As many of you know, the Valmet 412 system offered double rifles, double shotguns and combo gun interchangeable on an O/U Shotgun frame. I have been a fan of them for years and have dealt in them as well. I have owned almost every double rifle caliber offered such as .243, 308, .30/06 375 Winchester and 9.3X74R. The latter two rimmed cartridges have ejectors. All have adjustable barrels for point of impact. The 412s aren't lightweights, and that makes it difficult to love them as upland shotguns. But their weight is an advantage when shooting energetic double rifles. The heaviest caliber offered at the factory was the 9.3X74R. But being a glutton for punishment, I have a set of 450/400 3" barrels made from a set of ejector shotgun barrels by monoblocking. The barrels group well and also have POI impact adjustments built in. Recently I acquired a new set of double 375 Win ejector barrels. I'm thinking of having them rechambered to 375 H&H Flanged Magnum. I have a finish reamer. Can anyone suggest a gunsmith who is competent and who won't take forever to get to it?

I’ve been pretty curious about Valmet rifles, and thought about buying one until I can afford the real thing.

Are they accurate? How is the reliability? They have mechanical single triggers, not inertia?

Does the adjustable POI doohickey work well? I would probably find a load that worked and weld it in place.

I have 2 combo barrels and a 9.3X74R double. The "doohickeys' work great. Triggers are mechanical not inertia. I have replaced the single trigger with double triggers as this works much better on the combo barrels for night calling. Accuracy, with a little load dev, they shoot just as well as an accurate bolt. Heavy, yes, but touch off 3"#4 buck, and weight is appreciated.

Valmets were my first double rifles. The POI is easy to adjust and it stays put. I've been through quite a few frustrations with soldered barrel doubles not grouping with the ammo they were supposedly regulated with. I have two now that do shoot together but I paid a lot to have them regulated with ammo that I could obtain in the US. I still hang onto the Valmets because they always work. You can buy a complete gun with a good set of double rifle barrels for around $1500. Add combo or shotgun barrels for a little more. As a plus, Valmet shotguns will shoot slugs well, and most shotgun barrels have a built in scope base.

I have seen the weights of the 9.3x74r’s to be just over 9 lbs. how is the recoil? Does the regulation change with a scope mounted?

Not much kick on the 9.3. My 450/400 weighs 9lb and it is just a heavy shove. As long as lightweight scopes are used, no zero change. I prefer 1.5-5 and 1-4 power.

I have a 412 in 30-06 12ga 30 inch 20ga 26in barrels it has been awhile since I shot it.

I think the 06 was right around 2 inch's at a hundred.

I should sell it as I don't use it any more just thought it was a neat idea years ago.

I have read of people having the double .375 Win barrels rechambered to a wildcat based on the .303 case, blown out and neck expanded. I have a 412S that I got in 9.3 over 9.3, and have purchased many other barrel sets. I would be afraid of the flanged .375 in this rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
As many of you know, the Valmet 412 system offered double rifles, double shotguns and combo gun interchangeable on an O/U Shotgun frame. I have been a fan of them for years and have dealt in them as well. I have owned almost every double rifle caliber offered such as .243, 308, .30/06 375 Winchester and 9.3X74R. The latter two rimmed cartridges have ejectors. All have adjustable barrels for point of impact. The 412s aren't lightweights, and that makes it difficult to love them as upland shotguns. But their weight is an advantage when shooting energetic double rifles. The heaviest caliber offered at the factory was the 9.3X74R. But being a glutton for punishment, I have a set of 450/400 3" barrels made from a set of ejector shotgun barrels by monoblocking. The barrels group well and also have POI impact adjustments built in. Recently I acquired a new set of double 375 Win ejector barrels. I'm thinking of having them rechambered to 375 H&H Flanged Magnum. I have a finish reamer. Can anyone suggest a gunsmith who is competent and who won't take forever to get to it?

Aaron Little down in East Texas is your man for the conversion to .375 flanged mag. Aaron is quick and has built a number of double rifles and also is very competent on regulating. The .375 flanged mag service chamber pressure is much less than the .375 Winchester cartridge. You can search for Aaron on the web and find him easily.

I always appreciate my name being suggested for work. Right now my backlog has gotten far too long and I’m not taking in new gunsmithing work for the time being. Once I get caught back up that might change.

I own two Valmets. 12 Ga. 308 and 9.3. Good firearms!

I was lucky to find a gunsmith who was once a Valmet Dealer and therefore understands the subtleties of fitting these barrels. I'm having the barrels fitted to a receiver now. The 375 Win operates at 52K and the flanged at 47K. But the head of the flanged case is larger and rechambering will leave a thin rim of steel of the barrel tenon inside the monoblock.

I've been looking at the Valmets for quite a while now and would probably have one if they were chambered for more "American-like" calibers...35 Whelan/358 Win, 300 H&H, 375 H&H, etc. I would have the 9.3 mm except for the fact that I'm WAY over budget in rifles in the .366/375/400 dia range.

