Look Inside The New Purdey Factory

Felgate House, in West London reopened its doors in 2015, and the new workshop didn’t simply update the premises, explains Allie Stanislas, Marketing Executive, “It increased the size of the facilities by putting up a three-storey building as opposed to the old single-storey workshop that had previously been there.” 

A true London company

James Purdey built his first guns in Princes Street, off Leicester Square, in 1814, before moving to “King of Gunmaking” Joseph Manton’s former premises at 314½ Oxford Street in 1826, where James had honed his skills under the great man himself. A new, dedicated workshop was acquired in 1881, at 37 North Row, which was the beginning of 134 years of being based in West London. Irongate Wharf became the company’s home in 1900, followed by North Wharf Road, and finally, in 1979, Felgate House. Some machinery has been updated, where necessary, but the guns produced by Purdey are still 97 per cent hand-made. However what has changed is the layout, which, with approximately 35,000 square foot, allows for more space for the company’s master craftsmen to build some of the most desired guns in the world. 

Following the craftsmen’s wishes

Interestingly, the building doesn’t house an increased number of people working there, which remains 45,– instead, to build it, the craftsmen that work on Purdey guns were consulted with regards to lighting, workbenches and the space they needed before the workshops were built. Now, with the additional 5,000 square feet of floorspace, each element of shotgun and rifle building has its own space, and each step of the craft is set in chronological order: barrels, actions, ejectors, locks and triggers, stocking, engraving and finally, finishing. 

An underground range

With two floors above ground, the new Purdey premises also houses an underground level, which has a state-of-the-art soundproofed range, accommodating not only a patterning plate for shotguns, but also a 50m rifle range, something that has made a huge difference to testing guns, says Allie: “Before, we’d have to take the guns to West London Shooting School, fire them, then take them back for adjustments and head back to West London Shooting School again to repeat the whole process. Now it’s simply a matter of heading to the basement!” The walls of the range can be moved to accommodate the patterning plate and allow for testing of shotguns. Purdey, rather than using the traditional white-wash pattern plates, has developed a digital photography system with electronic impact detectors, allowing for accurate shot counts and eliminating any human error during the process.  

So with this state-of-the-art building, with the latest lighting, more space and improved facilities, will Purdey’s gunmaking be changing? “Absolutely not,” Allie says: “We continue to use the same techniques and tools that have been in use since 1814, which have stood the test of time. Purdey will remain true to its name, that of the world’s finest gunmaker.”

To find out more about James Purdey & Sons - visit the website here.