A friend is considering either one in 470NE.

I have had both though the Chapuis in a small frame 9.3x74R and a medium and large V-C in 450/400 and 600NE(x2).

The Chapuis he is looking at has lion, elephant and Cape buffalo laser engraving on belly and sides, the V-C has moustache bolsters and upgraded wood with roll and scroll engraving.

Having no first hand experience with the bigger framed Chapuis all I could tell him was that he couldnt go wrong with the V-C.

Any other thoughts?

Paul,

Both are good guns. I have a Chapuis 470 that has fired lots of rounds and is still very tight and shoots great. It was the one Michael and I used for the double strain gage tests. As you know I have VC guns also. I think the VCs are better looking guns. The big advantage of the VC is they will build them to your specs. As far as function I think either is hard to beat for the money. I like both much better than Merkel which is also a nice gun.

Sam

Thanks Sam - I will pass that along. Given your experience it will mean a lot.
Paul

I have a Chapuis 470 that was built to my specs. Got measured by JJ Perodeau at Champlin Firearms and ordered the options I wanted including my name engraved on it. Took a few months but was worth the wait.

Paul, I scored a 470NE Chapuis in mint conditon for $8K. I got my money's worth with that purchase. Your V-C posts have me looking that direction for a future purchase. If your friend lives anywhere near nothnern Alabama, OKC, or Dallas a meet and greet is possible.

I can also bring it's little brother along too.

Thanks Sid.

He's in SanDiego but comes to visit his parents who are here in NJ a couple times a year.

I'll ask when he is next coming here or if he has business in any of those areas.

Thanks again,

Paul

Sorry for getting off track a little. But I think your friend should pass on buying an expensive heavy hitter like the 470 "off the rack".

Once he decides on a rifle he really should have it built to his specs, both stock measurements and options. Nothing will sour a shooter worse than shooting a big bore like this with an improper fitting stock.

In addition, there is a certain cool factor by having a bespoke rifle built to your liking.

It is cool to have a bespoke rifle built but most off the shelf doubles, even .470 and .500s, will fit most shooters fine, provided the shooter is of average dimensions. Length of pull is generally the biggest issue and can be corrected by swapping recoil pads, if one finds a suitable rifle at a good price go for it.

I have to agree with most of what has been said here, with one exception! IMO, the V-C is a far better rifle than the Chapuis in the large chamberings. Though both rifles are good rifles, again in my opinion, the V-C is a stronger design which translates into a longer trouble free life! The V-C offers far more normally custom features right off the shelf than the Chapuis. Given the choice between those two rifle being bought used, my choice would be the V-C! Bought new and fitted to me, my choice would still be the V-C!

Add in a field grade Heym at even higher price, the Heym would be my choice over either of those choices! Even then my fourth choice would be the Chapuis if we added in the old extractor shoelump model Merkel 470NE Safari.

If either of your choices originally stated in this thread is bought, the new owner of the Chapuis needs to have that shotgun beavertail forend abortion replaced with a splinter one on anything with more recoil that a 9.3X74R.

In any event, all mentioned here are good rifles, and are better than a bolt rifle for their intended purpose, it is just that some come with more good features "OFF THE SHELF”, and some are simply better rifles totally bought off the shelf, which is the way I understand this choice is being made here.

Some are simply better DOUBLE RIFLES than the others regardless of decorations! However all will outlast the owner! So, I guess it boils down to which the guy likes the best, and which fits him best, and of course in the end, price!

The only experience I have with a Chapuis is my little 9.3X74R. If that gun is any indication of their workmanship and quality, and I think it is, they are superb doubles but then again, so are the VCs. It sounds like your friend is looking at a Chapuis "Jungle" model and they are very nice guns indeed. I would pick the one that fits him the bests and that I could get the best deal on and not look back.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
The only experience I have with a Chapuis is my little 9.3X74R. If that gun is any indication of their workmanship and quality, and I think it is, they are superb doubles but then again, so are the VCs. It sounds like your friend is looking at a Chapuis "Jungle" model and they are very nice guns indeed. I would pick the one that fits him the bests and that I could get the best deal on and not look back.

I agree the Chapuis quality workmanship, and in the small ones like the 9.3X74R I've never seen one that was not very accurate as well,but seem too light in larger chambeings. My main objection to the Chapuis rifles, above the action design, is they are simply build like shootguns, with beavertail fore-ends,which is not well suited to heavy recoiling double rifles!

The beavertail fore-end tends to make people hold onto ONLY the wood. This is not good on a heavy recoiling double rifles. This puts pressure on, not only the wood, but the fore-end hanger/latch as well if the barrels are not held as well. The splinter was designed on big bore double rifles so the barrels would be held also.

The beavertail forends were designed for shotguns where hours of shooting at driven birds, and or compition where the barrel get very hot. One rarely shoots a large bore double rifle enough in a session to make the barrels that hot. Besides Beavertail forends look dumb on a double rifle! I don't eeven like them on a shotgun

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Sorry for getting off track a little. But I think your friend should pass on buying an expensive heavy hitter like the 470 "off the rack".

Once he decides on a rifle he really should have it built to his specs, both stock measurements and options. Nothing will sour a shooter worse than shooting a big bore like this with an improper fitting stock.

Very good advice. The Chapuis 470 stock is not of my liking. It caused heavy bruising on my cheek after only a few rounds. I shoot LH and the gun was a RH…not doubt part of the problem however I have shot a lot of other brands of doubles (Mostly RH guns) and never had the same problem. The stock on the VC felt a bit sharp to me as well…in the comb area, but it did not leave a mark. Before I spent this kind of money on a new gun I would want to shoot something similar, even if that meant traveling to meet someone.

Thanks all

I am not very experienced with DRs & do not own one yet.

I was in the US a couple of years ago & was invited by Sam & Corbin to shoot with them. I got to shoot 6 or 7 different rifles from 9.3X74R & 45-70 to 600 NE. The rifles included Webley, Jeffery, Merkel, Chapuis, VC, SEACE & Griefelt. I might have shot some others but do not remember.

I can tell you that a poorly fitting DR is a real terror! The 470 Chapuis I shot - just 2 shots - had me punch drunk and in a daze for a while. I had a lump on my cheek for a few weeks. On the other had the Webley 450/400 was a sweet heart. I smoked an orange clay target at 25 yards with it (on the mud bank of course). Even the 600NE gave me a big shove but no real problems. In fact I shot a few rounds with that 14 lbs rifle and suffered no ill effects. One of the 45-70s also did not fit me well & I found the recoil a real bother as it hurt my shoulder, cheek & fingers.

I would never buy a Double rifle without making sure that it fitted me well & that I could manage the recoil & shoot it with confidence.

If Sam reads this he will know what I am hinting!

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I can tell you that a poorly fitting DR is a real terror!

I agree and further I'd say that's true of just about any moderate to heavy recoiling firearm.