As far as rechambering the 375 Win you could always go with a '06 based case like the Hawk/Scovill or plain ol' 375-06 or the 9.3 x 74 necked up slightly although I wouldn't bother trying to get an additional 0.009" in bullet dia...or the 375 NE 2 1/2". Any one of those '06 iterations loaded to '06 pressures will give you all the slam you could want...at BOTH ends.

I don't think I would worry too much about the "thin" steel rim as it's the mono bloc that handles the pressures and Arron probably has something to say about the thin rim to quiet any fears.

Just a thought...that keeps coming up every time I read about a Valmet.

Always LOTS of ways to skin a hog and get your bacon/cracklin's.

Good Hunting

I've never owned a Valmet O/U double rifle, but I do have a Valmet O/U 12 ga shotgun that has a single trigger and is fitted with barrel selector from FULL to MOD to fire first. I bought this shotgun used from a friend's gun shop for $110 dollars many years ago. It is fitted with extractors only.

Even though I own some fine shotguns, both O/U, and S/S with all the bling, the Valmet is my go-to shotgun for dove and quail hunting. The cheapo shotgun fits me like a glove, and I rarely miss with it on flying birds.

If the double rifles are as dependable as my Valmet LION shotgun I would love to have one chambered for 450-400 3" with a detachable low powered scope and good Iron sights.

Let's say if I found one at a decent price I would be hard pressed to not buy it!
…………………………………………………...Valmet

Seems like there is no such thing as a "cheap" cheap Valmet double rifle and very few even know what what one is. Around my area everytime I ask about a Valmet rifle OR shotgun I get glassy eyed blank stares. Even the two good, REAL 'smiths just laugh and say "hens teeth" are more prevalent...the one living here the longest said he's NEVER seen one in this area and I'm the only one who'es ever asked that he can remember.

This got me looking again at various "todo" projects...something along the lines of a 450-400 3" or 450 NE swap barrel but after checking my inventory I have a bolt or SS something maybe a little bigger or a little smaller that will basically do the same thing...400-500 gr at 2150 fs at half the powder use and half the recoil give or take. My 50-90 Sharps I load to 29 KPsi has the same case volume as the 450-400 3" and pretty much equals that cartridge.

ALWAYS something new to learn.

Good Hunting

Back in September I bought a Tikka 512S in 9.2x74 plus a second set of 12 ga. barrels. Had the scope mount and a 2x7 Burris Mini.

The guy I bought it from had it on his table at a particular gun show for almost 2 years. I once had cash-in-hand to buy it and he didn’t show that time. In Sept. I talked to him and he said he wasn’t coming back to that show because he hadn’t sold much (he had a lot of oddball stuff).

I asked him for his best price, then told him he was $500 too high. Ended up with the rifle and 2 boxes of Dynamit—Noble loads.

I got lucky and the second load I tried had holes touching in both barrels at 100 yards. Shoots as well as any of my bolt guns. I took it moose hunting but no joy this year.

I still want to play with the regulation some and will post a target when I get it just right.

Lucky-pucker.

Yeah...they're few and far between. Most I've looked at online run about 1600 +/- ~50 bucks. I don't think that is a bad price at all, but being a cheap Scots Bawstid even that price is more than I want to pay. I have about as much luck finding a good cheap one as I do winning the Lotto...but who knows, luck has a way of changing.

Good Hunting

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:
Lucky-pucker.

Yeah...they're few and far between. Most I've looked at online run about 1600 +/- ~50 bucks. I don't think that is a bad price at all, but being a cheap Scots Bawstid even that price is more than I want to pay. I have about as much luck finding a good cheap one as I do winning the Lotto...but who knows, luck has a way of changing.

Good Hunting

It certainly wouldn't do for me to see a double rifle at the $1600 price tag in just about any chambering! I'd likely through my shoulder out of place getting to my check book!

………………………………………………………..

You’d hate to know what I paid for this one - in Canadian dollars, no less.

Just buy a reamer and do it yourself, by hand. It's not a huge amount of reaming, just don't put any side pressure on it. And you will save $500.

Where did my priorities go too??? Bought a used Daystate Air Wolf 25 Cal PCP air rifle a couple months ago, paid $1650 for it and $500 for the compressor. I'm STILL shaking and waking up in the middle of the night sweating at the thought of turning loose that amount of money at one time...doesn't matter whether I can afford it or not...just how much fine whiskey, reloading goodies, 22 LR ammo could that have bought??? At least I won't just whizz it away. It DEFINITELY takes out the garbage VERY quietly, tho'

There are several used 412's on the auction sites for ~$1625 "buy now" price in various cals including the 9.3 and also the "S" models...a soon as I stop shaking I will do something about it...maybe. I have 2-4 of something in all the Valmet's cals, in different configurations, several of which are my favorite truck/car shooters although the Valmet would make a very nice, easily broken down and put together, behind the seat, not easily seen toy. I have an AR-10 in 338 Fed and extra complete upper in 6.5 Creed for that right now and it goes together VERY quickly.

Too many toys...to many decisions.

Good Hunting