Would the 375HH rifle cartridge be worth getting
in a double rifle if you could buy it for $6000 with ejectors.
This would be my 1st double.This isn't the express cartridge.

THANKS

There's nothing wrong with a 375 in a double. The case is tapered, so extraction should never be an issue. 375 is the most available cartridge in Africa, and is popular here as well. I would scope the double if possible, to take advantage of the longer-range ballistic capabilities of the 375 H&H compared to most DR calibers. Everyone raves about the suitability of the 9.3x74R in a double...the 375 is just a bit more power.

Damn, that was put pretty good!

Someone will chime in about pressure and the ejector clips being so tiny but they seemed to work fine when I had one.

Will, I've had a Heym Safari 375 H&H boxlock, and a Sarasqueta 375 H&H sidelock in double rifles, and both were well-weighted, pleasant to shoot, and accurate. No flies on a 375 H&H double IMHO....Biebs

I haven't had one in a double rifle but I think a double in 375 would be just grand. I think that for 6k you simply can't lose.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Damn, that was put pretty good!

Someone will chime in about pressure and the ejector clips being so tiny but they seemed to work fine when I had one.

Will is right someone will speak up against any rimless, or belted rimelss in a double rifle that may be used for hunting dangerous game. The pressure is not the problem, and the rifles are made to stand the pressure so we can put that one in the dumpster. The extractors are another matter all together, however.

IMO, no double rifle that is to be used for dangerous game should ever be chambered for a rinmless, or belted rimless cartridge. As 500Grains was fond of saying

"I have been driving since the age of 16 yrs, and I have never seen a person killed by a drunk driver, nor have I had an accident that had a drunk driver involved, but hundreds of people are killed each year by drunk drivers!" The fct that a few people have had double rifle chambered for rimless cartridges , and had no problem doesn't mean it doesn't happen, and in the right sittuation, once may be all it takes!

That what you meant Will?

I've been reading about doubles lately as I want to buy my first, so I'm probably armed enough at this point to be dangerous and nothing else, but... Is it that if the ejectors go past the cartridge then your rifle is affectively turned into an expensive paper weight until a gunsmith can right it? Aside from ammo availability why not just go with a .375 flanged? Thanks.

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:
I've been reading about doubles lately as I want to buy my first, so I'm probably armed enough at this point to be dangerous and nothing else, but... Is it that if the ejectors go past the cartridge then your rifle is affectively turned into an expensive paper weight until a gunsmith can right it? Aside from ammo availability why not just go with a .375 flanged? Thanks.

Brett

Actually Brett, the 375 H&H is one of the best cartridges ever invented for everything from tit-mouse to mastadon, and one of it's real features is it's availability in every countery where big game hunting is allowed. It is not just the 375 H&H in a double rifle but any rimless, or belted rimless cartridge in a double rifle. The little palls that snap into the extractor grooves of a rimless cartridges are made in two ways. Mostolder one were a tiny thin blade the was fitted int a slot cut into the top of a flat topped extractor/ejector body beveled on the back side so as to retract into the extractor body, and snap up into the extractor groove in the cartridge on closeing. This was powered by a very small leaf spring to force it upward.

The newer ones are a little spike that is beveled on the back dise for the same reason as the blade pall, but is powered by a coil spring which is more reliacle, and less prone to breakage. Both however are suseptable to breakage, and are sometimes locked in the down position by dust enfiltrating into the groove for the blade, or down around the spike type. The first thing people will tell you is keep the rifle squeeky clean and there will be no problem with them. This is nonsense, because it is a major opperation to remove these parts to clean them properly. One other thing that sometimes happenes with a very quick re-load of the rifle, the cartridge gets behind the pall, and when the rifle is slammed smartly closed as in when you are in a life and death encounter, the pall is broken off. Now you are left with a rifle that will not even pull the cartridge out far enought to get hold of it to pull it out with your fingers. Not only that, the broken piece may put the rifle out of service all together by getting into the works requireing some tools to fix.

The above are DOOMS-DAY things that do not happen often, and, in fact, may never happen. However I don't see a good reason to take that chance, when there are some very excellent choises with falnged cartridges that will do as good job as the 375 H&H without worry about the rimless problems.

I personally wish this was not the case because the old 375 H&H is one of my all time favorites, and I own several bolt, and single shot rifles so chambered. I still would love to have a nice 8 pound double rifle chambered for the 375 Flanged, and I'm not convenced the that the componants availability is a problem.

I think one could buy 100 new cases before he buys the rifle, use 20 of them to work up a load that regulates, then load the other 80 rounds with the same powder lot, and buy another couple of pounds of that same lot of powder for down the road loads, and go hunting.

There are many here who have had rimless cartridges in thier doubles, and have experienced no problem what so ever. JPK has a very nice 458 Win MAG double rifle he has taken several elephant with, and has had zero problem so far with two or three hundred rounds fired through that rifle, he now has bought a 375 H&H double as well because of his experience with the 458.

