LONDON.- Guns and Rifles belonging to Dukes, Lords and Princes will be offered in Gavin Gardiner Ltd’s live/ online auction of Modern & Vintage Sporting Guns on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 10am. The sale will take place online and bidding is available via invaluable.com.

A fine hammer rifle built for Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox by James Purdey & Son is estimated at £14,000-18,000. The maker confirms that the rifle was built in 1876 for Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox as the No.1 of a pair of rifles. Colonel Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox (1847-1921) was the second son of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, and was educated at Eton. He served with the Royal Navy between 1863 and 1865 before joining the 1st Regiment of Life Guards and transferring to the Grenadier Guards in 1867. He served during the Anglo Egyptian war of 1882 and was Aide-de-Camp to Prince George, the Duke of Cambridge 1883-1895. He served in South Africa in 1900 as Military Secretary to Sir Alfred Milner and latterly joined the staff of Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard.

While by Charles Lancaster, is a fine pair of 14-bore percussion guns built for HRH Prince Albert as a gift from Queen Victoria with the gold escutcheons engraved with a crowned ‘A’ and is expected to fetch £18,000-20,000. HRH Prince Albert was a regular customer of Charles Lancaster, and he ordered his first pair of 15-bore guns in 1843 and the company received the Royal Warrant later that same year. The maker confirms that the guns were built in 1850.

A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns also by James Purdey & Sons that were built in 1892 for John Charles Montague Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch and 8th Duke of Queensberry 1831-1914 is estimated at £3,500-5,000. He served as member of Parliament for Midlothian between 1853-1868 and 1874-1880, before famously losing his seat to William Gladstone by 211 votes. He was invested as a Knight of the Thistle, and then as a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He was General Captain of the Royal Company of Archers and was invested as a Privy Counsellor.

Two of the most high-value lots in the sale are also by Purdey. A 12-bore single trigger sidelock ejector over and under gun is estimated at £50,000-60,000. The maker confirms that the gun was built in 1991 and it conforms to its original specification. The gun appears virtually unused, the vendor stating that he has used the gun on only a handful of occasions. The maker is currently quoting in excess of £165,000 (including VAT) for a new gun of this specification.

While a fine pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns carry an estimate of £40,000- 60,000. The maker confirms that the guns were ordered in 1989 and 1990, and completed in December 1990 and March 1992 respectively, the serial number for the second gun having been reserved in the original order. The guns have been very little used by the original owner and retain all their original finish.