James Purdey & Sons
Corporate brand
UnclaimedJames Purdey & Sons, commonly known as Purdey, is a London-based luxury gunmaker specializing in bespoke sporting shotguns, rifles, shooting clothing, and related accessories.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
James Purdey & Sons, generally known simply as Purdey, is a historic British gunmaker whose identity is built around hand-crafted sporting firearms, bespoke service, technical refinement, and royal and aristocratic patronage. The company was founded in London in 1814 by James Purdey, who had trained with established makers including Joseph Manton and had earlier worked with his brother-in-law Thomas Keck Hutchinson and the Reverend Alexander Forsyth. From its beginnings, the business served the upper end of the sporting-gun market, making shotguns, rifles, and pistols for affluent British and international customers. The company’s early history followed the rapid development of firearms technology during the nineteenth century. It first occupied premises near Leicester Square before moving in 1826 to 314–315 Oxford Street, an address that became known as 314½ Oxford Street because of a numbering conflict. James Purdey’s son, James Purdey the Younger, assumed operational control in 1858 and led the firm through the transition from muzzle-loading flintlocks to sophisticated breech-loading and hammerless guns. He obtained patents for several important mechanisms, including the Purdey bolt system and a concealed third bite that helps lock side-by-side barrels securely. These features became central to the firm’s technical identity and remain associated with its guns. In 1878, James the Younger brought two of his sons into the business and adopted the name James Purdey & Sons. The company moved in 1882 to a purpose-built premises at 57–58 South Audley Street, at the corner of Mount Street, in London’s Mayfair district. The address remains the company’s principal showroom and historic base. Purdey’s self-opening hammerless gun, introduced in 1880 and based on a mechanism designed by former craftsman Frederick Beesley, became one of its most influential products. The mechanism was later adapted with William Wem’s ejector design, and the resulting side-by-side platform has changed relatively little apart from subsequent refinements and optional trigger configurations. Purdey became closely associated with royal households and international sporting elites. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were early royal customers, and the firm received its first British Royal Warrant in 1868 from the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. Further warrants followed from Queen Victoria and later British monarchs, as well as from European royal houses. In May 2024, King Charles III granted the company another Royal Warrant, extending a relationship described as lasting for more than 150 years. The company has also supplied military and specialist firearms. During the First World War, it manufactured sniper rifles and aerial-gunnery sights for the British War Office. Its sporting range has included express and double rifles, bolt-action rifles based on Mauser actions, side-by-side shotguns, hammer ejectors, trap guns, over-and-under guns, and later sporter and trigger-plate models. Manufacturing is associated with the company’s Hammersmith factory, established in the late 1970s and rebuilt in connection with the firm’s bicentenary. Purdey expanded beyond firearms in the 1970s, when Lavinia Beaumont began a broader clothing and accessories operation. The range developed from shooting clothing, gifts, and field accessories into a wider luxury lifestyle offer including luggage and other country-oriented products. The company has also operated or acquired shooting grounds, including the Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group, which was rebranded as Purdey at the Royal Berkshire in 2022. Ownership has passed through several private family and investor arrangements. The company became a limited company in 1925, changed hands among several shareholders during the twentieth century, and was acquired by Richemont in 1994. Members of the Purdey family continued to hold leadership and board roles after the acquisition. Today, the brand operates as a Richemont…
History
James Purdey established his London gunmaking business in 1814 after training and working with prominent figures in the British firearms trade. The first premises were on Princes Street, near Leicester Square, and the business moved in 1826 to Oxford Street, where it occupied the distinctive address 314½ Oxford Street from 1827. The firm initially made sporting guns, rifles, and pistols, serving customers who valued both mechanical performance and decorative workmanship. James Purdey’s son, James Purdey the Younger, took over management in 1858. His tenure coincided with major changes in gun design. Over the course of the nineteenth century, firearms moved from muzzle-loading flintlock systems toward breech-loading, hammerless, and ejector mechanisms. Purdey participated actively in this development, securing patents for locking and action mechanisms. The Purdey bolts and concealed third bite became especially important elements of its side-by-side guns and influenced the broader trade. The company adopted the name James Purdey & Sons in 1878, after James the Younger brought two sons into the business. In 1882 it moved to 57–58 South Audley Street, a