My New Double Rifle - What Is of Value to Me That Fits My Wants

[Woodcarver]

Stunning rifle! We have similar taste in what a DR should like like. Hope it shoots as well as it looks! Looking forward to a pic with your ele!

 

[SETH RINGER]

ONLY ONE THING WRONG WITH THAT RIFLE, IT AIN'T MINE!

 

[MontanaPat]

That is a gorgeous rifle, I love the engraving on the side plates. Congrats on such a fine double rifle and hope it shoots as great as it looks. Good luck on the elephant hunt and look forward to reading all about it.

 

[rookhawk]

Sounds like a happy customer. There is nothing inherently wrong with a Paso Robles gun, they are Merkels embellished and stocked in California. Every complaint I've heard about them is sour grapes about money, not about quality. Someone paid $20-$30k for one thinking they got a London Rigby and are furious they either overpaid or can't recover their monies. Nothing at all wrong with a German Merkel, thousands of dangerous game animals have fallen to them.

If it fits, it shoots, and it functions, you've got no one to please but yourself. Comparing them to a London Rigby is an irrational critique of apples and oranges at 20x original MSRP differences.

 

[Rare Breed]

It’s a beautiful gun but I’d rather see the buffalo or elephant it kills and hear that story. I can’t understand the concept of a rifle being more valuable to someone than the hunts they use it on.

totally agree…non of my rifle purchases have ever stopped me from a hunt i wanted, only time needed away from work

 

[Rare Breed]

Sounds like a happy customer. There is nothing inherently wrong with a Paso Robles gun, they are Merkels embellished and stocked in California. Every complaint I've heard about them is sour grapes about money, not about quality. Someone paid $20-$30k for one thinking they got a London Rigby and are furious they either overpaid or can't recover their monies. Nothing at all wrong with a German Merkel, thousands of dangerous game animals have fallen to them.

If it fits, it shoots, and it functions, you've got no one to please but yourself. Comparing them to a London Rigby is an irrational critique of apples and oranges at 20x original MSRP differences.

Thanks @rookhawk ! my thinking exactly. i did all my research knowing about the Merkel actions, etc.

 

[Altitude sickness]

If it shoots as good as it looks your all set. Congrats on your purchase.

 

[Andrew Short]

Congratulations @Rare Breed!!! I hope it serves you well!!!! I share your sentiment on using the fine rifle! Now plan a hunt!

 

[sureshot375]

What more could you ask for? A beautiful and functional rifle. I’ll bet it shoots like a dream at 13lbs.

For me a double is just a tool. I don’t have the disposable income to have a London’s best. My krieghoff is plane Jane but gets the job done.

You knocked it out of the park. You have beauty and function at a reasonable price.

 

[rookhawk]

What more could you ask for? A beautiful and functional rifle. I’ll bet it shoots like a dream at 13lbs.

For me a double is just a tool. I don’t have the disposable income to have a London’s best. My krieghoff is plane Jane but gets the job done.

You knocked it out of the park. You have beauty and function at a reasonable price.

I’ll bet an ice cold Wisconsin domestic beer there is a half pound to one pound recoil reducer under that recoil pad, perhaps a 4 ounce rod in the forend. It wasn’t uncommon to make them that way, easily removed by the owner in five minutes.

 

[PARA45]

WOW!!!!! What a beauty!!! Congratulations my friend, well done. Now, I anxiously wait for your ele report and pictures with that beauty in the pictures. What a wonderful Christmas gift.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

No hate from me, looks' like an absolute ripper! Have you shot it yet? I hope it shoots as good as looks!

 

[HankBuck]

I thought everyone would enjoy some fun this Friday morning! At the very start, I know there will be haters for what I bought but that is absolutely okay given everyone has their own opinion which I greatly respect...it is what makes our forum great! The following are the details...please read all of them so you understand my great clarity...forgive me in advance for my drawn out description, explanation and pictures.

