Double rifle dreaming....

[Boomer]

I'm sure the fine english rifle are of better quality than a Searcy.
You can buy a brand new Searcy that uses state of the art metalergy with reasonably fit and finish for under $16,000.00 or you can buy a brand new H&H for $190,000.00.....I'd expect it to be a bit better too!

I've only examined and shot 2 doubles, a .500 NE by John Wilkes (the rifle I used to kill my buffalo in Tanzania) that the PH wanted to sell for $40K, but while the price of the Charles Osborne .577 NE (that I handled but did not shoot) was not disclosed, but I suspect it was under $100K. If Joe Average really wanted one badly, a double would not be entirely out of reach any more than would a high performance sports car or light airplane. Many relatively unknown small gun makers in England produced rifles the equal of larger better known makers, and today these rifles can be had at comparatively affordable prices.

This brief exposure to doubles doesn't give me much of a basis on which to express an opinion, but my PH, who has owned several and probably many good quality doubles and is knowledgeable on the topic, was pretty blunt concerning his opinion of the Searcy rifles. Now, I have no idea if that opinion is driven by a perceived weakness in the Searcy design, if he was offended by the idea of a double being made by modern manufacturing methods, or if there was some history between he and Butch (apparently they know each other). I wasn't that interested and didn't pursue the topic once my question about modern doubles had been answered, but generally when this guy said something it was worth considering, although we didn't agree on many things.

 

[X-fan]

I had a double rifle thing for a while.

I borrowed (with intentions of purchasing the rifle) and actually hunted coastal grizz with a Merkel 9.3X74R. The chambers were so cockeyed that fired brass would not rechamber unless it was properly clocked....I gave it back.

After a few similar experiences with a 470#2 and a 450 I packed it in. Cheap used doubles ($20,000.00) are not the way to go.

Searcy's rifles by comparison actually fired, ejected, and were functional sound. As an added bonus it was more accurate than I could hold....I'm no PH so I'm sure yours is right, but used double rifles are definitely expensive buyer beware items.

One day......

 

[Sako300]

Double rifles are similar to double shotguns (only pricier).
You can always get a better pump or auto shottie than double in the lower price bracket.
In the higher bracket there is nothing but doubles. I agree with X-fan, don't look at double rifles, unless you are in the higher $ bracket. Have anything else checked by a 'smith. That particular warning is voiced frequently on Nitroexpress forum!

 

[sunray]

"...Baikal (Now Remington)..." Remington is buying them and re-selling. Remington didn't buy Baikal.

 

[Demonical]

I was interested to read the opinions of the guys on AccurateReloading.
There are lots of threads that discuss the double rifles today, what's available, what guys recommend, etc...

There is a group of devoted double rifle guys! Guys that go to Africa regularly.

Today, the Searcy is the gun they recommend the most.

So whoever are the Searcy haters probably have an agenda or have never handled doubles and do not know what they are talking about or have biases towards British doubles that ignore the hard cold facts of the costs involved, not that Searcy's are cheap...

This is just one thread, there's lots that say the same thing.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/760101804/m/352101385?r=723101385#723101385

 

[Boomer]

So whoever are the Searcy haters probably have an agenda

This is quite possible, if the Searcy at the cost of a used pick-up is the mechanical equal of an H&H at the cost of a nice house in Vancouver, I can see that the owners of the old British doubles might be wringing their hands as the value of their cherished rifles plummet.

Not that I care, I'd sooner have a good bolt gun anyway.

 

[X-fan]

.......Not that I care, I'd sooner have a good bolt gun anyway.

Something like this?

http://dakotaarms.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?store=&search=yes&detail=yes&product=D76_African&category=Dakota_76_Bolt_Rifles&keywords=&hits_seen=&page=search.html&and=&affiliate_id=&exact_match=yes

 

[catnthehatt]

I loved my Tikka 412S, but now that I have the FAIR , I sold it last night!
Only wanted one express rifle at once anyway!
Cat

 

[BigUglyMan]

I can see that the owners of the old British doubles might be wringing their hands as the value of their cherished rifles plummet.

I don't know about that. No matter how good they are, a Searcy will never a Holland, Westley or Purdey be. Perfectly adequate? I don't doubt it. Finely built? Sure thing. But the British guns have a cachet that no continental or American rifle can ever hope to have. Chalk it up to being raised on Hemingway and Ruark, or the hunting equivalent of the mall-ninja beloved
"LCF". There's something about a fine British double that will draw people to lust after it. They may end up buying a Searcy or a continental rifle, but deep down in parts of their heart that they don't talk about, and will never admit, they will always lust after the Brit.

 

[BigUglyMan]

this category. They can be had for $4469.

Where can you find one for that price? Point me towards Double Rifle Freedom!!!

 

[Sako300]

Be also aware that Americans are very proud of their heritage. They tend to favour American products like Searcy!. Butch Searcy makes nice stuff, but the Germans have been doing it for more than a hundred years, and man are those Merkels and Krieghoffs nice! I'd like to see an objective side by side comparison before I'd give the nod from the Brits/Europeans to the Americans.

 

[Gibbs505]

As I understand it, fit is everthing on a double rifle! So if the rifle doses not fit you, it just will not handle right.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

The double that I am currently most interested in is the Merkel 141. The reasons being that it is built on a 28g frame, has shorter BBls (under just under 22") and is regulation adjustable horizontally and vertically. The whole adjustable regulation thing (so long as it works and supposedly this one does) takes a real load off the worries in buying a double. I would probably want a single trigger, despite my thinking that 2 triggers are "cooler". Ejectors would be nice but I am not sure if you can get ejectors with the single trigger.

Being that I would actually use it I think the smaller, lighter double would suit my "needs" better just because that is the kind of rifle I like to hunt with. 9.3x74 and I would regulate it to shoot the 250g Accubond. BUT these light weight doubles are regulated for the 232g Norma ammo, I don't know if there is enough regulation adjustment to bring a 250g load to shoot together.

I would like to hold one just to see what it is like..........8x57r would be cool too.