Rizzini Double Rifle?

[NDWoods]

Any experience with these rifles? I had not heard of them until today.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@Houston Bill has one that I don't think he's happy with at the moment. Hopefully he can chime in, but I know he is a bit busy at the moment. IIRC, the barrels solder has let go and with that of course accuracy is gone.

 

[cajunchefray]

@Houston Bill has one that I don't think he's happy with at the moment. Hopefully he can chime in, but I know he is a bit busy at the moment. IIRC, the barrels solder has let go and with that of course accuracy is gone.

Well, that sucks (barrel solder failing).
Everything I read (caveat emptor), in my opinion, and reviews, they are too light weight for caliber.

 

[sniper7]

Is it true they have a screw holding it at the front end? There is one on gunbroker at the moment but I’ve read about them on here showing an exposed screw at the front of the barrels. Seems like poor practice to have a expensive rifle that isn’t well rounded

 

[Bejane]

seen one Rizzino here with barrels that parted

 

[Rare Breed]

Any experience with these rifles? I had not heard of them until today.

It was the very first DR for me of my seven. It was in 470 NE bought new by me. I knew little about DRs at that time. Here are the lessons learned
Pros:
1. Well made rifle
2. Low cost for a DR entry
Negatives:
1. They do not understand the concept of having the proper weight of rifle matching the caliber. Mine weighed 9.3 pounds for a 470. I now know this is nuts…all my after 470’s weigh 11 pounds.
2. LOP is everything with a DR…you had better make sure the rifle fits you.
3. I now understand powder types make all the difference. 84 grains of RL15.5 produce the same 2150 FPS as H4831 at 112 grains yet the ladder one produces so much more recoil

Bottom line the Rizzini kicked me so bad I had to sell it within four weeks

 

[AZDAVE]

I haven't shot their bigger doubles but I did own a 45/70. It shot very well but like its bigger cousins it was to light of rifle. It was well made and I probably should have kept it. Shot a friends 30/06 O/U and it was about right weight wise. But haven't seen a new smaller O/U or SxS rizzini in years.

If you want to get one of the 470 or 500 currently on the market just know they are a couple pounds to light. Which leads to some sporty recoil.

If rizzini wants to play in the entry double market they really need to address the proper weight and balance issues. I haven't seen any of the mentioned barrel solder problems so I can't comment one way or another on that.

My opinion, if you are in the entry level double market Merkel makes a better option for the same money as the rizzini.

 

[Philip Glass]

Double rifles are one of those things that are a classic and once one starts down the path of really wanting one there is no stopping it! What happens next is that we find out how much they cost and then the search begins for a cheap one. My thought is this, buy all the guns you want but be careful with one that is to be used as a DG rifle.

 

[Rare Breed]

Wisdom!!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I was never dismissive of @Rare Breed ‘s warning, but I initially didn’t pay much attention to the “Too light for weight” phenomenon… until I recently fired a Rizzini Model 550 Express in .500 Nitro Express. He is 100% correct. The recoil was quite punishing (bear in mind that I’m the kind of man who doesn’t find a .600 Nitro Express to recoil too unpleasantly) due to the light weight of the rifles. A pound & a half extra weight would be a real godsend.

The barrels on the .500 Nitro Express had been resoldered. So clearly, at some point… the barrels had seperated.

 

[Brod]

I have a Rhino Express in 416 Rigby and really like it. It fits me very well and recoil hasn't been an issue. I only have 60-70 rounds through it but so far, no issues other than it's a bit stiff to break open.

 

[Houston Bill]

@Houston Bill has one that I don't think he's happy with at the moment. Hopefully he can chime in, but I know he is a bit busy at the moment. IIRC, the barrels solder has let go and with that of course accuracy is gone.

Hello,

Phoenix Phil is correct, I have a Rizzini double in 470 NE. I sill have it and took it on my elephant/leopard hunt earlier this year. Here is my story to date with my Rizzini double.

