Falling block doubles

[Kevin Peacocke]

I see there have been a few one-off developments of a falling block double, but does anyone know of plans afoot to make one commercially? If so, I will be in line, it is such a great concept

 

[Red Leg]

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...g-block-dr-500ne-450-400ne.55923/#post-640814

I have one of his singles. It is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Technically a rising block - the concept is the same.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Red Leg, does Bradley still produce these doubles?

 

[Red Leg]

Absolutely. To order.

 

[Saul]

Two Ruger No 1's and some duct tape?

In all seriousness, that double is a thing of absolute beauty.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...g-block-dr-500ne-450-400ne.55923/#post-640814

I have one of his singles. It is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Technically a rising block - the concept is the same.

What caliber is yours?

 

[Proneshooter]

Red Leg, does Bradley still produce these doubles?

It may take some time, if I remember correctly the original owner of that rifle waited many years to get it. Mr. Bradshaw is not known for prompt delivery.

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg, does Bradley still produce these doubles?

What caliber is yours?

It may take some time, if I remember correctly the original owner of that rifle waited many years to get it. Mr. Bradshaw is not known for prompt delivery.

I am not sure about your experiences, but ordering a bespoke double rifle is not something done for immediate gratification. A bespoke rising bite Rigby will run well north of 100K USD in very plain livery and take at least a year and a half for delivery. A Westley Richards drop lock will be about the same. The double described above is a rather special thing with extensive engraving and gold inlay. An email to Bailey would quickly provide a delivery estimate for a double in working rifle format. http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/

My sleek little single shot is in 7x65R. The engraving is 70% coverage best quality small English Acanthus with a few gold highlights. It shoots cloverleafs with everything I have fed it. It is one of three or four rifles in my gun room with a trigger pull as good as one of my R8's. Simply exquisite.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Two Ruger No 1's and some duct tape?

In all seriousness, that double is a thing of absolute beauty.

The fully surrounded falling block of the Ruger No1 is so elegant that in my mind it remains the standard. How nice it would be if Ruger went that one step further and made a double. With their investment casting capability it surely wouldn't be a huge deal. Doesn't somebody here know their top brass?

 

[Excessexpress]

The action is one thing, the idea of regulating a production double would be something to send a bean counter into conniption!

 

[Tanks]

Red Leg, does Bradley still produce these doubles?

You can have one in 6 months. All it takes is $12K deposit.

http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/available-now.html

 

[Red Leg]

The fully surrounded falling block of the Ruger No1 is so elegant that in my mind it remains the standard. How nice it would be if Ruger went that one step further and made a double. With their investment casting capability it surely wouldn't be a huge deal. Doesn't somebody here know their top brass?

A double rifle or shotgun doesn't fit Ruger's business model - or even a particularly well finished bolt action rifle (witness the unfortunately quick demise of the Magnum Express series). Bill Ruger, in one of his final efforts, forced the company to develop, produce, and attempt to market the Gold Label SxS shotgun. It was a failure. Not because it couldn't have been a good gun eventually, but because production costs quickly outpaced the estimated required sale price. Upon Bill's death, the production line was quietly shut down. Doubles, even shotguns, require significant hand labor. Ruger's business model is to exploit mass production technology, particularly castings, to create a dependable inexpensive firearm that can be mass produced for a large market and sold at reasonable margin expectations. Anything much more than two Number Ones held together by @Saul 's duck tape would crash that model and revive nightmares of magnums and Gold Labels. Not a chance.

They would also have to solve that selective extraction/ejection delima which is so troublesome on non-hinged rifle designs.

 

[Red Leg]

You can have one in 6 months. All it takes is $12K deposit.

http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/available-now.html

Yep. Pretty much a steal for a new bespoke double.

 

[Proneshooter]

I am not sure about your experiences, but ordering a bespoke double rifle is not something done for immediate gratification. A bespoke rising bite Rigby will run well north of 100K USD in very plain livery and take at least a year and a half for delivery. A Westley Richards drop lock will be about the same. The double described above is a rather special thing with extensive engraving and gold inlay. An email to Bailey would quickly provide a delivery estimate for a double in working rifle format. http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/

My sleek little single shot is in 7x65R. The engraving is 70% coverage best quality small English Acanthus with a few gold highlights. It shoots cloverleafs with everything I have fed it. It is one of three or four rifles in my gun room with a trigger pull as good as one of my R8's. Simply exquisite.

Red Leg,
I will agree that I have no experience ordering a gun from H&H, Westley Richards, or any other top tier gun maker, but then I look at that rifle Buckstix bought and I do not see an English made bespoke rifle. I do remember that gun took multiple years to deliver to the original buyer. I also know of a few more people who waited many many years to get guns from Bailey, there was even talk of lawyers and lawsuits. Deal with him if you want to, I for one will steer clear.

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg,
I will agree that I have no experience ordering a gun from H&H, Westley Richards, or any other top tier gun maker, but then I look at that rifle Buckstix bought and I do not see an English made bespoke rifle. I do remember that gun took multiple years to deliver to the original buyer. I also know of a few more people who waited many many years to get guns from Bailey, there was even talk of lawyers and lawsuits. Deal with him if you want to, I for one will steer clear.

