Double-up

[Velo Dog]

Greetings Kevin,

Your preference in rifles, including but not limited to doubles, seems to be just about identical to mine.
If I was to buy a new double today, it definitely would be the Heym 89B.
Great minds think alike my friend.

Incidentally, the hammer double in my avatar was my Army & Navy .450 No2 NE, that Cal Pappas had helped me to locate, advised me on its purchase and tutored me at his loading bench as we, through trial and error, finally discovered the most accurate load for it.
Way back in the old days, we only lived about a 5 minute drive from each other’s place, here in Anchorage, Alaska.
Cal moved out of the city and there he eventually passed away, apparently of a heart attack.
So, he is gone now and many are those of us who miss him.

Anyway, the outside of my old rifle showed minor wear from various adventures of some previous owner or owners but, it was tight on the face and both bores looked about new, despite it having been built around 100 years ago.
It was still in the original leather covered wooden hard case.

It was shockingly well regulated @ 2050 fps with 480 grain softs and solids (dreaded Hornady DGX and DGS bullet hand loads).
In fact, it was considerably more accurate than the Merkel .375 H&H double I had also once owned, back in those days.

Cheers for now,
Paul.
(Velo Dog)

PS:
A trim double in .303 to compliment a large bore one in 450 No2 NE could be a very happy arrangement.
Well except that, .450 No2 brass and / or live ammunition is more difficult to find now than ever.

 

[Saul]

View attachment 614458View attachment 614459

Gorgeous gun, impressive buff, and dapper gent!

Does it have rebounding hammers?

 

[Velo Dog]

Gorgeous gun, impressive buff, and dapper gent!

Does it have rebounding hammers?

Hi Saul,

Thanks for that.
And yes, rebounding hammers.
As previously mentioned, Cal Pappas had very much to do with my decision to buy that rifle, back in the day.
I think it was himself that said my rifle was definitely designed originally for nitro pressures, not a black powder action, rebarrelled to the nitro cartridge.

He figured that it was built sometime between 1903 and approximately the 1920’s, as hammer guns were still popular with some hunters, through the 1920’s.
I cannot remember who told me that the University of Glasgow, Scotland might have full records by serial number, for Army & Navy firearms.
It might also have been Cal or some other member of this forum.

Anyway, I never requested the research as I had listed it for sale by then.
I figure that you and many others here are already familiar with the .450 No2 Nitro cartridge, designed by Eley Brothers.
But, I have included below some technical information in case any other reader is not familiar with it and is curious.

The 2 Pennie’s that I will add is that this grand and traditional “elephant gun” cartridge is ballistically quite similar to a hot loaded .458 Winchester or a slightly down loaded .458 Lott.
The vintage flanged round with 480 grain bullet, compared to the younger belted magnum with 500 grain bullet at the same speed.
However, the 3.5” No2 Nitro round does so at somewhere down around only HALF the chamber pressure of the Winchester round.
And I seriously doubt that any beast, large or small could tell the difference between those two same caliber bullets at the same speed, one lacking 20 grains weight.
(The tiny .22 short bullet weighs more than that at 29 grains).

Anyway cheers,
Paul.