Yes I also shot with an attorney Mr. Weight, he has since moved to Florida and sold me his
450 BPE that he took to Africa.

quote:

posted 29 September 2015 00:15 Hide Post
Yes I also shot with an attorney Mr. Weight, he has since moved to Florida and sold me his
450 BPE that he took to Africa.

If that was Michael Weight of Kailana, he was the fellow I bought my C&H 577 BPE double from in January of 2007. Super nice guy. I haven't been in touch with him since I sent a copy of the C&H records on the rifle, that was several years ago. If I had his e-mail address I'd send pictures of the Kudu and Buffalo I shot with it. Hope he is well.

Yes we are talking about Mike Weight. I have lost his phone number and home address in Tarpon Springs Florida.

Some pics of the engraving:






First 4 shot out of the H & H 450. First shot I
aimed for center, hit high. Next three consecutive shots aimed at the quarter 6 o'clock
and all three touched on the X.

I keep shaking my head and asking myself, how could anyone buy a new double rifle when treasures such such as shown here are available. The only thing these rifles have uncommon with new ones is they shoot bullets. The similarity ends there: the vintage rifles have quality of workmanship, history, perfect lines and balance, etc. But, I guess it is good as it leaves more of the old rifles for those of us who appreciate them.
Thanks, gents, for posting the pics.
Cal

Cal, they do speak of old Africa, don't they?

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
I keep shaking my head and asking myself, how could anyone buy a new double rifle when treasures such such as shown here are available. The only thing these rifles have uncommon with new ones is they shoot bullets. The similarity ends there: the vintage rifles have quality of workmanship, history, perfect lines and balance, etc. But, I guess it is good as it leaves more of the old rifles for those of us who appreciate them.
Thanks, gents, for posting the pics.
Cal

Well unless you want a rifle to beat up! My Merkel lives pretty rough between outfitting and bush flying (double's are great there to, perfect takedowns of course). Nice when you're able to use a double and not worry about it. Just very different tools, one brings a lot more pleasure of craftsmanship and history, the other can offer more pleasure afield as you'll take it obscene places.

A little like classic cars, versus a Landcruiser. This said, I can only justify affordable new doubles, value models.

I only purchase the old ones as well. Like Cal, they just speak to me. Not to say that there isn't inherent danger in having one lost in flight or dropping one in a kirongo accidentally. That is the risk I will assume, however, to have a piece of history speak again.

I have old English doubles and I have new modern doubles. Given the money and the choice, I will take the old English doubles. Tony Makris said that the old doubles have a soul. I agree. When you handle one you feel a connection to the past and wonder about the stories the rifle could tell. The modern doubles are wood and steel. Both will get the job done, both are fun to use . . . but only one does it with panache.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
I have old English doubles and I have new modern doubles. Given the money and the choice, I will take the old English doubles. Tony Makris said that the old doubles have a soul. I agree. When you handle one you feel a connection to the past and wonder about the stories the rifle could tell. The modern doubles are wood and steel. Both will get the job done, both are fun to use . . . but only one does it with panache.

Why don't you drive your grandfathers car? I am sure it has a soul too.

I wish I had my grandfather's car.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
I wish I had my grandfather's car.

My grandfather's last car was a 1931 ford sedan and I too would love to have that car totally restored. However what I would love to have more than the car is his old 10 ga double barreled shotgun, and his single shot Remington rolling block .22 rifle. Both destroyed when his ranch house burned in 1949. Those two guns and a 410 double that belonged my mothers uncle were my constant companions from the age of six. Man the memories those would bring back. Dollar wise the car would be more valuable to others but wouldn't bring back my youth like the guns.

I love the old double rifles I've owned over the years but I also love to hunt with my new ones as well. Even the brand new field grade double rifles have more panache than any bolt rifle I can think of! Double rifles just have something no other firearm has right out of the shipping box brand new!
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quote:

Double rifles just have something no other firearm has right out of the shipping box brand new!

Mac, I've noticed that....a second barrel welded alongside the first one. Strange!

Unless its' a Blaser, then they are super glued. Or at least that was what I was told.

The Germans figured that with a magazine, the number of shots doesn't have to equal the number of barrels :-)

Here is your rifle Jon.

