Did Ernest Hemingway hunt Africa with a double rifle ?
If he did does anyone know the maker, and caliber ?

1. He did.
2. 1913 Westley Richards in .577 NE

It was on Tracks Across Africa yesterday hunting Cape Buffalo.

Double Gun Journal has a great article about the rifle which was in Key West for many years, but now is where it should be in the field.

At a few SCI/Alabama meetings many of us have actually had the opportunity to see and hold the rifle, as well as Elmer Keith's .470 double.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
Double Gun Journal has a great article about the rifle which was in Key West for many years, but now is where it should be in the field.

At a few SCI/Alabama meetings many of us have actually had the opportunity to see and hold the rifle, as well as Elmer Keith's .470 double.

I assume you meant one of his 470 doubles.

465H&H

E. Hemmingway's .577 Westley Richards and E. Keith's .470 Westley Richards. As I recall, the .577 was a drop lock and the .470 a box lock.

Keith had a 476 WR

quote:

Originally posted by impala#03:
It was on Tracks Across Africa yesterday hunting Cape Buffalo.

"Earnest Hemingway's .477 double rifle"

I cracked up when I heard that. Loved the episode though Dave!

Brett

Hi Guys
Yep, the .477 double was a mis- read by our voice over guy, and it slipped by our editor. It will be fixed for re-runs I assure you. Beyond that slip up, I hope all enjoyed the episode. really neat to see these famous rifles doing what they were built to do. Really some history there in that steel and wood. I bet Papa himself would be happy his old friend is still loved and in action!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Hi Guys
Yep, the .477 double was a mis- read by our voice over guy, and it slipped by our editor. It will be fixed for re-runs I assure you. Beyond that slip up, I hope all enjoyed the episode. really neat to see these famous rifles doing what they were built to do. Really some history there in that steel and wood. I bet Papa himself would be happy his old friend is still loved and in action!

I figured as much. It was good for a laugh.

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
1. He did.
2. 1913 Westley Richards in .577 NE

Correct, and it is is one of the main reasons I will hunt with Buzz in 2015 with my new WR .577

quote:

Originally posted by Maximus Brutus:
... one of the main reasons I will hunt ... with my new WR .577

Wow, a WR 577; must be one of the few newly-made WR in that caliber!
Enjoy the 577; and we want pictures please

quote:

Originally posted by Maximus Brutus:

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
1. He did.
2. 1913 Westley Richards in .577 NE

Correct, and it is is one of the main reasons I will hunt with Buzz in 2015 with my new WR .577

As far as I know Hemingway only had the one double rifle, the one mentioned here, and didn’t like doubles much, and chose to do most of his hunting with a Springfield bolt rifle. His .577NE WR was a single trigger rifle with drop locks.

Elmer on the other hand had several doubles over the years, and he also had a single trigger H&H double chambered for .577NE and a 470NE, as well as a .465 double, maybe others I’m not aware of. The picture at the bottom of this post is Keith’s 577NE H&H.

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quote:

As far as I know Hemingway only had the one double rifle, the one mentioned here, and didn’t like doubles much, and chose to do most of his hunting with a Springfield bolt rifle. His .577NE WR was a single trigger rifle with drop locks.

That is how I understand it as well. If the G&H ever re-appeared that would be awesome.

quote:

... and chose to do most of his hunting with a Springfield bolt rifle.

that being open sighted & chambered in .30/06 ...

Lion

Leopard

BUff

Rhino

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
The picture at the bottom of this post is Keith’s 577NE H&H.

Thanks Mac.
So he loaded with his left hand?
Was he right or left handed?
Peter

Keith advocated holding two loaded cartridges in his left hand and breaking the rifle open with his right and dropping them in with his left for a quick reload. He was right handed I believe. Those two loaded rounds in the left hand must have ruined a few checkered fore ends.

Dutch

Thanks Dutch.
I shall practice that technique with my SxS shotgun!
Peter

quote:

The picture at the bottom of this post is Keith’s 577NE H&H.[/color]

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If I recall correctly, that left hand is the one Elmer burned so horribly as a young man. With no doctor around in a wilder part of Idaho, he talked his father into forcing it open and strapping it to a board rather than allowing it to heal shriveled in a clenched fist. He did regain much of its use, I believe, though I never met him.

quote:

Originally posted by PD999:

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
The picture at the bottom of this post is Keith’s 577NE H&H.

