quote:

I ordered about 500 GS custom FN solids for the 375 and the 400 and it took a year to get them.

This does not sound right to me ... what was the problem?

Warrior

400 nitro express, what is your problem. The discussion was about components availability not about my experience with double rifles. I found all the 375 flanged magnum brass I needed. There is still more available at Huntingtons. There is no 450-400, 3" brass available other than Bertram and I won't own that crap.I have that brass on order from 4 vendors including Horneber himself. I know I can put components together as well as Superior can If I know the regulation laod. Whats up fella??

Jim Manion, There are a good selection of 9.3 bullets available but I doubt the selection is as great as that for the 375, that aside, there are only three makers of bullets for the 450-400 , 3" that are available to us here in the USA. Woodleigh bullets are great and probably good enough. If Hornady produces brass and bullets we only hope they will be of the quality of the Woodleigh bullets and Horneber brass. Not much is known at this time and Hornady has failed us on some of its newer offerings in Soft and solids. That leaves GS custom and North Fork. The North Fork's were light for caliber 360gr and were not available in CPS/FNS or I would not have ordered 500 GS FN solids. The only Issue I have with GS is the time lag. It took two years to fill an order of 8,000 bullets in various calibers. The .411 387gr bullets finally arrived a week ago. GS is a good but not a ready supplier at this time. And you are right, My double may arrive too late to do me any good this year.

Warrior, It doesn't sound right but it is true. All orders were paid up front by certified bank transfer. There are some issues about sending stuff through RSA mail. The second half of the order was to come by faster air mail and it still took over 6 months to arrive. The folks at GS are honest and when one of my boxes arrived damaged, they did replace everything that was missing from that box. It just takes way too long to get it done. That is why I placed a lifetime order of their bulllets. Now I am done except through the distributor here in the USA that I have been talking with.

Leonard,
How many round of BeLL 450/400 3 inch brass do you need? I can have a 100 rounds in your hands by Wednesday.

The 9.3 will be lighter on the shoulder and pocketbook. However, from a ballistic standpoint, anything the 9.3 can do, the 375 (either one) will do better.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Leonard,
How many round of BeLL 450/400 3 inch brass do you need? I can have a 100 rounds in your hands by Wednesday.

Rusty, thanks. I would like that. I don't know when my double will be finished. I swithced over to Butches new action which is a classic round action. It is about the size of a 28ga. frame and the 375 and 400 will weigh about the same at 8.25-8.5 lbs. I was hoping to get in some of the Horniber or Hornady stuff but it has been on back order for almost two years.

quote:

Originally posted by lb404:
400 nitro express, what is your problem. The discussion was about components availability not about my experience with double rifles.

If you knew anything about the one, you wouldn't have made the uninformed statements you did about the other.

I have experience with both .375 Flanged Magnum and 9.3X74R, and know what the availability has been like long term. The .375 has been a nightmare for 40 years, and has only gotten somewhat easier in recent years. You got lucky that you didn't have to wait a long time for the brass. You're kidding yourself if you think that the .375 isn't going to be harder in the long haul.

quote:

There is no 450-400, 3" brass available other than Bertram and I won't own that crap.I have that brass on order from 4 vendors including Horneber himself. I know I can put components together as well as Superior can If I know the regulation laod.

quote:

I was hoping to get in some of the Horniber or Hornady stuff but it has been on back order for almost two years.

You haven't looked very hard. I know when you ordered that rifle. I've bought 300 rounds of new Bell .450/.400 3" since then as have a number of other guys I know. Where do you think Rusty got what he offered you? Good brass for the .400 has been readily available for years now. It's only recently that the Bell stuff left over from the MAST sale has finally run out, and we have a temporary stock out now because Jamison is having teething problems. If you hadn't waited until the last minute, you'd have plenty.

quote:

Whats up fella??

What's up with you? Was your post here just intended to sob story your way into some free brass?

quote:

Still no bullets comming for the .400

quote:

I already have 200 rounds of Woodleigh 400gr softs and solids stocked up

Get your stories straight Leonard.

quote:

the real tale is in the ease of acquiring .375 terminal tackle, ie. bullets of which plenty abound now and forever. Not so for the .400 class rounds. The one fact that everyone forgets to include in the arguement is that once you have the brass and dies it is the bullets themselves that become an issue.

I've been shooting the .400s for 20 years and have NEVER had a problem finding all the bullets I needed when I needed them, in spite of the fact that I have to use .408" instead of the more readily available .411".

Use the Bell that Rusty has offered you, cancel the Horneber order, and wait on the Hornady. I have old Bell, new Bell, berdan Kynoch, Horneber, and Hornady in .400. The Horneber will work, but is nothing like as durable as the Bell and not worth the price. I've only had the Hornady for 7 months now, so it's still early, but I think it's just as tough as the Bell, and is much better finished. It's probably the best flanged nitro brass yet.
----------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Just today I handled 2 Heym 375 H&H doubles, one scoped, a 375 H&H Chapuis, and a 9,3x74R Chapuis.

The H&H's did not seem much lighter than my 450/400. The Chapuis H&H seemed a little sleeker than the Heym...

However the 9,3 Chapuis was much lighter, sleeker, it was neat, sweet, petite.

