I am looking to get a .470 double, and wondering if anyone can suggest a rifle. Something resonably affordable
Maybe up to $15,000 or so. And, can they be bought in Canada?

butch searcy is your man

Ian,

Take a look at www.gunsamerica.com and search for ".470" You'll find a selection from about $US 12K to $US20K. Some are advertised as new.

Then, go on the webites of the manufacturers, Chapuis, Merkel, Heym, Searcy, Krieghof to see what models and what features at what new gun prices. Then learn what the features do and why you might want them (e.g., intercepting sears). None of this is rocket science, but some due diligence will pay.

If you still seek a double, be sure you get the Canadian import requirements down; locate a good doublegun smith who can assess the firearm, if you want to buy a used one, and your Chancellor of the Exchequer's approval (if you are married...)

Forgot to note that you can/should bargain over the price with any of the sellers/dealers!

Regards, Tim

quote:

Originally posted by IanD:
I am looking to get a .470 double, and wondering if anyone can suggest a rifle. Something resonably affordable
Maybe up to $15,000 or so. And, can they be bought in Canada?

The next person I hear of who is unhappy with a new Searcy will be the first, and if his basic PH model suits you it's well under that number.

Many thanks for the replies. I will do some research for sure.

I have fired both the Merkel and Heym twice each thanks to the generous owners. Both were accuate and both made me feel like a great white hunter. Concidering these two, if I had the money I would get the heym. If not I would be very happy owning a Merkel.

I handled several Heym models at the Dallas Safari Convention and they fit me like they were custom built for my body. They pointed very naturally and were a joy to hold and shoulder.

MSRP in US dollars was in the mid-teens. The nicer ones were around $16K and the entry level models were ~$12K to $14K.

I might take a look at the Heym models. Seem to be highly regarded.

I studied all the under $20K doubles for quite a while. First of all my comments are strictly opinions. Kreighoff, Chapuis, Merkel and Heym all fall in this category.
Merkels always felt very forward heavy, The Chapuis is a fat gun. I suppose the barrels are spaced farther apart. You may need large hands for that weapon. Kreighoffs are nice slim balanced guns, I just do not care for their safety / cocking mechanism.
The Heym is slim, very well balanced, has cocking indicators, and a floating front trigger.
I ended up buying a Heym 88B safari classic about 6 months ago (new) with a upgraded stock for $9,200.00. It was a steal! Never can tell when a "BUY" comes about. It shot 3"low at 35 yards so I had the local dealer install a shorter front post. Kicks allot harder than my 416 Rem! FUN TO SHOOT!
Hope to use it soon!

EZ