In 1939, before the U.S. entered World War II, movie star Robert Montgomery enlisted in London for American field service and drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. In a break from helping British heroes, he acquired a pair of guns from James Purdey & Sons, a firm known for its acclaimed actions and preeminent patents, in addition to its export efforts. “The company’s links with America were fostered by frequent visits from its directors and especially strong links were built up with the film industry,” said gunwriter Geoffrey Boothroyd. “An example of this was a pair of Purdey guns bought by film star Robert Montgomery in 1939.”
Studio shot of actor Robert Montgomery with a Colt revolver.
Guitar great Eric Clapton’s purchases included sidelock ejectors by Boss & Co., Holland & Holland and James Purdey & Sons, but it was with his William Evans guns that he best expressed his love of the shooting sports. Clapton’s pair of 20-bore, single trigger self-openers feature pin-less locks engraved by Marcus Hunt that depict Clapton fishing and bird-shooting.
Few TV celebrities can match the onscreen charm of a Robert Montgomery or the passionate following of an Eric Clapton, but one who can is Tom Selleck who loves Holland & Holland.
“I’m not much of a hunter,” Selleck said. “I shoot a lot of clay targets. To me, the excitement is in ordering a fine shotgun, going through the process that everybody who has bought one has gone through for 100 years. You order it, make a significant down payment, and then you wait three or four years for the gun to be custom-made for you. They’re not making these guns much differently from the way they were made in 1920. That’s why it takes so long.
Tom Selleck and Doug Turnbull Inspect Tom’s restored Winchester 1886
“I know shotguns are politically incorrect,” he said, “but it’s too late for me to be concerned about such things. And the shooting sports are very misunderstood nowadays. Shooting clay targets is a very cleansing experience. It’s very relaxing. It takes a lot of concentration. It’s also very social, since you’re usually shooting with friends. You can talk and forget about almost anything else that’s on your mind.”
So what do these admittedly tenuous tales add up to? One answer might be that the talented, the successful and the rich will always imagine themselves possessing the very best of affordable luxuries.
Tom Selleck, who bought his Holland & Holland pair to celebrate the success of his hit television series Magnum PI, said: “We ought to commemorate our wins; instead, we tend to forget them and remember other things.” What better way to celebrate a lifetime achievement than with a timeless best British shotgun or double rifle?
This is Michael McIntosh’s classic book on fine shotguns, in a fully revised and expanded form — covering gunmakers who have become prominent since the first edition was published in 1989 and McIntosh’s continued research into the nature of the shotgun and the people who make them. Buy Now