I already did.

And Buckstix didn't pay a 100+K for the English bespoke rifle you don't see did he? I can only speak to my personal actual experience dealing with Mr. Bradshaw. I am very happy with his elegant, accurate rifle and my interaction with him.

 

[Tanks]

... I do remember that gun took multiple years to deliver to the original buyer. ...

In all fairness it was, I think, the first one of its kind and it took a lot of back and forth between Bradshaw and original purchaser and many iterations on the action etc. before the design was finalized and the rifle was produced. It also came with two sets of barrels and very detailed gold scrolling which also take time.

 

[Bailey Bradshaw]

Red Leg,
I will agree that I have no experience ordering a gun from H&H, Westley Richards, or any other top tier gun maker, but then I look at that rifle Buckstix bought and I do not see an English made bespoke rifle. I do remember that gun took multiple years to deliver to the original buyer. I also know of a few more people who waited many many years to get guns from Bailey, there was even talk of lawyers and lawsuits. Deal with him if you want to, I for one will steer clear.

While I hate that I have had orders drag out for far longer than is acceptable, I am getting all of my customers taken care of and have a new design I can build and deliver on time with the Rising blocks. I struggled for years with the falling block double designs and after five years of beating my head against my bench, it was abandoned for the rising blocks. My wife and I also purchased a small feed store business (2011, she ran it) and with two years of severe drought the first two years we had it, it drained us financially, put a huge strain on my rifle business in not having operating capitol from trying to keep the bills paid and quite literally the lights on at times. I'm not sharing this for any reason other than to indicate there have been a lot of hurdles but I'm over the major problems and have my business running far better than before. The Rising block rifles are something I'm very proud of and I'm able to build and deliver them in a timely manner.

Jon Beiber's rifle ( now belongs to Buckstix) did take years to deliver. I actually made three rifles for Jon, but wasn't happy with the design at the time and started over. I also discounted the rifle by 1/3 and Jon was able to sell the rifle for significantly more than he had paid for it.

I'm ashamed of the late orders, but Ive also worked my ass off to get out of the hole I was in and am happy to say I'm on much better footing now.

 

[Red Leg]

While I hate that I have had orders drag out for far longer than is acceptable, I am getting all of my customers taken care of and have a new design I can build and deliver on time with the Rising blocks. I struggled for years with the falling block double designs and after five years of beating my head against my bench, it was abandoned for the rising blocks. My wife and I also purchased a small feed store business (2011, she ran it) and with two years of severe drought the first two years we had it, it drained us financially, put a huge strain on my rifle business in not having operating capitol from trying to keep the bills paid and quite literally the lights on at times. I'm not sharing this for any reason other than to indicate there have been a lot of hurdles but I'm over the major problems and have my business running far better than before. The Rising block rifles are something I'm very proud of and I'm able to build and deliver them in a timely manner.

Jon Beiber's rifle ( now belongs to Buckstix) did take years to deliver. I actually made three rifles for Jon, but wasn't happy with the design at the time and started over. I also discounted the rifle by 1/3 and Jon was able to sell the rifle for significantly more than he had paid for it.

I'm ashamed of the late orders, but Ive also worked my ass off to get out of the hole I was in and am happy to say I'm on much better footing now.

You build one hell of a rifle Bailey.

 

[Red Leg]

I am not sure about your experiences, but ordering a bespoke double rifle is not something done for immediate gratification. A bespoke rising bite Rigby will run well north of 100K USD in very plain livery and take at least a year and a half for delivery. A Westley Richards drop lock will be about the same. The double described above is a rather special thing with extensive engraving and gold inlay. An email to Bailey would quickly provide a delivery estimate for a double in working rifle format. http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/

My sleek little single shot is in 7x65R. The engraving is 70% coverage best quality small English Acanthus with a few gold highlights. It shoots cloverleafs with everything I have fed it. It is one of three or four rifles in my gun room with a trigger pull as good as one of my R8's. Simply exquisite.

Not sure why my photos vanished.

 

[Paul Raley]

While I hate that I have had orders drag out for far longer than is acceptable, I am getting all of my customers taken care of and have a new design I can build and deliver on time with the Rising blocks. I struggled for years with the falling block double designs and after five years of beating my head against my bench, it was abandoned for the rising blocks. My wife and I also purchased a small feed store business (2011, she ran it) and with two years of severe drought the first two years we had it, it drained us financially, put a huge strain on my rifle business in not having operating capitol from trying to keep the bills paid and quite literally the lights on at times. I'm not sharing this for any reason other than to indicate there have been a lot of hurdles but I'm over the major problems and have my business running far better than before. The Rising block rifles are something I'm very proud of and I'm able to build and deliver them in a timely manner.

Jon Beiber's rifle ( now belongs to Buckstix) did take years to deliver. I actually made three rifles for Jon, but wasn't happy with the design at the time and started over. I also discounted the rifle by 1/3 and Jon was able to sell the rifle for significantly more than he had paid for it.

I'm ashamed of the late orders, but Ive also worked my ass off to get out of the hole I was in and am happy to say I'm on much better footing now.

You are obviously a very talented person , and from what I have seen your rifles are things of beauty . All the best with your business .