Most everyone knows what a H&H can do. I know what a 9,3x74R can do, as I have used it quite a bit.

I must say the 9,3 double, compared to the 375 double... Well the 9,3 is my choice for sure.

400 Nitro Express, sorry about the burr in your A$$ and I can recommend a good rooter company to get rid of it. I'm so funny

The statements I made were true about the 375 flanged magnum. I had no trouble finding brass for it. Everyone makes bullets for it. The 9.3 (one of my favorite cartridge calibers) is a johnny come lately on scope and depth of offerings of bullets.
The 450-400,3" was much harder to feed. I have had some bell brass and was uninpressed and wanted to get better brass. I now have a small supply of Horneber brass for both calibers and am happy. There are damn few choices for bullets in the .400. Woodleighs are great and I have plenty and can get more. We can only hope that Hornady will do us proud and produce bullets as good. There may be others producing the .411 bullets but damn few. I have 500 GS custom FN solids and that is probably a lifetime supply and all I will ever need for dangerous game. I hope the brass from Hornady will be good as I can have an endless supply.

Trust me, I don't need to beg for anything. It was very nice for Rusty to make an offer to me. I assure you I would have paid what he asked for it. As far as far as things go, in real world ballistics it might not be significant the difference between the 375 vs the 9.3 but the fact is there is a difference. If we were comparing the 360#2 that would be a serious contender.

What you choose to shoot and why is your business. My 375 will come in on a 28ga. round action frame and both barrels will weigh roughly the same about 8.0- 8.25 lbs. I am happy.

quote:

Originally posted by lb404:
400 Nitro Express, sorry about the burr in your A$$ and I can recommend a good rooter company to get rid of it. I'm so funny

The statements I made were true about the 375 flanged magnum. I had no trouble finding brass for it. Everyone makes bullets for it. The 9.3 (one of my favorite cartridge calibers) is a johnny come lately on scope and depth of offerings of bullets.
The 450-400,3" was much harder to feed. I have had some bell brass and was uninpressed and wanted to get better brass. I now have a small supply of Horneber brass for both calibers and am happy. There are damn few choices for bullets in the .400. Woodleighs are great and I have plenty and can get more. We can only hope that Hornady will do us proud and produce bullets as good. There may be others producing the .411 bullets but damn few. I have 500 GS custom FN solids and that is probably a lifetime supply and all I will ever need for dangerous game. I hope the brass from Hornady will be good as I can have an endless supply.

Trust me, I don't need to beg for anything. It was very nice for Rusty to make an offer to me. I assure you I would have paid what he asked for it. As far as far as things go, in real world ballistics it might not be significant the difference between the 375 vs the 9.3 but the fact is there is a difference. If we were comparing the 360#2 that would be a serious contender.

What you choose to shoot and why is your business. My 375 will come in on a 28ga. round action frame and both barrels will weigh roughly the same about 8.0- 8.25 lbs. I am happy.

Wrong again.
---------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

I seem to have pissed off mr 400 Nitro express. I appologize. I really thought he was being funny.

quote:

Originally posted by lb404:
What you choose to shoot and why is your business. My 375 will come in on a 28ga. round action frame and both barrels will weigh roughly the same about 8.0- 8.25 lbs. I am happy.

Sounds sweet to me!!!

450 makes a good case for the 9.3x74 and I agree with him 99%.

The only thing is if I am going to spend that much money on a 9.3x74 ( A Merkel at $9000 give or take ) I think I would just get me a nice 375 for a couple of grand more, I wouldn't mind having a little extra soup and an English rifle or a Searcy. The .375 flanged is a real nice caliber also.

Ray:

Have your cake and eat it too! My NIB Merkel 141E only cost $5K... It's a delight to shoot and is light as a feather, has a adjustable wedge, ejectors and a QD scope, to boot. It shoots 2.5" at 100 yards.

Quite the deal my good fortune is repeatable through the same dealer.

JudgeG - I checked your back posts and did not see where you identified whee your 141 was purchased. I've been trying to find the importer of the 141's but the "official" Merkel importer into the USA doesn't even show the 141 on his/her site. I'm selling off safe queens planning to purchase a second double, preferably in 7x57R, for which the 141 is chambered. TIA Duane

I've had a Heym in 375 and it weighed just shy of their 470N.E. at 10.2 lbs and the 500-416 N.E. barrels I had were actually lighter. Way to heavy, I have a Chapuis 9.3 that weighs 7.75 lbs what a difference to carry and still at that weight light of recoil IMO. I have to admit, nostalsia says the English 375 over the 9.3 but in the real world 9.3 brass, bullets, Ruger, Hornady, etc. etc. and the terminal effects on game being relatively the same as the 375 my vote goes to the 9.3. Especially since my other DR is going to be a 500N.E. this combo in the field seems to cover the bases better for me.

DuaneB:

Try www.kebcollc.com

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:
I've had a Heym in 375 and it weighed just shy of their 470N.E. at 10.2 lbs and the 500-416 N.E. barrels I had were actually lighter. Way to heavy.

Dirklawyer,

So, was your Heym was on the 88-PH frame to accommodate the 500-416 barrels? Not exactly a fair comparison to the Chapuis small framed 9.3.