I'm still a way's out from aquiring an English double rifle, but in between a restaurant and a huge house project I search the internet for deals. My budget is $10,000-ish. If you buy one of these I want to shoot it once.

1. http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100879064

Look how tight the doll's head extension is. Very few double rifles I see for sale have so little space between the doll's head and the action.

2. http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100879678

I love this rifle, especially because it is very close to "best" but from the the red headed step child to snooty London built guns. Snooty people suck.

Colin:
Both are nice rifles and fairly priced. Now is the time to buy as prices are down.
Tell me, if you wish to shoot doubles, can you join us on May 5 for the Alaska double shoot? Expect 50+ double rifles, up to .600 and 4-bore and down to .280 flanged, howdah pistols, bpe, etc. Shoot one or all, no charge for ammo. We will feed you and you can stay at my place to avoid hotle charges. The shoot gets better and bigger each year. Consider yourself (and anyone who reads this) invited.
Cal

I appreciate it Cal. The first Saturday in May is the Kentucky Derby, which makes leaving the state tough when your married.

Unfortunately a double rifle purchase has a fund, and I have not yet arrived to the point of entry.

The other problem is I firmly believe that the double market will continue to fall.

I've seriously considered the Wilkes and have talked to Kirby about it.
The scope bases could be removed and the holes filled quite easily too.

Funny that the majority of folks here observing the decline of double values attribute it to the lack of hunting opportunities in Africa. Well, this particular double would do splendidly for any NA game or anything in Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand yet it is also being dragged down with the big bores. Why?
English bolt guns are at an all time high as far as I can tell but the small to medium doubles are dropping. Makes no sense to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
I appreciate it Cal. The first Saturday in May is the Kentucky Derby, which makes leaving the state tough when your married.

Unfortunately a double rifle purchase has a fund, and I have not yet arrived to the point of entry.

The other problem is I firmly believe that the double market will continue to fall.

Understood.
Or, take the Mrs. on a vacation to Alaska and stop by and we'll just have a shoot ourselves. Your call at your convenience.
Cheers.
Cal

Colin, I have been dealing with Kirby for years and he is very reputable. Unfortunately, I believe the Scott 450-400 3 1/4 is sold.

Collin, this weekend is taken. But, I would be happy to have you and your wife down and you can shoot my double. Just, give me five days notice.

Nice double; but I think the price on the re-chambered 360 is still too aggressive. The second one looks to be a good deal. They could drop further, as the young guys have no idea what they are and have no money anyway. And the old guys all have doubles that want one. Of course there are exceptions, but not many. Look at all the hunting rifles being sold nowadays; you can't even find a wood stock any more. Top sellers are plastic stocked rifles selling for $350. It takes a lot of disposable income to play in the DR game.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Collin, this weekend is taken. But, I would be happy to have you and your wife down and you can shoot my double. Just, give me five days notice.

I appreciate the offer, I am very busy with the fall looking and finishing my house project. I will take you up on that one day.

Let us know when the restaurant opens. I will contribute to the refunding the war chest.

The restaurant has been open for 7 years. Bluegrass Pizza and Pub. It is just kicking my ass, coupled with my house renovation is basically building a house.

We need to get you up here and at my buddies farm, he will let you shoot his 1878 army and navy .577-450 bpe and and .450 3 1/4".

I am sorry. I had it backwards. I'll get up there.

The Wiles looks great. Did Scot really make cross bolt action?

Unbelievable price for a British DR in true DG caliber in good condition.

Not really the deal of the day....
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/680213458

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
Not really the deal of the day....
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/680213458

I absolutely love hammer doubles but hammer doubles in nitro calibers have a track record of not selling well. Even a few years ago when the market was better than today, they sold poorly. I personally saw a few hammer doubles in excellent calibers (.600, .577, .500, .450 no2, .450) sell for less money than bpe doubles and it took years to move them.
Cal

https://stevebarnettfineguns.c...sidelock-375-express

If this dude could be rechambered for the full flanged cartridge it would be awesome. It is awesome in its own right.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
https://stevebarnettfineguns.c...sidelock-375-express

If this dude could be rechambered for the full flanged cartridge it would be awesome. It is awesome in its own right.

That is one sweet rifle

A bit rust pitted but a solid rifle.
The H&H Dominion actions are said to be among the strongest top levers of all time.

Were some of the Dominions not Webley actions to start with?

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
A bit rust pitted but a solid rifle.
The H&H Dominion actions are said to be among the strongest top levers of all time.

I know I am a weird fella, but I love the Dominion Grade HH much better than the Royals.

Somebody please buy that rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
----
The H&H Dominion actions are said to be among the strongest top levers of all time.

That may be.
However, quite A few have had soft barrels that let go.
And not with monolithic projectiles, but with Woodleighs.

Here's a good deal !!

