Top guns: SAS founder's Purdeys make £42,000

A PAIR of shotguns owned by a Scots founding father of the SAS has fetched £42,000 at auction.

The Purdeys were owned by Colonel William Stirling, pictured left, who formed 2 Special Air Service in 1943.

The pair of 12-bore self-opening side-lock ejector guns were built by gun-maker J Purdey & Sons in 1949 for Col Stirling, and were rebarrelled by the makers in 1975. They have remained in the Stirling family since new.

They were sold by Bonhams Sporting Gun Department in Knightsbridge, London, and far exceeded their pre-sale estimate of between 18,000 and 25,000.

Bonhams gun specialist Patrick Hawes said yesterday: "We are delighted with the result. They sparked a lot of interest, not only from the UK but around the world, and were eventually bought by a private collector in England."

He added: "He was renowned as an exceptionally good shot - and I believe was listed among the best 12 best shots in the country."