Handcrafted shotgun worth $60,000 captivates visitors

A handcrafted shotgun worth $60,000 has captivated visitors at a display by a Christchurch gun company which is the first exhibitor to be able to show firearms at the Fieldays.

The 45-year-old Purdey 20 gauge, single trigger has generated a lot interest, especially from one visitor.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve sold it. We have a potential buyer who’s very interested,” Gun City’s owner and managing director, David Tipple, said.

Made in London and from the Queens Gun Market, the gun is difficult to come across. “There is a huge waiting list for guns like these – about two and a half years,” Mr Tipple said.

Along with an array of 500 different arms, Gun City, which has been operating since 1978, has an impressive display of historical war equipment ranging from World War II to over 300 years ago.

“We have a German army helmet from WWII that we bought over from Finland. Our oldest piece of equipment is a 350 year old Arabic gun and it is $12, 000,” Mr Tipple said.

To be able to hold the exhibition, security and safety had to be well planned.

“We had to get permission to sell guns here and to have the approved facility, which is lockable racks for the guns,” Mr Tipple said.

“We also needed a dealer’s licence. So all up it was a $25,000 exercise.”

Mystery Creek’s operations manager Roger Bailey said Gun City’s professionalism made it an easy decision to allow firearms to be exhibited at the Fieldays.

“Gun City has done an exceptional job in meeting the criteria we have given and are leading the way in how to sell firearms at a temporary event.”

Police development manager Kate Gabriel said the rules around guns, ammunition, machetes and knives at the Fieldays were tight.

“The exhibitors cannot give people guns to take from their sites. The arms are couriered to a safe location by gate two, where they can be picked up off site.”

The truck which displays the guns carries a GPS tracking unit and is taken off site after each day.

The guns on display range from air and rim-fire rifles to shotguns and are used for deer, rabbit, target or clay-bird shooting.

Gun City has exhibited its collection overseas, and can now add the Waikato to its list.

The display at the Fieldays has been a success for Gun City, which sold more than 100 guns in three days exhibiting.

“This exhibition has been more popular than the shows that we have participated in over in America and Germany,” Mr Tipple said.