are there any current manufacturers of double rifles?
- Thread starter Mr. Buttons
- Start date
There are all kinds of currently made double rifles. Just of the top of my head, double rifles are being offered by Rigby, Merkel, Dakota, Searcy, Krieghoff, Heym, Arrieta, Garbi, Grulla, Holland & Holland, Purdey, Westley Richards and more. Expect to start around the $10,000USD mark for the cheapest and go up from there. And I mean WAY up, as in add another zero.
If you want a less expensive double consider a Baikal. Circa $1,000CDN and they are available in Canada.
If you want a less expensive double consider a Baikal. Circa $1,000CDN and they are available in Canada.
Last edited:
Go to www.nitroexpress.com once they are back up from their upgrade. There is a wealth of knowledge there concerning double rifles and big bores.
If I were to get a new rifle, and had the two years to wait, I would get a Searcy. If I wanted it right away I would get a Merkel.
If you wanted a DR that would keep or increase it's value, then pick one built before WWII but send it for inspection before you finalize the deal. There can be a lot of pitfalls in a used DR, and if you do not know what to look for, you may get the shaft.
Continental guns cost less than a British make, and small bores are less expensive than big bores.
$6500 US can get you a nice, tight, cased German double in 9.3x74 but if you have another $2000 it is amasing at how much more gun you get. If you want used, go to the Vegas gun show in a couple of months but be warned: Everyone I know who has been bitten by the double bug has never been cured...
If I were to get a new rifle, and had the two years to wait, I would get a Searcy. If I wanted it right away I would get a Merkel.
If you wanted a DR that would keep or increase it's value, then pick one built before WWII but send it for inspection before you finalize the deal. There can be a lot of pitfalls in a used DR, and if you do not know what to look for, you may get the shaft.
Continental guns cost less than a British make, and small bores are less expensive than big bores.
$6500 US can get you a nice, tight, cased German double in 9.3x74 but if you have another $2000 it is amasing at how much more gun you get. If you want used, go to the Vegas gun show in a couple of months but be warned: Everyone I know who has been bitten by the double bug has never been cured...
A nice Blaser SxS can be had for well under $10K, and a basic Merkel can be had for around $10,000. In fact, there is an unfired Merkel in .375 H&H in the EE for $8000. Quite a good deal, IMHO. Butch Searcy also builds them (USA), and they are fairly reasonable.
- Location
- Near Coldwater, Ont
Pedersoli makes a double in a few calibers including 45-70 that sells for just under $5000 Canadian. They also make a double muzzleloader, selling for $1100. Prices are from Shooters choice.
I bought one of the Pedersoli double .45/70s about 6 years ago for $3800. It was not worth the money in my opinion, I should have saved a bit more and bought a used better gun. It soured me on the experience and cheaper doubles. Next one I buy will be of better quality.
I ordered a Baikal double also in .45/70 but after handling a .30/06 of theirs a year ago, I cancelled my order. It would have been more dissapointment. The cheaper doubles seem on par quality wise with south american single shot shotguns. They work but you don't get any feel of quality or pride in workmanship from them.
There are some good used doubles out there though, but you really do need to know what you are doing in buying them. It would really tick me off to get a $5000-$7000 piece of junk just to say I have a double.
Hopefully with modern CNC machining someone will come up with a good reasonably priced double soon. Sure would be nice to see one in .450 or .470NE, or the beautiful .500NE.
I ordered a Baikal double also in .45/70 but after handling a .30/06 of theirs a year ago, I cancelled my order. It would have been more dissapointment. The cheaper doubles seem on par quality wise with south american single shot shotguns. They work but you don't get any feel of quality or pride in workmanship from them.
There are some good used doubles out there though, but you really do need to know what you are doing in buying them. It would really tick me off to get a $5000-$7000 piece of junk just to say I have a double.
Hopefully with modern CNC machining someone will come up with a good reasonably priced double soon. Sure would be nice to see one in .450 or .470NE, or the beautiful .500NE.