purpose-designed showroom and factory building in Mayfair. The company continues to be associated with this location. One of its defining technical achievements was the self-opening hammerless gun introduced in 1880. Frederick Beesley designed the mechanism, which used a V-spring arrangement both to operate the internal hammers and to assist in opening the gun. William Wem’s ejector design was incorporated into a later version in 1888. Athol Purdey led the company from 1900 through the Edwardian period and the First World War. During the war, the firm produced sniper rifles and aerial-gunnery sights for the British War Office. Athol’s sons James and Tom, both veterans of service in France, joined the business during the 1920s. In 1925, the company was incorporated as a limited company, with investment from members of the Oliver family. Tom eventually became chairman and remained involved until ill health led to his retirement in 1955. Purdey’s ownership became less exclusively family-based during the twentieth century. Shares passed through a succession of owners, including Sir Wyndham Portal, Major Godfrey Miller-Mundy, John Cobbold, Hugh Seely, and Richard Beaumont. In 1949, Purdey acquired James Woodward & Sons, principally to obtain its patented under-and-over design. Purdey later refined this design and retained it within its own range. The company also developed products for American clients, including a single-barrel trap gun introduced in 1923 and an over-and-under model introduced in 1925. The firm expanded its non-firearm business in 1974, when Lavinia Beaumont established a clothing and accessories operation. What began as shooting apparel, gifts, and field equipment broadened into a luxury country-lifestyle range. Manufacturing operations were established in Hammersmith in the late 1970s. The factory was comprehensively rebuilt around the company’s bicentenary and formally opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 2015. In 1994, Richard Beaumont sold James Purdey & Sons to Compagnie Financière Richemont SA. The acquisition placed Purdey within an international luxury-goods group while preserving the brand’s specialist identity and London base. Richard Purdey, representing the sixth generation of the founder’s family, served as chairman from 1997 until 2007. Nigel Beaumont subsequently chaired the company until 2014, followed by James Horne and then Dan Jago, who became chairman in December 2019. Annika Purdey, the founder’s seventh-generation descendant, serves on the board as a non-executive director. Purdey has maintained a particularly strong connection with royal customers. Queen Victoria purchased a pair of Purdey pistols in 1838, followed by Prince Albert in 1840. The company received its first British Royal Warrant in 1868 and later received warrants from Queen Victoria, subsequent British sovereigns, and other European royal houses. It also created miniature firearms for the British Royal Family, including non-working replicas for Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House in 1923 and working miniature hammer guns made for King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935. In May 2024, King Charles III granted the company a new Royal Warrant. Modern Purdey combines bespoke gunmaking with rifles, shooting instruction, clothing, accessories, luggage, and sporting experiences. Its shooting-ground activities include the Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group, acquired in 2018 and rebranded as Purdey at the Royal Berkshire in 2022. The business remains positioned at the highest end of the sporting and luxury market, where long lead times, hand craftsmanship, customization, heritage, and personal service are central to the proposition.
- 2024
Royal Warrant granted by King Charles III
[1]King Charles III granted Purdey a Royal Warrant in May 2024.
- 2022
Royal Berkshire operation rebranded
[1]The acquired shooting business began operating under the name Purdey at the Royal Berkshire.
- 2018
Updated bolt-action rifle launched
[1]Purdey introduced an updated bolt-action rifle using a titanium chassis intended to improve barrel stability and accuracy.
- 2018
Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group acquired
[1]Purdey purchased the Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group, expanding its shooting-ground and instruction activities.
- 2014
Hammersmith factory rebuilt
[1]The manufacturing facility was rebuilt as part of the company’s bicentenary program.
- 2004
Hammer Ejector reintroduced
[1]Purdey brought back a Hammer Ejector model using a sidelock action influenced by earlier Purdey designs.
- 1994
Acquired by Richemont
[1]Richard Beaumont sold James Purdey & Sons to Compagnie Financière Richemont SA.
- 1974
Clothing and accessories business launched
[1]Lavinia Beaumont established a dedicated clothing and accessories operation, expanding Purdey beyond firearms.
- 1949
James Woodward & Sons acquired
[1]Purdey acquired James Woodward & Sons, chiefly to obtain its under-and-over gun design.
- 1925
Incorporation and over-and-under development
[1]The company became a limited company and introduced an over-and-under model based on Edwinson Green’s design.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
Ultra-luxury British sporting and country-lifestyle brand centered on bespoke hand-made firearms, heritage craftsmanship, royal warrants, technical expertise, and highly personalized service.
