"People commission engraving like they commission a painting, " says Nigel Beaumont, Purdey's executive chairman.

FORBES: Smart Collecting

Founded in 1965, Fabbri has emerged as a serious rival to the British gunmakers, which also include Purdey, Boss and Woodward.

FORBES: Great Guns

He sealed maximum points for the hosts two minutes from time courtesy of an emphatic finish following good work from Robert Purdey.

BBC: Hereford 2-1 Farnborough

Most significant is the lot featured on the cover of Christie's catalog, a pair of 20-bore over-and-under guns by Purdey, completed in 1989.

FORBES: Great Guns

Any perception of a tweed-clad member of the landed gentry more concerned with pheasant stocks, Purdey shotguns and regenerative timber stocks hides a shrewd, calculating businessman, unafraid to show the ruthlessness of a mako shark in making unpopular decisions.

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