How often should you have your gun serviced?

We all know the importance of cleaning our gun after a day in the field, especially if it has been raining. Rather like sorting one's flies before a fishing trip, or rearranging the books on one's shelves, its a little ritual that allows for relflection, and the smell of gun oil is an evocative one. Something that many of us overlook, however, is the important task of getting our shotguns given the once-over by a professional. But how often should you get your shotgun serviced? To find out the answer, I visited the Purdey workshop in Hammersmith, where all of their famous guns are made, and where they carry out servicing for Purdey customers.

The factory, hidden down a side street, is an Aladdin's Cave for anyone who appreciates craftsmanship, attention to detail, and the application of skills developed over decades, or even centuries. Many of the people working on Purdey's guns at the rows of workbenches on the main factory floor, each station focussed on a different part of the gun-making process,  have been with the company for thirty or forty years. James Bryan, who is the Aftersales Service Manager, and whose expert eye examines every gun that enters and  leaves the factory, both new and serviced, is a relative newcomer, having clocked up a mere 27 years. In his office, in a side room off the main factory floor, I asked him about the company's gun gun care service.

Purdey's James Bryan checking a gun over in the 'Gun Hub'

How often should you have your gun serviced?

"At least once a year," is James' answer, "especially if you've been shooting in wet conditions." And since shooting in the UK takes place in winter, you can more or less guarantee shooting in the rain at least once a season. "The most important thing is that you don't wait until something goes wrong before sending the gun in for a service," he adds. Water damage is among the most common problems that he sees on customers' guns, from rust to damage to the stock. "Moisture can have an impact on the gun's mechanism, owing to the very fine tolerances that we work to, but water can also make the wood swell which can cause the mechanism to fail.

Purdey's Head Barrel Maker testing for leaks 

When should you get your gun serviced?

The simple answer, says James is: "as soon as possible after the end of the season." He explains that while he tries to ensure that guns sent for servicing are dealt with as soon as possible, the amount of other orders and guns in for servicing can have an impact on how long it takes. "Don't wait until August or July - send it in as soon as you have a bit of a window when you don't need you gun, get it in. I'd always like a gun in earlier rather than later." Owing to the natural peaks and troughs in orders, May can also be a good time of year. "The problems arise when a gun comes in on the second of August and the customer wants it ready for the 12th, when we're already busy with other service orders for customers who sent their guns in in plenty of time. We can't very well push other customers back in the queue."

Releasing the stock from the action on a Purdey Sporter

What are the common problems?

Aside from damage from moisture James reckons that one of the big challenges are the things people do to their guns. "People have such high expectations of our brand and our product that they think they can do anything with their gun and it will be fine - people expect them to just work all the time. I've seen people use them to help them get over a barbed wire fence, or conversely treated as museum pieces and barely touched them." But aside from these horror stories, James says one of the most common faults is over-oiling, and using the wrong oil. "A lot of people seem to think that WD40 will do the job, but the trouble is it gets everywhere. We use a 3-in-1 oil that works in most climatic conditions - it doesn't clog in cold conditions or run too much in warmer weather." Too much oil can do more harm than good,  as grit, dust, poweder residue and other detritus can cling to the oil and gum up the mechanism. He also recommends storing your gun barrels-down to avoid oil and grease running out of the acton or barrels and damaging the stock.

Some of the tools of the trade

What is the shotgun servicing process?

"The first thing we do," says James, "is a barrel estimate. The barrels would go straight into the barrel-shop to do an hour's evaluation on them, looking at wall thicknesses, bore sizes, and anything else that we can cover in that hour. That information then goes into the system which gives me the information I need to do an estimate of the cost for the customer." The next stage is to cost up any stock alterations that may need doing through another hour long process with the stocker. Even if the customer has only requested a strip and clean service, James will still do a full barrel estimate, so that he can make customers aware of any issues that might be found, and it is then down to the customer to decide whether they want to address them or not.

The minimum service is a 'strip and regrease' which involves the lockwork and forend being removed, a visual inspection of the gun and the removal of any accumulated grime and grease, followed by a re-greasing and testing of the gun. A more in-depth service is a 'strip and clean', which includes a full mechanical inspection, and adjustment of the pins if necessary. 

More extensive still is a 'mechanical service' which can include repair to the action, locks, ejectors, triggers, pins, top lever, chokes and a range of other mechanical repairs.

A valuable book to own: The Purdey Service Book

How long does it take?

The initial estimate takes up to two weeks to complete, which is sufficient time for the craftsmen to complete a full examination of the gun. The length of time any given servicing takes depends on the amount of work to be carried out, based upon the initial inspection. For this reason it is hard to give a definitive answer to this question. James tries to ensure that every order is addressed as quickly as possible, but you are generally looking at two weeks as a minimum length of time for a strip and clean.

Complete details on having your Purdey serviced can be found via their website and a simple strip and regrease will cost you £300, while a strip and clean costs £450.