Print Email


RIGBY RISING BITE 470 NITRO EXPRESS - THE BORES as NEW with ORIGINAL BARRELS - A SUPERB 1911 SIDELOCK CLASSIC with 26" EJECTOR CHOPPER LUMP BARRELS - A Complete & Total Refinish Including Fresh Case Colors - Deluxe Marvin Huey Trunk Case - Super Wood - 11 Lbs. 2 Oz. - 14 3/4" LOP


Style: Caliber: Price:
Double Rifle 470 N. E. $74,000.00

#17625, John Rigby & Co. 43 Sackville Road, London: A Rising Bite 470 Nitro Express Bar Action Sidelock Ejector Double Rifle with Original Barrels That Have Bores Like New, Made in 1911, 26" Ejector Chopper Lump Barrels, Full length rib with 1 standing & 2 folding rear sights, Fold-up night sight, Nitro proved at 75 cordite with a 500 grain bullet, Bushed strikers, Double triggers, Spring actuated locking safety, Horn grip cap, 14 3/4" LOP over a 1" leather pad, 11 lbs. 2 oz., 97% coverage of classic Rigby scroll; "Jno. Rigby & Co." in Gold on both sidelocks, The top rib, Serial number & Safe, Excellent European walnut with dark and deep contrast with great color, This piece was completely refinished from muzzle to butt, Fresh case colors, Reblacked barrels with the striking like the day it left Rigby, The stock and forend reoiled, It remains in 99% condition since the work was done. - Now the unbelievable news is the bores are virtually as new and these are the original barrels that have been there since day one. Then Marvin Huey built a full Deluxe Elephant hide brass cornered trunk case and added a lot of nice accessories. Here is a solid London Classic Rising Bite Rigby in the 470 cartridge with bores like new and a piece of wood that meets the eye very well.

The breech face marked with the R & B (John Rigby & Thomas Bissell) Patent #1141 which was patented March 21, 1879, the beginning of the Hammerless gun era, for the barrel locking method which we call the rising-bite. It is also marked #1026 in this vignette which applies to this gun as being the 1,026th gun built under the R & B patent.

I've been playing around with the idea of converting a nice solid 16ga double to .348 Win. My thought is that as that cartridge is not a really high pressure round it should be okay. I don't do any hunting, just shooting; but I've always liked the idea of having a "fun" double. Heck I even have a soft spot for old .455 Webleys.

I would be somewhat suspect of the .450 3 1/4 hammer on GB. Seller is "kongdong6969" and refers to is as a beautiful "handmade" gun with 3 1/2 inch case length. Pics appear to be taken in the parking lot of the Roswell Greyhound bus terminal bathroom and no phone number or other contact information that I have seen.

I would also want to know why it does not require an FFL and really want to see a better pic of the bores and barrel flats as
well as ALL relevant information. Colors aren't English and, well, I've seen better. Will check the year of manufacture.

I visited Wilkes, in Beak Street, some handful of years before they closed. A dirtier, messier, grubbier place you would be had pressed to imagine.

But they were a working gunmakers and that's what many of these places were like. Old Mr Wilkes was still, of course alive, and his brother.

Nice people and they made some good guns and did sights for target rifles. The place closed after the last one died and is now a wine bar.

Here's some more that STILL exist as gunmakers IN THEIR ORIGINAL PREMISES.

Elderkin in Spalding, Licolnshire:



Purdey's:



OK...all you gun buffs...who was this? watch closely there are two very good clues:

Incredible. My guess is westley Richards.

Thank you very much for posting.

Mr. Collin, I have been telling you about that 450/400 3 1/4 for some time.

He has had that rifle I know for 3 years. The price has been coming down steadily for that particular rifle. When I first saw it listed in was 12k, then just under 10k, now just under 9k.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100910608

Would I be right in thinking the cartridges shown nestled up to the Kynoch box in the photos are reloads with A Square dead tough or lion load bullets, wonder what the target was shot with?

Definitely not Westley Richards. Absolutely not.

The clip at 1:52 onwards shows that it is not a Wesley. Not a Holland (the trigger guard part is too long).

A little google cheating says that Arthur Gwyn, Ebenezer Hands, Reg Taylor & Charlie Ganderton are in the clip and therefore the maker is most likely John Wilkes!

Interesting to read some other info about how these guys did work on contract after WW2 for Holland, Purdy, Wesley Richards, Jeffery etc.

No one has it correct so far. I have PM'd them with the answer. Look CLOSELY gentlmen. If you know "Brit" shot guns the clue is staring at you as large as life!

I am going to guess Coggswell and Harrison.

No. Not Cogswell & Harrison. I have PM'd you the answer.

The Wilkes looks a nice rifle but the sights seem out of time. An old-school Zeiss or Nickel would look more the part.

If I had thought for a minute I would have answered differently.

Watson Bros. perhaps??

Nick

No Watson Bros. PM sent with answer. Here's modern Watson Bros though. And all those old guys in the 1950s video? They could walk into this workshop and apart from the Wi-Fi and the mobile telephones pick-up and start work I reckon.