I have a story to tell, a story of patience and Integrity.

I purchased form Champlins a Charles Osborne 450-400 3-1/4. I bought it about 3 months ago with George and I having the understanding it met with my approval. George was honest in his assesment of the rifle on the phone and told me it had moderate cordite frosting on the right barrel, 4-5 inchs down the bore. He assured me the prior owner said it was a good shooter.

I ordered a sample pack of ammo from Larry at Superior and about 3 weeks after the rifle arrived I got out to shoot it. the target below says it all.



The next business day I sent the picture to George, he was amazed and pondered that the rifle was useless if the right barrel was in fact gone. The left barrel as you can see shot fine.

George then proceeded to ask me what the bullets Larry loaded were, I had to phone him to ask. I knew they were 400gr Woodleigh softs but the diameter hell I didn't know.

I called Larry they were .408. George asked me to be patient and re-order same sample pack but this timer order them at .411.

I re-ordered and received them about 10 days later. It took me about 3 weeks to get a chance to shoot them but as you can see, it is in fact a shooter. Thats 3 holes, not a keyhole



The point is I was patient got a real shooter for a fair price, and learned that with Champlins you are NEVER gambling on a rifle.

Nganga

Nothing wrong with the way that thing shoots!


Charles Osborne made top-notch doubles.

Near as I can tell it was built between 1892 and 1908. I tried to find its lineage, per Cal Pappas, but the records seem to be gone. Cal recommended calling one of the English gunmakers still in business, they could probably tell me who bought their stuff when they folded. The records might be available there. It weighs right at 10#'s shoots pretty light. 24" (proper length) barrels.

Nganga

You should be able to work out when it was made by the proof marks as they changed a couple of times around then.

Especially 1898 and 1904.

Any other markings on the barrel ?

What action is it on ?

Any chance of a photo ?

Well done anyway.

The rifle is on that XXX gun porn thread. I'll get it out and look better at the proof marks.

nganga

OK, found it.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...804/m/5401073231/p/2


Have seen a few guns like that with different names on them, just can't think ATM who made them and whether they were the Belgium one's.

Have seen one by Lawn and Alder.

I think 400 Nitro Express when he was around wrote up the history about that action.

Anyway, it will come to light.

YOU shot that target??......how the heck did that happen? I remeber this one buff.....oh wait, I mean hippo.......or was it a....crap, I forget.

Yes, .411 barrels and .408 bullets make strange bedfellows. Nice shooting, buddy.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Gary, Gary, Gary. That was a Kreighoff, not an English double.

Four misses by the way and a hippo is not an easy target.

Nganga

Slugging the bore is the first thing that needs to be done with the 450-400. I'm kind of surprised George does not do this before he sells a rifle, but I bought mine from him the same way. My rifle was built with .411 bores, but my right barrel is actually .412, which is a fairly normal amount of right barrel wear. Surprisingly, mine stabilizes .408 bullets fine. I have an Army and Navy 6.5 x53r bolt gun that made beautiful keyholes at 50 yds. with .264 bullets, switching to Hornady .268 bullets brought her back to shooting status. Congrats on your Osborne, use her in good health!

A hippo IS a small target.....maybe that's why Johnny wouldn't let me take one. I forgot that was a K gun....those 23.5" barrels aren't worth a damn...no wonder you missed. Won't happen with the Osbourne, though.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Gary
I'm bound and determined to kill a damn hippo with a double one of these days! even if I have to throw it into the damn Luangwa.

Did you get your leopard back?

Nganga

We'll tag team that hippo, buddy......you use that double and I'll back you up with my 500 Jeff bolt trash. That's one mean rifle.

Yes, got the leopard back...will send you a pic.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Lee440, if you don't mind, please post pics of your Army/Navy bolt gun. I have not seen nor heard tell of sach a thing.

Thank you.

Nganga, I may have owned that rifle but I would need to see pics to know for sure. I actually bought it from a friend. I had the barrels slugged and if I remember correctly the right barrel was 411 and the left barrel was 408. I could not get it to regulate and did not want to have different ammo for left barrel and right barrel. Also, I was warned not to shoot the 411 in the left barrel so my friend had me just ship it to George to sell it for him. May be a different gun. Somewhere I may have the serial number. If you PM me I can probably give you more info. The good side for you whether it was the one I had or not it is great that you have it shooting good.

Larry

Nganga

I am a prior custodian of your Osborne #51121. "2 Great Scotland Yard" address, I believe, dates the gun 1893-1899. It weighs 10# 2.4 oz.

Your gun is a great shooter using 70 gr. RL 15 with a 400 gr. Woodleigh (.411 dia.) bullet.

I wish you much success with your new gun.

Don

Don, I guess you have your email up and running again? Ken said you were down for a bit.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Donald Soter:
Nganga

I am a prior custodian of your Osborne #51121. "2 Great Scotland Yard" address, I believe, dates the gun 1893-1899. It weighs 10# 2.4 oz.

Your gun is a great shooter using 70 gr. RL 15 with a 400 gr. Woodleigh (.411 dia.) bullet.

I wish you much success with your new gun.



Don,
Thanks, love the rifle. Its going to work over in CAR in either feb or march for the two buffalo species there. As you confirmed, the .411 was fine. Just strange that the .408 stabalized in the left barrel. Can't figure why the right saw so much more shooting than the left. A PH gun perhaps?
Steve

It is common to find older doubles that clearly have more bbl wear in the right tube.

The forward trigger is overwhelmingly more often connected to the right firing pin.

The forward trigger is overwhelmingly more often used first when firing. It's just the

way it is...