you can buy a very nice Chapuis, Merkel, etc. double rifle in 9.3x74R for around $5,000 and yet the same rifle in .375 Flanged or H&H, .450/.400, or .470 costs, at minimum, twice as much? Seems to me if a maker could build a nice rifle in a slightly heavier caliber at around $6,500 they would keep very busy!

I know there is a bit more metal and wood in them but the discrepancy in prices don't make sense to me. But what do I know... I am a bolt gun Philistine!

Not sure that the mass production ideology applies here but the Europeans probably make a ton of the 9.3x74R and littler stuff compared to the bigger stuff.

I'm sure whatever the market will bear applies here too, just like you oil guys in Texas. Everybody and their dog is making SxS rifles but the price remains pretty stiff.

I will spare you my lecture on double rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

I will spare you my lecture on double rifles.

Doesn't make any sense to me why the price would double, just by increasing the calibre by a couple of mm, no commercial logic at all.

Holland & Holland charge about 7% more to build a 500/465 versus a 9.3mm. A long way from twice the price, but then again that 7% equates to over $11,000!!! However my point is, H&H do nobody any favours on price and if it costs a whole lot more to make a certain calibre vs another, I am sure it is fully reflected in their retail price. Which is a long winded way of saying there is no way that Chapuis or Merkel should double their price just because one wants to move up a calibre or two. Why do they charge that much? Because they can!

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

I will spare you my lecture on double rifles.

Thank you for sharing!

very simple Russel. The charge is because they can. The Earth supports several billion souls now but there is only a hand full of us idiots that are willing to plunk money down for a "True Elephant" rifle. Makers can and will charge the the prices that they do because they are a one off item and people will pay the price.

by the way haow are you long tome no hear from????
e

By the way Russel. If any body here can justify the ow%nership of a double it is you..... You do more African hunting than 99% of the rest of us. Get yourself a Double you will never regret it.

quote:

Originally posted by pichon1:
Which is a long winded way of saying there is no way that Chapuis or Merkel should double their price just because one wants to move up a calibre or two. Why do they charge that much? Because they can!

Because they can, is one reason, but there are others who do the same from the bottom up, such as your example of H&H, who charge a hell of a lot more than double anyone else charges for a double rifle that works just as well. The 7% diferential between a 9.3X74R double and anything larger from H&H is not a big deal because the 7% is more money than a good working double rifle in any chambering should cost, and the price of the cheaper H&H,is 15 to 20 times the price of another example here, and Merkel of any chambering, and the H&H is certainly not worth the differential in price. If you want to talk differential, there is where the gouge is! The famous names, over the old makers of working double rifles, that kill just as well, and will, with proper care, last just as long as any name you can offer!

When you get down to brass tacks,when standing in front of a charging Cape Buffalo, the only difference between the two being discussed here is bling, and name, and the buffalo doesn't mind which you are useing, the final result will be the same with either!

The value of the big names is a show of wealth, much like the guy who drives a UNAMOG 4X4, that will go no place that a toyota 4X4, will not go as easily, and with proper care will last just as long or longer.

I think, in the case of Merkel's priceing, the differential falls into that same catagory. The doubles up to, and including the 9.3X74R are aimed at the Europien hunter, and have to compete with bolt rifles,and combo rifle/shotguns, in a less affluient customer based market. The Safari rifles, of the grade level as the small ones, are aimed at a different customer, who is AFRICA oriented, and has the money to spend, or is willing to borrow it. But even with Merkel, there is a big price jump amoung the larger Safari models, as well. If you want to get into the top of the line at Merkel bring $25K along with the order, now there is the double the price, and reflects nothing more than the amount of BLING.

This is not limited to double rifles, but is present in bolt rifles as well, and shotguns in particular, you can buy a sirviceable rifle, or shotgun, that will outlast you grand kids, or pay ten, or fifteen times that price for a rifle, or shotgun, that will do absolutely nothing better than the Wally-world bolt rifle/shotgun, except shine, and increase it's owner's status at the local hunting club! So! as you say in the last three words, "BECAUSE THEY CAN!".

Heres the rub, however, if you want a double rifle, then pay the lowest price you can, for a dependable double rifle, and go buffalo hunting, or borrow money and pay more, and impress your friends at the range!

................................

Actually makers like Heym & Verney-Carron/Demas, don't charge much of a difference, as in the H&H example. The barrels cost more as does thicker wood blanks, for the big bores. Economy of scale was mentioned and that can play into it but not like true mass production.

I think there was a time that Merkel/GSI charged high for the big bores and low for the small bores but I believe this has changed. Both were ALOT less expensive in Canada and probably still are.

Chapuis are cost effective to produce and for what they are they represent really good value in the small bore (sm inlc 9.3). Their big bore IMO presents a more luxury type quality over their small guns, as well as over plain jane base model Merkel big bores, but not a nicely appointed Merkel. I think the smaller Merkels present higher quality than small Chapuis.

I'd never really make a plug for them but if you must have a new Chapuis or Merkel big bore the Cabela's models are fairly priced at $12K compared the same base guns for $10K or more.