Making a Custom Shotgun

We studied the overall process of gun making a couple of posts ago and studied the specifics of manufacturing replica Colt revolvers in our last post. In this post, we will look into the process involved in making a custom shotgun.

James Purdey & Sons is a well-known British custom manufacturer of firearms and has been in business since 1814 (the year before the Battle of Waterloo). The name "Purdey" is practically synonymous with high-end shotguns and rifles and the prices of their products start at about $100,000 or so. This London-based company counts many members of British, European and Indian royal families as some of its customers and is one of the most prestigious manufacturers of rifle and shotguns in the world.

In the video, we can see that they use some of the finest materials to manufacture the weapon: walnut wood from Turkey for the stock, electric discharge machining (EDM) to machine some of the components, skilled craftsmen to engrave some of the rifle components, unbelievably high precision fitting of the parts etc. The customer is measured for the weapon and the gun stock is custom-made to his requirements. This is not only a work of art, but is also a very precise and well made weapon, which accounts for its high price.

Enjoy the video!