the set and the story. The siblings have a lot of catching up to do.

Roger Sanger is the founder of the California Side by Side Society and served as its president for 10 years. He is also the co-founder of the Gold Medal Concours. Co-author Steve Helsley is the Concours photographer.