Hi Everyone
I am wondering if anyone knows of a publication in which most of the modern double rifles are evaluated or compared. Alternately someone who regularly handles some of them may want to offer some advice.
As this is an educational post those of you who have valuable information to add please feel free.
Thanks in advance for any information offered
Kind regards
Ian

Ian

Some past threads here discussing the topic:

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=259106327#259106327

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=889103486#889103486

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=566105287#566105287

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=456108485#456108485


As far as a "buyer's guide" for doubles, I have not found one.

Thank you Jim
Appreciate the help
Iam

Thank you, EXCELLENT advice!

A couple of technical questions were left open, though.

What are "intercepting sears"? Please explain as if to someone who actually does not know.

In addition to the below, what details might one want to pay attention to when buying 1st DR?
- automatic ejectors/extractors only
- automatic/manual safety
- placement of safety
- cocking indicators
- cocking on breaking/cocking lever
- cocking on recoil (whatever is the technical term; I think this is a feature in shotguns but not DRs? In case the 1st barrel goes "click" then this function would make the double a fairly pointless proposition.)
- type of sight (front and rear)
- possibility to fit a scope (type of mounts, availability of mounts)
- stock style
- barrel length
- single/double trigger
- hinged front trigger
- caliber (intended use of the gun; recoil tolerance; ammo availability)

How "smart" would it be to get one gun with another set of barrels in another caliber (e.g. 8x57JRS + 9,3x74R)? Pros/cons?

What would be a general guideline on recommended weight of gun in various calibers?
- 9,3x74R
- .450-400 3 1/4" NE
- .450 No2
- .470 NE
- .500 NE
- above .500
(Did I miss any "significant"/usual caliber? I mean that the guideline for the .470 is probably the same as for the .465, thank you very much...)

From Hallowells:

quote:

Intercepting Sear - A second sear, poised just behind a second notch in the hammer.

It is possible that when a cocked firearm is dropped or sharply jarred, a single sear could jump out of its notch and the hammer could fall, firing the gun accidentally. In this event, an intercepting sear would engage before the hammer could fall completely, preventing an accidental discharge. On a gun with intercepting sears, only by pulling the trigger are both sears moved out of the way simultaneously, allowing the gun to fire.

Intercepting sears are usually found on better sidelock actions. They are sometimes found on best boxlocks, and can be recognized by an extra screw behind the action fences, in addition to the usual two screws (or pins) along the lower rear of the receiver.

A good "cheat sheet" to the terminology:

http://www.hallowellco.com/abbrevia.htm

Intercepting sear is like the half cock notch on a 45 auto, catches the hammer in the event of a hard blow, usually to the muzzle end, but on a DR I think a very strong jolt from any direction could cause a discharge. Nice feature to have. Don't even know if my Demas 470 has them or not, suspect the Merkel 9.3 I have lined up doesn't. Don't bother me, wouldn't hunt from the car anyway, ever, so I wouldn't load up in the car either.

Never ever would I have an auto safety.

Cock on break is the double trigger setup. Inertia cocking is for single trigger guns. (Am I right?)

Cocking indicators are nice but not essential.

Double trigger for DG, single is ok for all else. That said some single trigger DG DRs have been made and seen alot of use.

Some absolutely need an articulated front trigger. I don't, I never get bumped.

I give up on scoping DRs. I'll try to get closer and use the irons. I can take or leave the flip up leaves on the rear sight but a flip up globe on the front is terrific. Standard front can be brass or Hi Viz.

One gun? Get a 450/400. Two? A 9.3 or 375 and a 470 or 500.

500/416 is worth looking at for a one gun outfit. 375 flanged should be on the list too. And a quality ejector gun will kick the shit out of empty rimless cases, as well as handle the higher pressure in said cartridges.

The small to medium bores with 26" bbls are a thing of beauty. Utterly fecking gorgeous. Big bore DG guns should be 24".

A negative drop (or hogback) at comb is fine, as is a neutral stock of course, but never a high comb.

I went apeshit over the extractor/ejector issue before I bought my first double. Went with ejectors, which is good for resale, and was I ever sure about them! But they aren't essential, and that's the truth. In fact they can be somewhat complicated when shooting in fluid situations. I lean towards extractors now.

