I have two Purdeys with the Beesley action (cock on close). One is a 12b shotgun; the other a .303 double rifle. The shotty has ejectors, but the rifle does not.

I would never insult any of you fine people here, but I must say if you find it difficult to close a Purdey gun or rifle you need to go on a physical training program. You must be little wimpy girly-boys with spaghetti arms.

I own and have owned numerous sidelock ejector guns and rifles built on the H&H locks. Given a choice I prefer the Beesley. Overall operation is smoother. They open like butter and eject without effort. They reload like any other, and there's no noticeable extra effort required to close them. Sure, at a table in a gunshow or at the maker's the Beesley will seem to close stiffer, but in the field or on the skeet range you will forget that.

I first noticed my preference on the skeet field when shooting rounds with my Purdey and alternating rounds with two other best quality SLE's with H&H locks. The Purdey is better over-all in my hands.

I'm just such a snob!

Try them, you will like them.

Curl