I have just returned from a visit to England meeting with Trevor Thomas Proctor,

www.ttproctor.com who I am convinced is making the finest doubles [and B/A rifles]

in the U.K. No kidding here! He's had press coverage that was all very flattering

as the years have gone by, the last 31 of them building rifles. At 62 now, arabian

royalty have been customers. He's building a 600 NE as we speak for a man who he's

known for twenty years. He tried to build a double to keep for himself and when it

was finished he was "forced" to sell it to a gentleman that just had to have it! Mind

you this was in caliber .375 H&H mag BELTED RIMLESS and regulated for Remington factory

ammo. This rifle has taken a male lion and bull elephant so far. Now if the man who's

been building rifles alone for 31 plus years decides to finally build one for himself,

and he chooses a belted rimless caliber he must be confident that the rifle would

eject properly. It does. I shot it and ejected ammo from it and works as well as any

double I've seen. Now as far as making the best goes here is why. Each rifle must be

better than the last for him. His best advertising is rifle owners. He does not have

a 150 year old name with the crown of England or one of it's "high princes" as customers,

yet. But there have been some interesting buyers none the less. I'll let him disclose

those names if he thinks it's right to do so. He simply must build rifles as best as

he can so as to get the best word of mouth advertising, to risk of the opposite he

just can not do. Those big names don't have that pressure. They sell rifles on their

history and the fact that the rifles are in fact very, very fine. But remember this.

The name on the side of the rifle is NOT the name of the MEN - PLURAL - who built it.

Not likely that they are investors in the company either. Trevor Proctor is everything

in his company, period, in the building process. He controls everything that way. Let

me say this. I'm going to try like the devil to have one, it's that simple. If you are

thinking of spending around 40 on a double rifle and you don't put this maker into your

mix you really have shorted yourself of the very best out there. Sidelock or Trevor's

favorite, a best, scalloped backed boxlock, you as the buyer will definitely come out the
winner upon receiving your T. T. Proctor double rifle!

All I can say is WOW!!

Thank you for the heads up. Those are FANTASTIC looking rifles.

The man does make some fine rifles.

Hey jack, did you get any free samples after your tour?

I now possess a good number of things which I had not before my trip.

A double rifle still eludes me though.

I must say that right this second, if some one else was providing the cash,

I'd order a .375 H&H BELTED/RIMLESS calibered DR.

A thousand man hours later, NOT including engraving hours, the rifle would be mine.

I am as confident that IT would eject reliably, as I would be with the

flanged caliber. And as I already stated above, the maker himself clearly feels the same way.

By the way, I handled the 375 with a second set of 16 bore bbls in place

and it was NOT "butt heavy".

The balance was wonderful just like with the 375 bbls.

Trevor also has a best quality shotgun in progress for a customer too.

What a gem that THAT man will soon possess.

I have seen one of his bolt guns, it was exquisite.

I can see a pair of bolt actions, in 270win and 9.3x62, I would hunt anywhere in the world with those.

I will probably never be able to own a best double rifle, but I will have a best bolt action someday, I hope I can do this before Proctor retires.

True that his B/A rifles are crafted with equal attention to the pursuit

of perfection that his D/R's are. I handled several during my recent visit.

If Christ prefers a B/A or double, Trevor will satisfy the requirements.

BFJ,

What are you plans for acquiring a double for your own use?

Dan,

As Paul H. has pointed out on another site, I've BEEN the most INDECISIVE man in

history on this issue. I think a DR that has perfectly reliable extraction in the

ubiquitious .375 H&H Belted/Rimless caliber would be the best place to start one's

collection of DR's. T T Proctor offers that perfect starting point, and everything

else a DR shopper might want. For this public servant, [me] the ante is quite high;

like about 95% again, beyond my absolute limit prior to my "hands on" with TTP's work.

Now I ponder this 40K number and wonder if I can ...

So many choices...

quote:

T T Proctor offers that perfect starting point, and everything

else a DR shopper might want.

Jack - Not sure what you mean by starting point, but these rifles are beyond the reach of most of us. There are a good many makers that will get a very nice, good shooting rifle that will hunt for a lot less. I know you have looked at most if not all of them.

If we all held out for a Ferarri as our first car, the vast majority of us would be walking everywhere today.

But you ARE narrowing your field. Something between a 22 hornet and a 4 bore, in the price range of a Baikal to an H&H.

Jack
You do not have to spend 40K for a good double rifle.

If you want to be absolutely satisified with your double rifle IN EVERY WAY, get a Heym 450/400, scoped.

If you want to be a Double Rifle Pioneer, get a new made double in 375 H&H scoped.

If you want the best bang for the buck get a 9,3x74R Chapuis as your first double, scoped.

B5J:

Where barrels does Trevor use? I ASSUME he doesn't make those himself. Any insite to that?

Paul,

My research indicates only H&H make their own CHOPPER LUMP bbls now a days,

and the rest of the planet's D/R makers get them "in the rough" [so to speak]

from Ferlach, Trevor included. He of course brazes them together and finishes

them, blacking included.

Jim Manion,

Thanks for the good laugh, you're right in step with Paul!

Tony,

I am dead bang stuck on U.K. heritage, it's hopeless for me or anyone to think I'll change.

Now maybe I'll buy a vintage UK rifle and ask Trevor to make me up a pair of .375 H&H

Belted/Rimless SCOPED barrels!

Glad to hear you had a fun and rewarding trip! Sounds like you have the DR sickness bad. I have a J.L. Wilkins .404, someone else posted pictures of it before I bought it. I cannot tell you how happy I am with this rifle. Trevor built it, and others, for a Chris Soyza under that label. I have corresponded with him and he idetified it as one he built, I believe the barrels are all Belgian. He was helpfull, cordial and very courteous. This is a 404 on an DWM and it works PERFECT. I will try to post some pics sometime. RIP helped me with my loading for it. gduffey

gduffy,

Yes, Trevor did build a number of rifles for

that J L Wilkins operation, all AAA+++ quality.

Jack,

Wow, what a cool trip! I'm glad that another one of the posters on this forum has ventured forth and seen for himself a fine maker and all of the dedication that goes into making a really good DR...

...Jack, Buy one of those Searcys that are for sale on Butch's site. This will get you started and then if you end-up liking the "DR thing" (not everybody does) you can move it and get yuor dream gun...This is a strategy a lot of us have used...

...Get shooting Man!

You're ready!

JW