HOWEVER, JPK's doubles are not off the shelf rifles, but are several levels above the Off- The-shelf rifles offered with the 375 H&H as one of the chamberings. Something to think about with reference to reliability.

................The above is only my opinion, and worth exactly what the reader pays for it!

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

being rimless is not the problem it the crapy design of the extractor/ejector that is to blame.

Heck yea I'd buy it. I'd shoot it enough to see if was reliable or not. If it is just maintain it well and enjoy!

WHAT MAKE IS THE RIFLE YOU ARE CONSIDERING ?

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EXTRACTOR MECHANISM ? IS IT A PIN OR A BLADE THAT GOES INTO THE SHELL ?

A GOOD RIFLE MADE BY A QUALITY MAKER WILL STAND THE TEST OF USAGE .
H & H HAS OFFERED THIS CHAMBERING FOR A LONG TIME. I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY WOULD DO SO IF THEY WERE NOT 100 % CONFIDENT IT WOULD FUNCTION WELL.

AS WITH ANY HUNTING RIFLE IT SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN. WITH THE NEW AEROSOL CLEANERS THE EJECTORS CAN BE EASILY CLEANED.

Of all the break action rifles I own some are rimmed some are rimless and at least one is belted rimless.

They all work fine. I will go on record that my position is that a rimmed cartradge is better in a double rifle but not untill there is an extraction failure and if that day ever comes it will probably be with one of my rimless cases.

Having said that with all the factors on the pluse side of the .375 H&H I would'nt let the fact that it's a belted case diswade me from choosing it for a double rifle.

The biggest problem I've ever seen on a .375 double rifle was the fact that I got cheated out of two of them (long story) before I finally settled on my .338.

quote:

There are many here who have had rimless cartridges in thier doubles, and have experienced no problem what so ever. JPK has a very nice 458 Win MAG double rifle he has taken several elephant with, and has had zero problem so far with two or three hundred rounds fired through that rifle, he now has bought a 375 H&H double as well because of his experience with the 458.

HOWEVER, JPK's doubles are not off the shelf rifles, but are several levels above the Off- The-shelf rifles offered with the 375 H&H as one of the chamberings. Something to think about with reference to reliability.

I've actually fired almost 800 rounds through my 458wm double and have had no extraction of ejection issues at all.

On advantage of the 458wm is that ammo is common even in the remotest places where elephants are hunted. And even a load that shoots like hell and crosses on spreads at 50yds is still good for eles at 10 or 15yds.

Another advantage is that if one wishes the rifle can easily and relatively cheaply be rechambered to 450NE 3 1/4" and probably won't need reregulating, which is not too expensive anyway.

When it comes to the 375H&H and double rifles, you need to make sure that the rifle extracts and eject properly before committing to the rifle. Unlike the 458wm conversion to 450NE, the 375H&H cannot be rechambered to a standard rimmed 375FL because the FL cartridge is shorter in the shoulder.

I have a 375H&H double rifle, but its conversion to left hand and the instalation of suitable scope mounts are taking forever, so I don't have a ton of time or use with the rifle.

JPK

Double rifles were intended for flanged shells. Rimless cartridges can be made to work, but not to the standard of reliability that rimmed can.

quote:

being rimless is not the problem it the crapy design of the extractor/ejector that is to blame.

Then why haven't the best gunmakers in the world perfected it?.

I've fired only one double in .375 H & H Belted Rimless, a rifle that was said to have never failed to extract. A friend took a turn with it immediately after I did, and had an extraction failure. I had extraction failures with both of the other rimless doubles I've fired.

Doubles chambered for flanged cartridges are also available in the same price range, and I don't see the sense in accepting a compromise on the front end. The exception might be the opportunity to obtain a used rifle of substantially higher quality at a depressed price due to the chambering. The 9.3X74R and .375 H & H Flanged Magnum are both better choices in double rifles, as both were designed for that application.
----------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Until within the last 10 years. Obtaining rimmed cartridges and having loaded ammo was practically in the handloaders realm in the USA.
Allot of folks on this forum take it for granted we all handload. In reality it is probably less than 1% of the hunting public.
458's and 375's made shooting a double a far easier proposition. What good is a expensive weapon you cannot find ammo for?
Today with Hornady offering reasonably priced factory ammo for the common rimmed cartridges it is probably more palatable and convenient for the average guy to own such a combination; Not that the average guy owns double rifles.

It has been interesting to read the positives and the negatives of rimmed versus rimless in a double rifle. Thanks for the input.

Now I need some help on the rifle itself. The gun was made in the 60's and for the age looks to be in very good shape. I do have one concern though. On the underside of the action, the wood fit on one side is seperated about a 1/32 of a inch. Is this a concern? See image posted (the upper top center right, butt stock and action)