Purdey .600 Nitro Express Double Rifle
James Purdey & Sons Ltd · Rifle · Limited Production · 1903
Also known as: Purdey Best Double Rifle .600 NE, Purdey .600 NE
Overview
The Purdey .600 Nitro Express Double Rifle is a bespoke side-by-side break-action double rifle built by James Purdey & Sons of London and chambered for the enormous .600 Nitro Express dangerous-game cartridge. Built on Purdey's hand-fitted sidelock action with double triggers, automatic ejectors and regulated twin barrels, it is one of the heaviest and most powerful sporting rifles ever produced, firing a 900-grain (58 g) bullet developing over 9,000 joules of muzzle energy. Each rifle is individually regulated so both barrels print to the same point of aim, hand-engraved with rose-and-scroll work and stocked in figured walnut to the customer's exact measurements. Purdey built only a handful of rifles in this calibre, making surviving examples among the most coveted of all British 'best' double rifles.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 7300 g (257.5 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 7420 g (261.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1092 mm (42.99") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Double Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 564 m/s (1850 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 9274 J (6840 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- .600 Nitro Express · primary — also known as .600 NE
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Open Manual
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Intercepting Sears
- Features: Side By Side Barrels, Sidelock Action, Double Triggers, Express Sights, Ejectors, Hand Engraved, Bespoke Fit
Service history
Operators
- Big-game hunters and sporting collectors
Production
Production years: 1903-present
Only a very small number of Purdey rifles were ever chambered in .600 Nitro Express; each is a bespoke commission.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: James Purdey & Sons
Notes
Purdey produced very few rifles in .600 Nitro Express; records list roughly half a dozen built across the 20th century. The calibre is a stopping rifle intended for elephant and buffalo at close range rather than long-range work.
Background
James Purdey founded his London firm in 1814 after training under Joseph Manton, becoming gunmaker to Queen Victoria and successive British monarchs. The .600 Nitro Express itself was introduced around 1900 by W.J. Jeffery & Co. as the ultimate stopping cartridge of the African hunting era; a Purdey chambered for it represents the pinnacle of the British big-game double rifle, so scarce and expensive that owning one has long been a mark of the most serious dangerous-game hunter.