Mike, that's a gorgeous piece, for sure. Love the wood...just my style. I think I'll hold out for a 577 though. I want to hunt Cape Buffalo with it, so I want all the horsepower I can get. But if Plains Game was on the menu, that would be a stunning rifle to carry.

Mike! I think I found it! Not BP or NFB, but it'll do :-)

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100640713

. . . in my dreams. I would have to trade all my doubles for just that one.

What, a little light this week? Need to rack up those billable hours!

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Mike! I think I found it! Not BP or NFB, but it'll do :-)

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100640713

What a beautiful work of art only to be ruined by that fat-bob beavertail fore-end. Why not just pencil a mustache onto the Mona Lisa?

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Mike! I think I found it! Not BP or NFB, but it'll do :-)

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100640713

What a beautiful work of art only to be ruined by that fat-bob beavertail fore-end. Why not just pencil a mustache onto the Mona Lisa?

Plus one! But man the rest of that rifle is a thing of beauty!

That's a long way from a bpe. Ditto on the fore end.

Dave

That is a beautiful rifle,maybe the lottery will come thru for me lol,I agree on the forend,but I bet that gun shoots very accurately with that ugly forend,correct me if I am wrong,but the shape of this forend proabably gives the shooter better windage control.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill73:
That is a beautiful rifle,maybe the lottery will come thru for me lol,I agree on the forend,but I bet that gun shoots very accurately with that ugly forend,correct me if I am wrong,but the shape of this forend proabably gives the shooter better windage control.

I doubt it has any positive effect on windage control, but is certainly has an effect on my being able to hold my lunch down!
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Cal As a school teacher did you ever teach Poetry? LOL!

There old treasures do tug at my heart and leave a buzz in my head that lasts for days!

The last Holts auction had an incredible Alex Henry 500 BPE with steel barrels that just cried out to me. I bit on it but did not get it. After the sale it came up with a fixed offer that was only 300 GBP more than my bid. I sat on it for 2 days and it was gone!

Here it is - finally sold for around US$13k + shipping - total cost landed in NZ would have been around US$14.5k

http://auctions.holtsauctionee...+899+&refno=+++95385

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
I keep shaking my head and asking myself, how could anyone buy a new double rifle when treasures such such as shown here are available. The only thing these rifles have uncommon with new ones is they shoot bullets. The similarity ends there: the vintage rifles have quality of workmanship, history, perfect lines and balance, etc. But, I guess it is good as it leaves more of the old rifles for those of us who appreciate them.
Thanks, gents, for posting the pics.
Cal

Very nice.

I was about to post that before I read your post!

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Mike! I think I found it! Not BP or NFB, but it'll do :-)

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100640713

What a beautiful work of art only to be ruined by that fat-bob beavertail fore-end. Why not just pencil a mustache onto the Mona Lisa?

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
The Germans figured that with a magazine, the number of shots doesn't have to equal the number of barrels :-)

...........................
You are right,of course! ....But only thier military rifles! The Mausers are among the best, most reliable single barreled rifles ever made anyplace, but most German hunters have used firearms with more than one barrel over many, many years,mostly witch included at least one shotgun barrel and most still do!

I happen to have a few of those German multi-barreled firearms, and Mauser rifles myself!

The Germans have built about as many multi-barrels firearms as any maker anywhere! Most of the hunters in Germany, over many years, have hunted with Drillings, cape guns, double barrel shotguns, combination guns and double rifles..

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quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
The Germans figured that with a magazine, the number of shots doesn't have to equal the number of barrels :-)

Wrong again Biebs!

"The first mass-produced repeater was the Volcanic Rifle which used a hollow bullet with the base filled with powder and primer fed into the chamber from a spring-loaded tube called a magazine. It was named after a building or room used to store ammunition. The anemic power of the Rocket Ball ammunition used in the Volcanic doomed it to limited popularity.

The Henry repeating rifle is a lever-action, breech-loading, tubular magazine fed rifle, and was an improved version of the earlier Volcanic rifle. Designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, it was one of the first firearms to use self-contained metallic cartridges. The Henry was introduced in the early 1860s and produced through 1866 in the United States by the New Haven Arms Company. It was adopted in small quantities by the Union in the Civil War ."

Jon, did you ever manage to read Baker's "Wild Beasts"? He sure makes a fella pine for a .577 3-inch BPE.