1. Like @Rare Breed, it was my first double and I bought it for my first elephant hunt in 2020. Because it was a cancellation hunt and during Covid I only had about 6 weeks to buy my first double rifle and get in some practice with it. I tried to buy a used Heym or VC but could not find one at a fair price on short notice. I went to Gordy & Sons here in Houston and they had the Rizzini and I ended up buying the 470 NE model.

2. The rifle is well balanced and was extremely accurate with Hornady factory ammo, shooting 1" groups at 50 yards off my Viper Flex shooting sticks. I have a Trijicon RMR Red Dot on the rifle.

3. For my 1 practice session prior to my first elephant hunt I shot 20 rounds at balloons that I had blown up to a size a bit smaller than an elephant brain. My first shot was always off sticks and then as quickly as I could I would turn and shoot the left barrel off-hand at a second balloon that might be 15 or 20 yards to the right or left of the first balloon. I hit 19 of 20 ballons so I considered myself ready for the hunt. I did this practice session over the course of about an hour, so 20 470 NE rounds in an hour. I am not particularly recoil shy but I am not immune to recoil either. I do think the Rizzini double is about a pound lighter than it should be. My right shoulder was black and blue for a few weeks after!

4. I used the 470 Rizzini double on that elephant hunt, a rhino hunt the following year and a subsequent buffalo hunt with great success.

5. Earlier this year, in prep for my 2024 tuskless elephant hunt, I took my 470 NE Rizzini to the range to sight it in and make sure it was still shooting well. For sighting in the rifle I have always used a lead sled so that I don't develop a flinch. I follow the advice of Graeme Wright in his 3rd Edition of Shooting the British Double regarding the use of the lead sled for sighting in a double. In any event, my once very accurate Rizzini double was now shooting 4" groups. The holes were on the same level but now were consistently about 4" apart instead of an inch. After trying different boxes of Hornady ammo and getting similar results, I sent the rifle to JJ Perodeau and asked him to take a look at the rifle. JJ found no issues with barrel solder but he said he did not like the barrel regulation wedge located in between the end of the 2 barrels. So JJ modified/eliminated that wedge, shot the rifle, it shot better, and sent it back to me. When I received the rifle, I went to the range and shot it myself. See target below of the 1st 4 rounds. The top 2 holes that are touching are the R and L barrel for 500 Gr Hornady DGX bullets; the bottom 2 holes are R and L barrel for the 500 gr DGS bullets. Problem solved......JJ is the best!

6. For me, the Rizzini has been a very good double, I do wish it weighed about 1 lb more, I think the recoil would be more comfortable to practice with, but I do like the lighter weight when I am walking for miles tracking elephant! To be honest I have never felt the recoil when I shot the rifle at elephant, rhino and buffalo, and at the range I use a lead sled so the recoil does not bother me there either.

P.S. I never saw a tuskless elephant during my hunt this summer so I did not get to shoot the Rizzini at game this year. It did shoot very well when I sighted it in at the camp in Zimbabwe.

I would be glad to answer any other questions any has on the Rizzini double.

 

[uplander01]

IMO if you are wanting to go down the double rifle rabbit hole, be prepared to spend 15-20k (+) and get one that's worth it. After having gone down that road buying this and that Merkel, that Chapuis, etc, (never paying full price mind you as I work in the industry) then ending up with a nice old british double from the 1920's that has been gone through at HH and cost more than I ever thought I'd spend on a gun, it was worth it. But all a guy is doing buying an economical double rifle is finding its flaws and then not using it, and trying to upgrade all the time. Then I hear stories about guys with 30k in a gun and can't get it to shoot. Double rifles really are a different animal, once you have one that is beautiful, and works, and fits, and you handload, you learn to cling to it be thankful for having one.....but always remind yourself, been there done that, have one that works,....be satisfied and go buy another awesome bolt gun LOL.