Has any one read his book entitled " A Hunters Wanderings in Africa ". Its a must read for the big game hunters out there. They named the Selous Scouts after him

Selous is very respected around these parts. Ever seen one of his Fahrquason rifles? Here ya go...yes, it's the real thing. It belongs to a friend.

quote:

Originally posted by F.C.Selous Stu:
Has any one read his book entitled " A Hunters Wanderings in Africa ". Its a must read for the big game hunters out there. They named the Selous Scouts after him

Yes, of course, we know the book and have read the book. Outstanding. Easily one of the top 10 books of all time on African hunting. Check the books and videos forum for other comments.

I am busy reading the book now...

Good reading

Yukon

If that was the same rifle that was once owned by Don Heath I have shot that rifle.

Perry

I do not know who owned it previously. I handled it at length and did NOT want to give it back! It was also cool to handle 7 different howdah pistols.

Yukon, Thanks for posting those pictures.

My pleasure. Here's a slightly different angle.



I wish I had better quality photos but I just had a cheap camera and bad light. I wasn't prepared for everything I saw.

I bought A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa at a bookshop in Windhoek last year. I enjoyed reading it while I was waiting for my ph to pick me up at the hotel. Great reading, even though the amount of game he kills is shocking by today's standards. Also, it lets you know that even back then the really big elephants weren't common.

Hey! High caliber history here, but what caliber is the FCS-monogrammed-Selous-Side-Plated elegance? Please!

I believe the caliber was something like .465 #2. For any Selous fans, does that sound right? He had several of these Fahrquasons made up over the years and I think they were all fairly similar and they all had the "Selous plates".

That would be a .461 Gibbs No. 2, no doubt.

Built on a side safe action. Serial No. 16876, Action No. 815, Frame No. 302, with Metford barrel No. 1777, engraved and including the inexplicable Selous side plates.

Purportedly and by all available evidence built for F.C. Selous himself.

See Wal Winfer's book, British Single Shot Rifles, Volume 2, Figures 38a, b and c.

Thanks for the photos, YD.

That's it. Thanks for the correction. One of the most interesting firearms I have ever handled without a doubt. The worksmanship required to create a Selous plate with timed screws is boggling.

Yes Selous was a legend, but after reading "Man-eaters of Kumaon" Jim Corbett is my hero.

Amen to that! Corbett is an outstanding writer and a true man of the woods. I encourage all to read his works. I have the whole collection from Safari Press and it doesn't dissapoint. Not all the books in the collection are hunting though. Some are about jungle life in India. Still great reads though.

Beautiful rifle Yukon is that in Alaska?

Brett

Well, the two men had totally different experiences. They were both great men. I can tell you this though...I would NOT have wanted Corbett on my trail.

I have thought of buying the Safari Press collection of Corbett's books.

No, the Selous rifle is not in Alaska.

That's the ugliest gun I ever saw.I would pay not to have that.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
That's the ugliest gun I ever saw.I would pay not to have that.

Immediately a lifetimes worth of insults came to mind to direct at you. But then it dawned on me, I shouldn't be mad at you, nor should I be disgusted by your ignorance. No quite the contrary, I should pity you, as the historical signifigance of this piece is utterly lost on you.

Like my brother, I had an opportunity to shoot the Selous rifle once owned by DH (I don't think that is the one by the way, but a close if not identical twin save the initials). Not only did I get an opportunity to shoot it, I got the privilage of taking that rifle into the deer woods. And as I sat in the dew covered woods on the opening morning of deer season a legal doe happened to cross my path.
Excited doesn't even begin to describe my mood at that moment. Not over the deer, but over the idea of being able to hunt that deer and take it to the frezer courtesy of FCS's 461 Gibbs.
So I drew a bead, let out a little breathe, shook slightly as I took up the mile or so of slack in the trigger and cussed right out loud at the sound of a misfire. The old rifle was in excellent shape, the ammo...not so much...
So I missed my opportunity to take a game animal with FCS's rifle, but the experience of being able to carry that rifle into the woods is something I can take with me from here on out.
The point is, well, if I have to tell you the point, you probably wouldn't get it anyway...

