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.

 

[PCC600]

I thought about doing two doubles…but in the end, I settled on my WR 500 DR and a BA 375 for longer shots. I also am partial to my Rigby in 275 Rigby for further out

You and me both . A perfect battery ,

 

[PCC600]

I currently have 3 doubles and am looking for a fourth. My 450-400 is going to Africa this summer for Buffalo primarily. My 470 and 9.3x74 are staying home. I am taking a custom Mauser in 318 WR for plains game and a Kimber 375 as a backup that can cover both.

I am looking for a vintage British double in 303 to round out my assortment of s/s rifles.

Love the 303 ! Will beat a 308 every day of the week . Got 3x 303s a Purdey DR , a Army&Navy bolt action Lee Speed and a BSA Lee Speed - they are brilliant .The old 318 WR is pretty bloody good too .

 

[Tom Leoni]

BTW, Re. Chapuis and red-dot adapters, Andy Larsson of Skinner Sights is making me a number of them to carry as catalog items in 2025. So every Chapuis Elan and Iphisi will be able to accommodate them.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Cost 1/2 of what my house cost ..

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Many here own two, or even more double rifles. The category I am interested in here is those folks who have a heavier double for DG, and a lighter one for PG, and I know of at least five of you who have gone that route. The light double has always been around, I handled a vintage Rigby rising bite light frame in .303 the other day. But in this modern age many of the volume manufacturers do a more affordable light frame, Heym and Verney Carron amongst them.
Most of these light frame doubles come with arrangements to fit a scope, or are commonly ordered with scope mounts. They are then well capable of shots out to 250-300 metres. Smaller scoped doubles are commonly used in Europe, typically as O/U's for smaller game including boar.
Then there is the inbetween zone where a light frame double can do it all and you can get away with just the one. The much anticipated Chapuis Iphisi in 375 H&H is one such contender, street legal in big game turf and well accepted on the tiny 10. Heym has this calibre in their light frame version too and one wonders why they didn't make a fuss over it, their loss. In fact they offer the light frame in up to 450/400 as well. One of the pictures below is of a Heym 89b light frame with detachable scope mounts in 375 flanged magnum next to it's big brother in 500NE for comparison.
I went for the middle Africa frame in 450/400 and intend to use it as a one fits all double, time will tell how well that works, but as you know I am putting a lot of effort into regulation and sights to achieve that aim.
So, what are your thoughts, are you a double double person or trying to do the one double thing?
View attachment 521058
Heym 89b 500NE top, Heym 89b light frame below
View attachment 521059
Vintage Rigby rising bite .303 top, Westley Richards .303 below. Both light frames.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

I have two chapuis one in 470NE and one anArtisan in 416rigby. Plus two old english

 

[Longwalker]

My two double rifles are quite pedestrian, even plain in comparison to some here but I like them both. A Merkel 140AE .450-400 3" that I've used on safaris in Namibia and Mozambique and a couple more hunts near home, and a Beretta Silver Sable O/U 9.3x74R that I use for local Canadian game, with only a couple of Black bears to its credit so far. Both are equipped with high quality scopes in good quick detachable Recknagel mounts. I suspect I'll use the Beretta a lot more than the Merkel in the future, it's more suited to my needs.

a Caprivi bull I shot with the Merkel...

And a small "problem" bear I shot with the Beretta...

 

[Rare Breed]

You are very incorrect…you have two great rifles !!!! Well done!!!!

 

[Rare Breed]

You are very incorrect…you have two great rifles !!!! Well done!!!!

Nothing pedestrian about your two DRs!!!!!

 

[50Gunner]

I have four:

Rodda top lever rebounding hammer 303 British 28" barrels
Holland Royal 500-450 NE 26" barrels
Alfred Schilling boxlock 500 NE 26" barrels
V/C boxlock 577 NE 26" barrels

Love em all, great fun to shoot and hunt with, but most of all, extremely satisfying on the ground from 8 to 28 yards with Buffalo, Hippo and Rhino.

Have 75+ pound bull Ele on my mind.