Thanks Mac.
So he loaded with his left hand?
Was he right or left handed?
Peter

Yes Elmer was right handed, and loaded with his left hand. I do exactly the same myself.

I load from a two shot cartridge holder on the back of my right (TRIGGER) hand. Any further shots needed after the first four, come from a cartridge slip on my left hip. That slip is made so the cartridges are held two at a time, with a space between them and the next two rounds. That slip is made by Afri-case!



As Elmer my trigger hand never leaves the grip with the trigger finger close to the trigger guard.

Loading this way with the two shells between the palm and fore finger and the thumb the two rounds are in proper position for a simultaneous loading of both barrels. With this way of loading the eyes can be kept on the target as well. I find as did Elmer that this is a very fast re-load! Study the picture below!

The only place I totally disagreed with Elmer on doubles is with the choice of a single trigger on a double rifle, especially if the single trigger is a non-selective type! I totally agree with Taylor on the single trigger.

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Thanks Mac, great information regarding your technique

Actually, Elmer lived in Missoula Montana when he was burned in a hotel fire.

465h&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
Actually, Elmer lived in Missoula Montana when he was burned in a hotel fire.

465h&H

True! And the worse burns were on his face, chest and neck! I never heard the story about how his father fixed his hand.

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Hemingways double was a real nice double.I might add that in my book it was not Hemingways double because it was not he who commissioned it or acted as the architect while it was built.It was not built for him-simply that.It is however a fine representative of sporting rifles built during that period.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by PD999:

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
The picture at the bottom of this post is Keith’s 577NE H&H.

Thanks Mac.
So he loaded with his left hand?
Was he right or left handed?
Peter

Yes Elmer was right handed, and loaded with his left hand. I do exactly the same myself.


As Elmer my trigger hand never leaves the grip with the trigger finger close to the trigger guard.

Loading this way with the two shells between the palm and fore finger and the thumb the two rounds are in proper position for a simultaneous loading of both barrels. With this way of loading the eyes can be kept on the target as well. I find as did Elmer that this is a very fast re-load! Study the picture below!

This is my technique as well. The trigger hand never leaves the pistol grip. But I don't load from a carrier on the back of my hand, instead simply pulling the rifle in close to the waist where my ammo belt is. In this way, moving the rounds from the belt to the chambers is only a matter of a couple of inches at best. Works very well for me.

My method is as follows.I have been hunting with a double barrelled shotgun all through my youth.
I jam the rear stock between my upper right arm and body.I then use my right hand to open the lever and simulatanoeously my left hand pushes down on the barrels to open the rifle.I can then use my right hand to pick the cartridges from my belt or I can use my left hand-whichever is the instinctive response during that moment.I then slide the rds in one at a time,and then close the rifle.

The current owner of the afore-mentioned Hemingway .577 and I, are good friends, and we were scheduled to take the double (along with other unique guns of his) to Mozambique this month for a 6 buffalo safari, but plans changed and we have postponed the hunt. I was really looking forward to hunting a buffalo with that gun, hopefully soon!

Historic for sure!!!

Aaron, please post pictures of that 577NE when you reschedule that hunt!

Here are some photos of the rifles

I will be holding that beautiful rifle on Oct 1, as we are working on a HISTORIC RIFLE project. You guys WILL like it!

That sounds great Dave!

It was certainly my pleasure (and my son Will's) to hold those rifles; it's not every day a guy gets to do something like that.

Dave-
We need to hear more about this project. I, for one, would gladly pony up for a DVD with more in-depth info than permitted in a hunting show.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
That sounds great Dave!

It was certainly my pleasure (and my son Will's) to hold those rifles; it's not every day a guy gets to do something like that.

I know what you mean, I got to hold and examine Teddy's H&H double rifle and look it over quite thoroughly at a shot show in Dallas a few years ago. Talk about something I would love to have owned!

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Mac, now that would be something to hold a TR rifle!

Personally, I was a lot more interested in seeing Elmer Keith's rifle than Hemingway's.