Brian

Shootaway, I can assure you that you will never have the opportunity.

That picture of Selous where he sits next to a wagon an a bustard hanging as well on the wagon that just screams Africa to me. I'm too lazy to find the picture on the net now. On the picture as well you see one of his rifles or more if I recall.

Has anyone ever made a movie of his life ? Should be great to watch.

Mrlexma
The side plates were common on Farquarsons as they tended to split at the pistol grip. I'll admit that it doesn't do much for the looks of the gun.

I was very impressed with the Selous plate's craftsmanship. Very impressed.

Here is the famous Selous photo. I'm pretty sure he's not wearing any cosmetics.

YD,

Thats only half of the photo the real one I have seen you can see the bustard completely as well as at least one of his firearms. Now you made me want to look for it.

Found it

There you go. I kept finding the 1/2 photo for some reason. No Selous plates on that gun but those bustards are a big bird.

quote:

That's the ugliest gun I ever saw.I would pay not to have that.

All you can really do is shake your head. Words fail although Allout comes close.

Yukon,

I would highly recommend the Corbett collection! As I stated earlier some of the other books are not hunting specific, but paint a lovely scene on Corbett's jungle craft and the lives of rural Indians in his time. They made me want to travel to India some day! He is also a fine outdoor writer! His stories literally put you at his side. You feel like the tigers are hunting you too. And the best part is he isn't a BSer. He is a humble man who has done some incredible hunting feats and tells his hunting stories well!

Brett

If that rifle could only speak. . . .

Well, I had almost ordered the Corbett collection previously. You talked me into it as a birthday gift to myself. Am I correct in understanding that includes all of his writings?

Sorry for the hijack but I did post photos of Selous' rifle so that helps a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
If that rifle could only speak. . . .

It would say "Don't let Shootaway hold me!"

Yes, you wonder what it would say. The current owner is also in negotiations for Bell's Rigby that was also owned by Ruark and Selby. I've handled the documentation for that gun. Truly amazing. My friend might donate these guns to the NRA museum in his will.

Maneaters of Kumaon was one of the first hunting books I ever read. My father had a copy on his bookshelf and when I was about seven I took it down and read it. (I'm currently 65.) That book helped begin my adventurous life. He's been gone 37 years now and I have no idea what happened to that book. I really wish I could have retrieved it.

YD: That would be a great idea, as more people could see them and they would also get the required attention needed to keep them properly preserved.

It seems Mr. Shootaway is a member of the www.fuckwit.com club as introduced to AR by 500Grains..

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
Mrlexma
The side plates were common on Farquarsons as they tended to split at the pistol grip. I'll admit that it doesn't do much for the looks of the gun.

Yes, they definitely strengthen the stock at the wrist. But they were very expensive to make. They were apparently made by pressing the steel into a set of dies, then the stocks were hand fitted to them. Then they were drilled with countersunk holes and screwed onto the stocks with hand made and timed screws.

And can you imagine pressing your cheek to that steel plate on a cold African morning or a superheated African day? (No wonder Selous wore a beard!)

Selous must have broken a stock once and decided that strength at the wrist was the over-riding factor for him, surpassing cost and comfort.

Ross Seyfried wrote about speaking to an English gunmaker regarding Selous plates and he was told that to duplicate it today would require the same cost as a very fine rifle...just for the plates.

I've seen several field improvised repairs on rifles that did not exhibit anywhere near the craftmanship shown here. Maybe graphite composit and kevlar wrist reinforcements are the wave of the future on boomers.

Thank you very much for the pics of the Selous Farquharson! It is a grand old rifle and a piece of Africana like few others. And to be able to hunt with one of them...

By the way, the rifle shown in the famous wagon-and-khori-bustard photo of FCS is not a Farquharson but a Holland-Woodward. FCS owned two of them (one in .303 and the other a .375). Wish I knew where they are today!

Calling a rifle like a Farquharson ugly is tantamount to insulting another man's wife, as far as I'm concerned.

JvW

I had heard that before and forgotten about the Holland-Woodward. The underlever is certainly different.