Sporting shotguns
Side-by-side shotguns
Purdey’s traditional side-by-side shotguns are bespoke sporting guns made around the company’s established sidelock, locking, and ejector technologies. The platform developed through the nineteenth century and is associated with the Purdey bolt, concealed third bite, self-opening mechanism, hand finishing, and extensive customer customization.
Sporting shotguns · 1925
Over-and-under guns
Purdey’s over-and-under offering traces its lineage to the design acquired from James Woodward & Sons in 1949. The company refined the configuration and continues to produce it as part of its high-end sporting-gun range, with bespoke specifications and decorative options.
Sporting shotgun · 2004
Hammer Ejector
Reintroduced in 2004, the Hammer Ejector draws on Purdey’s historical back-action hammer-gun tradition while using a sidelock action styled after earlier bar-in-wood guns. It combines period-inspired appearance with a modern bespoke production approach.
Sporting rifles · 1851
Double rifles
Purdey makes bespoke double rifles, including reinforced side-by-side actions associated with its express-rifle heritage. The range is intended for specialist sporting use and reflects the company’s historical work in high-velocity rifle design and dangerous-game cartridges.
Sporting rifles · 1931
Bolt-action rifles
Purdey has offered bolt-action rifles using Mauser actions since 1931. An updated model introduced in 2018 used a titanium chassis designed to free-float the barrel and support improved accuracy.
Sporting shotgun · 2007
Sporter
The Sporter is one of Purdey’s more modern sporting-gun configurations, introduced as part of the company’s continuing expansion beyond its classic side-by-side platform. It is made as a premium bespoke gun for sporting use.
Sporting shotgun · 2018
Trigger-Plate
Introduced in 2018, the Trigger-Plate is a modern Purdey shotgun model built around a trigger-plate action. It extends the brand’s product architecture while retaining its emphasis on hand craftsmanship and bespoke specification.
Luxury clothing and lifestyle goods · 1974
Purdey clothing and accessories
Purdey’s non-firearm range began with shooting clothing, gifts, and field accessories in 1974 and later expanded into luxury country clothing, lifestyle products, and luggage. The assortment extends the brand’s sporting heritage into a broader luxury consumer proposition.
Brand decisions
2024
Royal Warrant renewed under King Charles IIIOtherBackground
Purdey’s historic relationship with the British Royal Family continued after the accession of King Charles III.
Action taken
King Charles III granted the company a Royal Warrant as a gun and rifle maker.
Aftermath
The warrant reinforced Purdey’s heritage positioning and association with British royal patronage.
2018
Updated bolt-action rifle introducedProduct launchBackground
Purdey updated its long-standing bolt-action rifle line with a focus on accuracy and barrel support.
Action taken
The company launched a model using a titanium chassis to free-float the barrel.
Aftermath
The update demonstrated that Purdey continued to combine traditional bespoke production with selected modern engineering materials.
2018
Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group acquiredM&ABackground
Purdey sought to expand its direct involvement in shooting instruction and sporting experiences.
Action taken
The company purchased the Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group.
Aftermath
The business was later rebranded as Purdey at the Royal Berkshire in 2022.
2004
Hammer Ejector reintroducedProduct launchBackground
Purdey maintained an interest in historical hammer-gun forms and sought to bring an earlier style back into its modern range.
Action taken
The company reintroduced the Hammer Ejector using a sidelock action modeled on its historic designs.
Aftermath
The model extended Purdey’s active range while connecting contemporary production with nineteenth-century company history.
1994
Sale to RichemontM&ABackground
After a succession of private ownership arrangements, Richard Beaumont decided to sell the historic gunmaker.
Action taken
Compagnie Financière Richemont SA acquired James Purdey & Sons.
Aftermath
Purdey became part of the international Richemont luxury group while retaining its specialist London identity and family-linked heritage.
Recent events
- 2024
King Charles III grants Purdey a Royal Warrant[1]
Other
Purdey received a Royal Warrant from King Charles III in May 2024, continuing the company’s long-standing relationship with the British Royal Family.
- 2024
Giles Deacon becomes creative director[1]
Leadership change
Giles Deacon succeeded Simon Holloway as Purdey’s creative director in June 2024.
- 2022
Purdey at the Royal Berkshire rebrand[1]
Other
The Royal County of Berkshire Shooting Group, acquired by Purdey in 2018, was renamed Purdey at the Royal Berkshire.
Sources1 sources
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