Recent threads have often focused on differences between old doubles and newer manufactured doubles, so I would like to ask the following question. I don't know how this will come out as I haven't done a Poll before, however the intent is to identify the proportion of older ie. pre WWII guns in use that might have metallurgy that is perhaps inferior to modern guns. Feel free to make suggestions to improve.

Question:
How old is your double rifle (ie. date of manufacture)?

Choices:
Older than 70 years
Newer than 70 years

 

I have two doubles. One of which is in each category. How do I answer?

465H&H

A "modern era" to take in ones currently in production might have been a nice choice too...

I didn't vote because I have a spread! My oldest was sold out of the London Westley Richards store to an unknown buyer in 1892,(118 yrs old) and my newest is about 9 yrs old.

I'd say I use the new ones much more than the older ones when traveling to hunt. Mainly because the old ones are too hard to replace, or expensive to repair if lost or damaged in transit. The newer ones can be replaced easily with something exactly the same cheaper than some repaires on the older ones.

It has always been my suggestion to a first time buyer of a double rifle to buy new, and with a 450NE or smaller chambering till he finds out if he is really a double rifle person, and once he has some experience with double rifles,and finds he's in the right field then he can buy a ventage double. If he finds he isn't as hot on doubles as he thought, he can turn the new one with little loss if he cares for the rifle while he has it, and buy himself a new Bolt rifle.

All the comments are exactly in line with my own thought process. Can't you vote multiple times? I need to try that myself!
OOPS! Answered my own question! Can't vote twice. Damn computer software! Let me rethink this!!!!!
Peter.

I voted on the basis I use my older DR's more than my newer one's by a long way.

I didn't vote because I have more than one double rifle. All of mine, four, are modern rifles less than 50 yrs old.

JPK

Why not vote based on what the majority of the rifles age is? I did.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Brooks:
Why not vote based on what the majority of the rifles age is? I did.

Because it will skew results.

For instance, a fellow like 465H&H has a modern and a vintage rifle. He votes once and immeadiately skews the results. Or like me, four modern rifles, I vote once and leave out three rifles.

Better to ammend the pole to alow mutiple choices.

JPK

Ok I had the same problem one old one new but the old one is real close to the cut off of 70 years but the new one is only 20 or so years old so I voted for new.

Doubles....newer...oldest is about 5 years although I have owned a couple that were 20-25 years. Bolt guns a different animal...one is a WR 425 circa 1950 and one is a Jeffery 333 circa 1912. You can just smell Africa in those older doubles and bolts.....hard to pass a good one up.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I have several DR's too, but all are newer, so that's the way i voted.

DM

My "new" one was made in 1915. All of the others before 1900.

Bob

I own 3. Two "Modern" and one vintage British double.

My two big bores are vintage British, my 9,3x74R is a new double.

New doubles are good utility rifles. New English rifles are the best of what is out there today. Personally, I like old cars, rifles, and women. New stuff does not seem to do much for me. I upgrade my doubles often and continue to do so, and now I own the following (date of manufacture in ()):


.450-400 (1920), .450 no2 (1904), .600 (1914)
8-bore (1883), 7-bore (1890 approx) and 4-bore (also about 1890) Four of these rifles I have the original owner and a bit of history. This is what makes a rifle interesting, to me, anyway. Also, the fine English scroll is far nicer than today's carving and not-so-fine scroll.
Cheers,
Cal

Cal

Tell me about your 450 No2.

Mine is an Edwinson Green and Sons.

It is on the same barreled action, sights etc. as many Jefferys. It has 28" barrels.