The message
from Sacha contains these words:

/snip/

I'll take your word for it - I'm certainly not up to date! Many
years ago
(at least 20) when my ex-husband shot with matched Purdeys, over
and unders
were literally shudder-making to the cognoscenti who I remember as being
very snooty about such guns.

might I be so bold as to suggest that by 'cognoiscenti' he meant
'wealthy'? Those who weren't up with the history of gunmaking...

I really don't know how wealthy they were and don't now remember any names -
I do know that this was a shoot in Hampshire to which he was invited
occasionally (he didn't shoot all that often) and that the idea of a O&U was
apparently a serious 'no no'.

Misplaced snobbery, then. I wouldn't mind betting that all your top
gunmakers do pairs of 'best' over-and-under guns.

I do remember when I was a regular customer with Thomas Bland in 1959
and for some years, I was shown a pair of 'best' side-by-side guns being
hand-made, and was amazed to hear that they were expected to cost around
£3,000 - this would have been around 1961 - I'd recently bought an
as-new Webley and Scott single from them for £14. (If I'd bought it in a
provincial gunshop it might have been as much as £5...

Now, my memory fails me, but is there
something about O&Us being more accurate, or am I imagining that?

They're lighter, so can be brought to the target more quickly, and being
lighter, the kick is heavier, leading to the (mistaken) belief that they
are harder-hitting.

I know
they were popular for clay shooting.

They still are - you seldom see a side-by-side in serious competition
these days.

Where can you get clay traps for 'home use'?

Any gunshop or gunmakers will either have one, or get one for you. Or
look in Shooting Times and buy one by mail-order. (I got mine at a
public auction for IIRC, £4 - and that included the home-constructed
sit-on mounting.)

--
Rusty
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