I'll take a crack at this, but understand that the responses are my opinion, which other double shooters may differ with:

quote:

In addition to the below, what details might one want to pay attention to when buying 1st DR?
- automatic ejectors/extractors only Ejectors are a nice feature to have and carry more appeal in the resale market. With ejectors, you can always disable them to go into extractor mode. Some makers, like Heym, offer a selection switch that allows one to go from ejector to extractor mode with the flip of a switch. In the field, the pros of ejectors are quick ejection of the empties and presumably qucker reload. They are very useful in quick reloading when only one barrel has been fired - only the spent brass will eject, leaving the live cartridge in the oteehr barrrel. The con is that it makes noise, and the empties make a distinct ping sound when they hit the ground. More than a few hunters have opined that dangerous game like elephant and cape buffalo do notice the sound.
- automatic/manual safetyA double rifle should adhere to the KISS principle - keeo it simple. What you want to do is to eliminate variables in the events things go wrong or when chaos clouds one's thinking. An automatic safety is something most DG hunters avoid like the plague. On some doubles, the automatic safety reengages after every reload, thus requiring an extra step when facing a charge or taking a second parting shot before the animal disappears from range.
- placement of safety Tang safety. It is easy to release and it is quiet
- cocking indicatorsNice options to have. They allow you to feel whether both barrels are ready to go without taking your eyes off of game or in lower light
- cocking on breaking/cocking leverUnder the KISS principle, this is ideal. There are doubles out there that require the movement of a cocking lever after the rifle is loaded or reloaded. It can be a distraction that costs time or a shot.
- cocking on recoil (whatever is the technical term; I think this is a feature in shotguns but not DRs? In case the 1st barrel goes "click" then this function would make the double a fairly pointless proposition.)Inertia systems really do not belong on a DG rifle. More moving parts that can cause problems
- type of sight (front and rear)This is an area of personal preference. A lot of double shooters prefer the wide "V" rear sight. The front sight needs to be easily visible in a snap situation. My preference if for an ivory front sight (I find white easier to pick up quickly) but many guys prefer the brass bead.
- possibility to fit a scope (type of mounts, availability of mounts)Whatever your decision, just remember that adding mounts and a scope can throw off the regulation of the rifle. If you are looking at a new rifle, you can have them do this during the build. If you do that, my view is that you should have the reulation done with the scope mounted - it makes no sense to incur an additional $2000 plus in mounts and scope and not have the rifle shoot.

Personally, I would not scope anything in the 450 or above calibers. You are shooting a rifle with relatively short barrels with a heavy bullet, the combination of which does not lend itself to longer range shots.

As far as mounts go, the claw mounts are the way to go, although there are others out there that seem to be just as good at returning to zero.
- stock style Mostly personal preference, but here is a good spot to emphasize the importance of stock fit. The rifle should come up and be on target with your eyes closed. One thing that is impprtant is getting the LOP right. The larger calibers will beat you silly if the LOP is too short or too long. If you are going to scope the double, you may find the comb drop that works with iron sights to be off for scope work. But that consideration is no different from a bolt rifle with a detachable scope.
- barrel length Anywhere from 24 to 26 inches is perfect. There are those of us that lean toward the longer barrels as we get older, since it puts the front sight out a little furtuer.
- single/double triggerDouble triggers are another fail safe option under the KISS primciple. If for some reason one trigger fails, you have a rifle that shoots the other barrel instead of a rifle that does not shoot at all. There are some who find it less confusing to go with a single trigger (they also have problems with putting puzzles made for infants together), so it boils down to whatever you feel is best for you
- hinged front trigger An artucluated front trigger is great for calibers 450 and above. You may not get bitten on the range, but after taking a shot with sweaty hands after running to get into position, your hands can slip a little during recoil. You can always carry a box of band aids instead. On calibers in the 9.3 and lower range, a set trigger for the front trigger is nice to have as an option, particularly if you have the rifle scoped.
- caliber (intended use of the gun; recoil tolerance; ammo availability)This really depends on what you are hunting. Don't forget, some countries have minimum caluber requirements for large dangerous game. As far as common calibers go, there are probably more 470 NE's out there than other calibers. The 9.3 X 74 is a great all around caliber. The new 400's are getting a lot of buzz as a less punishing alternative to the big boomers. And there is probably no better elephant dispatching device than the 500 NE.

How "smart" would it be to get one gun with another set of barrels in another caliber (e.g. 8x57JRS + 9,3x74R)? Pros/cons? Nice to have. Travels easier than two separate firearms. Of course, when something goes wrong with the rifle action, puts the other caliber out of action as well. Just keep in mind that the action will have to be large enough to handle the largest caliber in the battery. Thus, your smaller calibers will be rifles heavier than the norm and may not balalce as well.

What would be a general guideline on recommended weight of gun in various calibers?
- 9,3x74R 7 to 8 pounds
- .450-400 3 1/4" NE 7.5 to 9 pounds
- .450 No2 9 to 10
- .470 NE 9.5 to 11
- .500 NE 10.5 to 11.5
- above .50013.5 to 15 for the 577/600 class, up to 26 for monsters like SAFARIKID's Four Bore

My 9,3x74R Chapuis weighs 7 1/4 lbs. with out scope, 24" bbls.

My 450/400 weighs @10 lbs, without scope, 26"bbls.

My 450 No2 Weighs 11 1/2lbs. with 28" bbls.

As these rifle go up in calibre their frame size goes up as well.

I find that all of them handle perfectly for me.

The 450 No2 fits me best of all.