Taking care of your Purdey at home

We are now in the midst of the shooting season, which means that the weather is turning colder and wetter, testing our abilities in the field. At the end of a wonderful day outdoors, gun care is often overlooked in favour of warming ourselves in front of the fire with a drink. However, it is essential that shotguns and rifles are cleaned regularly, especially after a hard day shooting. The first step is to find a suitable area in your house, one that has a soft surface to avoid damaging any of the parts. Carefully strip the gun down to the three main components. - Stock and action - Forend - Barrels

Recommended cleaning materials

- Cleaning rod - Mop - Phosphor bronze brush - Jag - Patches (pre-cut cleaning roll) - Small brush (a 1" paint brush) - Cotton buds - Gun cleaner/lubricant - Gun oil View all gun cleaning tools

Gun Parts

Stock and forend

If you have shot on a wet day, remove any moisture from the surfaces with a clean rag and use cotton buds for the tight areas in the forend iron. Leave to dry in a cool dry place, separated from one another.

Action

Visually check over and remove any residue, dirt, and water from the base, trigger area, and face of the action. If shot in wet weather, check the safety catch and top lever. These must be dried in order to ensure full working order. Should you experience significant tightness of either component that does not ease, please contact Purdey to discuss a service.

Purdey Sporter

The detachable trigger plate allows you to clean and oil the mechanism with ease, especially after shooting in wet conditions. Simply remove and wipe down with a lightly oiled cloth whilst using the cotton buds for hard to reach areas.

Barrels

The barrels must be cleaned at the end of each day to remove dirt and grime. We advise using gun cleaner to lubricate the barrels and a phosphor bronze brush break up any hard deposits. A piece of cleaning roll can then be attached to a jag in order to remove these deposits. Finally, use a mop with a small amount of gun oil to protect the barrels. When you have finished, make sure a light coating of oil is applied to the barrels and metal components to avoid it running onto the woodwork. We often see this in older Purdey guns, where the oil has penetrated the stock and forend from years of use. Visually check along the barrels for any dents or marks and inform Purdey if you are concerned. WARNING Do not leave any part of the gun by a heater or fire to speed up the drying process because it could cause parts to expand or warp, thus impacting the mechanics of the gun. Do not over oil when cleaning to avoid excess oil or grease getting into the woodwork. Do not leave gun(s) in a wet gun slip. If you believe there is any damage to or if the gun has been shot in wet conditions for an extended period, please contact Purdey to arrange a service. Each part should be visually checked for any breakages or damage. If there is any damage, please call +44(0)20 7499 1801.