If anyone don´t like the Chapuis engraving you can just order the Brousse with case colored receiver.

They do scroll engraving on either finish but it looks best under the case color and is OK with the French grey.

Searcy receiver on the PH is milled from a solid block of stainless, just asked Butch about that last week.

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Originally posted by Highbrass:
Searcy receiver on the PH is milled from a solid block of stainless, just asked Butch about that last week.

Did he mention if anything at all in the gun was cast?

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
As far as the "extensive" engraving on the basic Chapuis goes I'd rather have a "plain" gun with some hand engraving than that thick Teutonic looking machined engraving on the Brousse. I find that style of engraving to be a bit repulsive.

I think you are confusing the Merkel with the Chapuis. The Chapuis engraving I have seen is done by hand (and signed by the engraver) and is a very delicate and well executed scroll.

Chapuis base guns are engraved by computer designed & guided laser. I've not seen a Chapuis signed by an engraver and would very much like to see the work they turn out. Merkel base guns are engraved the same way. Their engraving has improved recently, thank God. The guns from Merkel that I've seen that are signed by a master engraver were pretty good. The raised type of engraving, as opposed to scroll, is called relief engraving, methinks, some call it bank note engraving.

quote:

The raised type of engraving, as opposed to scroll, is called relief engraving, methinks, some call it bank note engraving.

Showbart:

When I was researching engraving for my .577, I got a crash course in the various types of engraving methods.

I'm no expert, but from what I was told, "bank note" engraving is not deep relief, but rather bulino style. "Bank note", if you look at a US dollar, is the style of engraving used to create to portraits of the presidents/notables on the front. If you look closely, the portraits are comprised of various "dots' of varying shapes and sizes. This is similar to bulino, which uses "dots", but a hellofa lot more of them.

Just my $.02

Yer 2 cents sounds good to me Paul. Like I said, I've heard it called bank note engraving. I'm happy for them to be wrong, cuz it wasn't me, I even questioned it at the time but I didn't know for sure. I call it relief engraving or deep relief.

quote:

Originally posted by Showbart:
Chapuis base guns are engraved by computer designed & guided laser. I've not seen a Chapuis signed by an engraver and would very much like to see the work they turn out. Merkel base guns are engraved the same way. Their engraving has improved recently, thank God. The guns from Merkel that I've seen that are signed by a master engraver were pretty good. The raised type of engraving, as opposed to scroll, is called relief engraving, methinks, some call it bank note engraving.

Showbart: My Chapuis PH 2, .470 has absolutely beautiful hand engraving and is signed (next to the triggergard) "GRANGER M"

Yes it is, I've had a chance to see one. Good news is... base model Chapuis guns are engraved as described and then are hand chased to finish out.

As a Professional Hunter I'm in love with my Chapuis .470 double and highly recommend them! I've used this rifle in Tanzania season after season without a single problem. This pretty (though scarred) "French Girl" has not let me down once in any situation. The balance is perfect for me, the (short) length of the barrels are just right for ducking branches & crawling in the thick stuff of the Selous. Because of the exceptionally nice balance, I'm able to carry this heavy rifle myself all day long, (vs trusting it to the gunbearer).

It shoots great (close or far), weather 10 yards on charging buffalo or back up shots on "runners" it has always done its job. I've made quite a few long shots on running buffalo (100 - 200 yards) with confidence, and its fast pointing & accuracy has always impressed me. The barrels are well regulated (I feed it Federal Sledgehammer solids & Bearclaw softs) and it groups very nicely with either.

I take good care of, but do not "Baby" this rifle. Season after season, it takes plenty abuse from commercial airlines, charters, and bouncing in the Land Cruiser's gun rack....yet so far no problems.

Would I rather have an English double made by a famous maker? Maybe. Would it serve me any better, or out-perform the Chapuis? No.

It is amazing how some threads come back from the dead! I started this one over three years ago! That being said, and considering that I am going back to Zim this time next year for another ele bull and buff has me wondering if I should explore this topic (double rifle) once again. However, I was very pleased with the performance of my Win M70 416 Remington and am not sure I can justify (to myself much less my new wife!) getting a double. Given the real estate and stock market, perhaps $10 -$15k in a gun "investment" is not such a bad idea...

And now Chapuis is making them in .375 H&H Flanged if that's what turns you on.

Guns don't really go down in value. Not good guns, desireable ones. Esp fine doubles. Esp in this global economy.

Now a used big bore Merkel can be a hard sell but the 9.3s get snapped up. Used Chapuis big bores get snapped up too. The biggest factor causing lower value on a gun is that too high a price was paid for it to begin with as in full retail. Buyers try to recoup sales tax to and that's unrealistic.

There's a fair amount of new Chapuis 470s being bought at retail when the smart thing to do is order one thru Ken or Dale.

Has the exchange rate caught up with the price of Chapuis, Merkel and Heym in the U.S.? If not, then it will soon.

Caught up and then some as price increases have come down from Heym and from Verney-Carron on the the Demas guns. Merkel and Chapuis have held the line on pricing (excluding FX) but are charging an arm and a leg for good wood as this has gone trhu the roof too. Saw a price change sheet from Beretta, now THAT was scary, SO6s going from $38K to $55K.

IMHO while i do not own either one I have had the opportunity to shoot both at the range. The Chapuis was more accurate and had a better balance and feel. When and if I do aquire a double and if I has a choice between the two it would be the Chapuis.

I don't have personal experience with Searcy. I recently had a customer inquire about 3 Chapuis Jungles in 375 Flanged, one for each daughter, because the 3 Searcys he had purchased were poorly regulated and the specified ejectors were omitted.

I do have experience with the Chapuis guns and I must say the wood to metal fit is super,the wood is of high quality, and the guns in general are a good value proposition. They are not bespoke guns but there is some flexibility in the specs and even the engraving. The UGEX (Progress) guns are laser engraved with some hand chasing, but for $4-5K does one really have the right to expect $2500 worth of engraving? I don't care for the Euro game scenes on these entry level models, but they can be had with floral engraving and also bold scroll with a buff head (like the Brousse) under the action. I have a 9.3 done like that with an extra set of 20ga bbls for sale, and it's a pretty gun. In the Artisan Round Body range, the engraving is done by hand and I recently ordered one in 9.3 with custom engraving...Kudu on left, Warthogs on the right, and Leopard head under.

I do like the Searcy rib/scope mounts that I have seen. It's neater than the Chapuis claw or pivot mount.

If I have a beef with the Chapuis guns I have seen, the Pachmyr "Old English" pads fitted to some models are not up to scratch. There are sanding marks on the pads. They also can't regulate for ammo that is not available in Europe (eg Hornady) and it's a nightmare to send ammo over there.


Final point: don't expect them to deliver your gun on time, they are overwhelmed with orders and can't keep up. Even with the weak dollar (if only we could turn the clock back 5 years), they have plenty of business.

My Chapius is very nice and very accurate. My Searcy is a show piece and a tack driver. Not sure the basis for suggesting that the Searcy's are not regulated well. That has not been my experience. The other thing going for the Searcy is their service. If there is a problem, Butch fixes it, period end of story.