Being one of the world’s most respected gunmakers, notions of performance, consistency and adaptability are central to the philosophy at Purdey – and naturally, they’re all tenets synonymous with one of our most popular models: the Purdey Trigger Plate.
The launch of the Purdey Trigger Plate Game model in 2018 was spurred on by the increased trend in the sporting world towards higher birds and heavier cartridges – a corresponding Clays version, to complement the game-specific original, followed a year later. Made entirely in-house at the Purdey factory in West London, these Over-and-Under shotguns are defined by one particular design detail. The clue’s in the name: the Purdey Trigger Plate’s USP is its drop trigger unit, the entire mechanism of which can be detached from the gun for extra safety, practicality and versatility.
At the most practical level, being able to easily remove the action makes for far easier cleaning and maintenance throughout the season. The visibility of the inner workings also allows you to really see and understand what’s going on with your gun. Crucially, being able to switch triggers at the drop of a hat (or rather, by a catch next to the trigger guard) allows for a feeling of security in the field should you need to fit another trigger plate.
The Sporting Clays version of the Purdey Trigger Plate is even more particular than the Game model. Extra features include a fuller pistol grip, an ergonomic palm swell (to assist the shooter’s mount and reduce recoil), the option of a Monte Carlo-style raised stock and, importantly, a raised top rib and ventilated side ribs. The latter being necessary for the higher-volume shooting that comes with sporting clays and subsequent need for greater heat dispersal.
Though the Purdey Trigger Plate is seen as being a ‘simpler’ gun in terms of its internal mechanics – closer to the Purdey Sporter than the Sidelock for example, and at a price-point pretty much in the middle of both models – it has many similar attributes to a top-range Purdey, not least in the colour-case-hardened action, complex engraving, the same beatific Turkish walnut stock, and capacity for bespoke options.
A hidden, more holistic benefit of these streamlined internal mechanics is seen at the factory-end of its production too. Purdey runs a renowned apprenticeship scheme, intermittently taking on young gunmakers and training them in the meticulous, traditional and exacting minutiae of the craft (which you can read more about, here). Working on a Purdey Trigger Plate offers a fine understanding in the workings of a high-end gun and provides a great bedrock from which to move on to the more granular craftsmanship of the Sidelocks’ components.
The removable triggers may have been conceived for better performance in different environments, but externally it’s pretty much a blank canvas to make your own. An adaptable, classically elegant, well-crafted piece for the modern sportsperson, and a versatile canvas for the next generation of gunmakers? That’s the Purdey Trigger Plate.