I currently have a Chapuis 9.3X74R as my "A No.1 do it all double" and have an opportunity to purchase another one EXACTLY like the one I currently have....would it be weird if I picked it up as a "secondary" rifle? Has anyone hunted (or even owned) an exact double rifle as his primary piece?

You can leave one in Africa and You will not have to worry about traveling with a rifle!

matched pairs were all the rage until the prices went thru the roof some time back. Personally, I think it would be just really cool.

Rich
DRSS

I would not do it. If it is way under priced buy it and sell it for profit.

Nothing wrong with it till you try to take both thru So. Africa and run afoul of the rules.

what zim said.. i understand that you can't take two rifles of the same caliber, for some damn reason, to RSA

Two! Go for it. I would just like to get one without selling off a child.
John

quote:

Originally posted by fanofdbls:
I currently have a Chapuis 9.3X74R as my "A No.1 do it all double" and have an opportunity to purchase another one EXACTLY like the one I currently have....would it be weird if I picked it up as a "secondary" rifle? Has anyone hunted (or even owned) an exact double rifle as his primary piece?

I suppose you could use both, one with a scope mounted, and the other bare, any place other than RSA! However, IMO that is a waste of money, and what does make sence to me is, a pair of double rifle of the same make chambered for different cartridges. I have a pair that are for that exact purpose. They are a pair of Merkels a 140-2, 470NE, and a 140E, 9.3X74R. They are the same in every respect except for weight, and chambering, and each has it's own real purpose, but both will be able take the place of the other in a pinch, though each is much better in it's own niche, however!

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Nothing wrong with it till you try to take both thru So. Africa and run afoul of the rules.

Maybe they think you are going to be arming terrorist, well healed terrorist.
Bill

I have owned exact duplicates of guns in the past and while it is "cool" at first it gets old fast. I find that I greatly prefer having something different.

There is a very good reason to have 2 identical doubles. You'll have to buy the book.

But maybe not for the plainsgame hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
There is a very good reason to have 2 identical doubles. You'll have to buy the book.

But maybe not for the plainsgame hunt.

Taylor was an advocate of a pair of identical double rifles, and in his time it was a great advantage to an ivory hunter! In two ways it was desireable. One was he always had a loader behind him, loading and handing him loaded rifles, so he could kill as many from a herd as he could before the confusion deminished. The other was he only had to hual only one type of ammo and in the likelyhood of one of his rifles breaking, he still had one, and all the ammo would work in it.

Today, however, it is not only impracticle, but illegal in RSA, a fact that wouldn't have bothered John Taylor, because he only abided by the laws that suited him.

I've never owned an exact pair of doubles at the same time. I have, however, owned several exact pairs of magazine rifles. And, from them I "THINK" maybe I learned one or two things to be cautious about, regardless of rifle price or maker. Perhaps those caveats might apply to double rifles also.

One of my pairs was a nice set of .275 H&H chambered Holland & Holland magazine rifles (numbered 1 & 2 in inlaid gold, as per what one reads about in books). One of them was deadly accurate and totally reliable with factory loads. The other blew primers and froze the bolt shut almost every shot with ammo from the very same box(es) of factory rounds.

Another pair was a brace of 10.75x68 commercial Mausers. One would feed factory ammo flawlessly. The other would often jam whether operated briskly, slowly, however. Not only that but its cocking piece would sometimes fall on closing the bolt. The Mauser round is not overwhelming in recoil, but it is still unpleasant to have it go off unexpectedly on closing the bolt.

Both rifle sets could likely have had their problems corrected, but I didn't bother. I sold them both to a gun shop in British Columbia.

I guess what I may have learned from that is that rifles which look alike are not necessarily so. It's always nice to have the opportunity to try them BOTH first or to be able to return at least one of the pair for replacement, if it turns out they really aren't completely alike.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
There is a very good reason to have 2 identical doubles. You'll have to buy the book.

But maybe not for the plainsgame hunt.

Taylor was an advocate of a pair of identical double rifles, and in his time it was a great advantage to an ivory hunter! In two ways it was desireable. One was he always had a loader behind him, loading and handing him loaded rifles, so he could kill as many from a herd as he could before the confusion deminished. The other was he only had to hual only one type of ammo and in the likelyhood of one of his rifles breaking, he still had one, and all the ammo would work in it.

Today, however, it is not only impracticle, but illegal in RSA, a fact that wouldn't have bothered John Taylor, because he only abided by the laws that suited him.

Nothing against SA, except for all their stupid guns laws, which of course they initailly ignored the potential, and now real, danger and are eventually facing confiscation, which they will continue to deny, why in the hell would anyone take a double much less two to SA in the first place?

At one time I had 2 identical Mdl 70 375's from the Custom Shop. I thought it was the ultimate african battery for a backup rifle to be identical. They both looked, felt,shot and functioned exactly alike. I took the once and didn't have in problems going thru So. Africa on my way to Zim (I usually overnited) but they cautioned me about the same caliber/same rifle rule. Two years later I took what I thought was again the 'perefect' pair, a Mdl 70 375 and a Heym 88B 375. This time I had trouble in So. Africa that did scare me. I tried to explain one was an iron sighted double and the other was a scope sighted bolt gun but he obviously saw that. Since i was only going to be there overnite and would not stopover on my return he was nice enough to give me a 24hr permit (or rather a permit good fo only one day) to get thru So. Africa but said very positively "don't do it again', I haven't. After that I've quit carrying a 'backup' gun I just carry a second rifle to use on other than my primary game. I don't know about most hunters who go to Africa but I personally have never been able to book over one major (meaning higher priced to me) animal per trip and that is what I concentrated on and then spent the rest of my money on less costly animals. I then chose my rifles to match.

In that case sell me that 375 Heym.

Will,
Sorry it's gone

I kinda lean in the direction of MacD37 ..... I have two very similar Chapuis' - a 9.3 & a .470. Same characteristics ..... if you're familiar with one, you're familiar with the other. Just a little weight difference .....

i have 2 merkel 470 and 3 merkel 9,3

the trouble is always finding enough competent gunbearers !

plus the guy to carry the 577, just in case