Very true. There is a lot of junk out there. Maybe it's too much reading of Seyfriend and Double Gun Journal but I've had this itch to buy an older English black powder express double rifle.Casull said:
I've looked at a few but had the good fortune to spend some time in the U.K. with people in the gun business and learned from them what to look for in a used double.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
My one experience with DR's has left me under impressed. I can work the action of a bolt gun nearly as quickly as I can recover from recoil and get back on target with the double, and if a third shot is needed there is no contest. If the ammo is loaded on the warm side, just opening the action is a chore. The John Wilkes rifle I used had a very deep rear express sight, that tended to cover up much of the target, and if that wasn't bad enough, when I brought the gun to shoulder I had to hunt for the front sight. Those who love them are free to, but I was disappointed. That is just as well since that rifle would have set me back $40K USD if I wanted to bring it home.
Republic of Alberta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- ,location, location
Before you get a double you had best learn a thing or two about regulation. It is the single biggest thing you need to know about double rifles.
Don't forget about Chapuis. They are, in my opinion, the best bang for the buck in the smaller calibers. I was about to order a EGEX in 9.3x74R a few years ago, it was 6500 bucks if I remember correctly. I should have done it.
I had a Baikal SXS in 30-06 it was not very good. I would not recomend it. Actualy I sent it back and still have not heard anything about it, I had better follow up with Phonex...geez that was like 8 months ago.
Don't forget about Chapuis. They are, in my opinion, the best bang for the buck in the smaller calibers. I was about to order a EGEX in 9.3x74R a few years ago, it was 6500 bucks if I remember correctly. I should have done it.
I had a Baikal SXS in 30-06 it was not very good. I would not recomend it. Actualy I sent it back and still have not heard anything about it, I had better follow up with Phonex...geez that was like 8 months ago.
I have a older English double (1880), Willam Powell in 450 400 2 3/8 which would have been for deer hunting. I have it shooting not bad with lead bullets and black powder. It fits me well so it points like a shotgun.
In the summer I picked up a Valmet 412 in 9.3 X 74 scoped and it shots factory ammo quit acceptable and the barrels are adjustable. These can usally be bought at reasonable price but they are superposed
I have a couple of muzzleloading doubles also that I have played with and I found with the better makers you can still get them to shoot resonable.
I do believe you get what you pay for in doubles
John
In the summer I picked up a Valmet 412 in 9.3 X 74 scoped and it shots factory ammo quit acceptable and the barrels are adjustable. These can usally be bought at reasonable price but they are superposed
I have a couple of muzzleloading doubles also that I have played with and I found with the better makers you can still get them to shoot resonable.
I do believe you get what you pay for in doubles
John
I picked up one of the Pedersoli Kodiak .45-70 double rifles about three years ago for $2500 in virtually mint condition. It may not be a $50000 British or German work of art, but I think that it is a very good gun for the money. The fit and finish are excellent, and accuracy out of each barrel is very good. It took a loooong time experimenting with handloads to get something that shot to the same point of aim with both barrels, but it was a labour of love. It is on a totally different plane of existence than those pathetic Baikal .30-06 side-by-side doubles.
I realize that this may sound like a case of putting my mouth where my money is, but a lot of people simply cannot afford to even consider one of the high-end European guns. I know that I did a lot of rationalizing and selling of other guns to swing the purchase of even my lowly Kodiak, but it's as close to a traditional charge-stopping African-style double as I'll ever get, it's fun to shoot, and when I take it out of the safe and hold it I smile.
What more can you ask of a gun?
John
I realize that this may sound like a case of putting my mouth where my money is, but a lot of people simply cannot afford to even consider one of the high-end European guns. I know that I did a lot of rationalizing and selling of other guns to swing the purchase of even my lowly Kodiak, but it's as close to a traditional charge-stopping African-style double as I'll ever get, it's fun to shoot, and when I take it out of the safe and hold it I smile.
What more can you ask of a gun?
John
John,
My Kodiak regulated with rather hot loads. I had mine imported from Italy and it came with load and regulation data for the gun. They are not meant for our NA factory level loads. It regulated with 400s or 405s going quite fast. I imagine your gun is similar, send me a note and I'll give you the data I have from it.
Rob
My Kodiak regulated with rather hot loads. I had mine imported from Italy and it came with load and regulation data for the gun. They are not meant for our NA factory level loads. It regulated with 400s or 405s going quite fast. I imagine your gun is similar, send me a note and I'll give you the data I have from it.
Rob