BACKGROUND
I love DR's with a great passion and seem to eat them like potato chips! lol!!!
I also love and require beautiful full engraving, gold preferred and gold animals if I can afford and get them.
High quality stock grades is another requirement of mine...just love high quality wood!!!
However, the rifle has to be checked out by the best mechanically for me and it has to be an excellent shooter otherwise all the above is worthless.
I fully understand that all the above except for the mechanical portion is not for most people and that is fine...beauty is in the eyes of the beholder certainly...many see the exact same beauty in very plain no engraving DR's with clean lines to them which I respect greatly.
Last but not least...I am not a collector in any way...I take all my rifles hunting in Africa and if they get scratched it just adds character and memories for me...while I take better care of my rifles than anything I own...I do not baby them...I hunt with them!!! It only matters if the rifle fits my wants in the way I define them as in the above.
RIFLE
I bought a John Rigby Best Rifle made by Robles CA in 470 NE from an estate sale that was on consignment. The estate said it had been fired only about 10 times by the owner.

• It has a Grade 8 stock
• It has gold engraving throughout the rifle
• It has a gold lion, gold elephant and gold cape buffalo.
• The gun fits my LOP perfectly.
• It weighs 13 pounds...yes I know many people will say that is too heavy...however, for the past two years every time I do my power walk which is 5 days per week, I carry a 15 pound cardio bar in the African carry or in my hands simulating exactly what I do on my Africa hunts so 13 pounds is okay to me...each of my power walks is a minimum of 6 miles some times 10 so I am prepared...since I do them year round, in GA the heat index climbs to 110 degrees so while it is not easy and I do not want to pretend it is nothing prepares me better for any type weather I have encountered in Africa.
• The front and back sights are the best I have used...very easy to both align and see...it is my intent to hunt my elephant in April with my iron sights versus a red dot if I can...we will see over the next two months how doable my vision is for this.
• TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, RIGHT NEXT TO THE GOLD JOHN RIGBY ON THE TOP RIB IS CLEARLY ENGRAVED ROBLES CA SO NO ONE WOULD EVER CONFUSE THE CA RIGBY WITH ONE BUILT IN LONDON.
• Without saying exactly what I paid for the rifle, if you go onto the Rigby London website and look at their double rifles in 470 just the stock version with no special engraving or further stock upgrade there rifles are beautiful to begin with I paid only 13% of what the London Rigby cost so as I have said before on here...like a wall street stock where all is known about it, the price reflects the value...make no mistake...the cost of my new rifle was still a very pretty penny and certainly the most I have spent by far for any of my previous DR's.

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My thoughts - and let me start by saying “I would be pleased to own that DR”. What I really like - 1). the wood, it’s beautiful but not overly fancy. 2). The bluing on the barrels looks deep and high luster. 3). The engraving, deep relief and classic. 4). The shadow line cheek piece on the stock is nicely done. If this gun shoots and functions as good as it looks - it’s a Winner for me.
What I don’t care for, just my personal tastes and I share to get others opinions, ——The gold inlay “animals” are too Big and appear out of place and take away from the subtle beauty of the rest of the gun. Some gold inlays do appeal to me but I prefer a more understated approach and here thenGold seems over used. This is just my personal taste, and if I had a chance to but that rifle at a good price - I likely would do so and “learn to love the gold”. Lastly, the checkering appears well done but why they did a “boarder” around it - especially conspicuous on forend - is a mystery? Usually a boarder is not needed on the edges of fine checkering and more commonly used to clean up the edges of “average” cut checkering work.
It is a fine gun overall and my observations only reflect my personal taste and limited understanding of craftsmanship. Hope that rifle serves you well!

 

[Red Leg]

As @rookhawk correctly notes that is the Merkle sidelock action. The barrels are also sleeved. It is interesting that a virtue was made of it by putting a gold accent on the sleeve joints. The rifle also has the big beavertail forend to appeal to US buyers.

This is a very similar Merkel with the same action in the same caliber without the gold inlay. If you came in around there, you did well.

Merkel Double Rifle SLE 470 NE for sale

Merkel Double Rifle SLE 470 NE for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

 

[Fatback]

Congrats on a fine double rifle. I’ve never even considered wanting a DR, until I became a member here last year. Now when I see some of the beauties that get shared here I certainly understand the allure now. Probably not in my immediate future but I could see myself with one at some point in the future…. Thanks for sharing and hopefully it shoots as well as it looks and you can take your elephant with it next year.

 

[AZDAVE]

Congratz on a nice double, you are the only one that really has to like it. I agree with your desires in a double, especially the nice high grade wood and must function perfectly and be well regulated. Scratches add to the story of the rifle. Personally don't care for the gold embellishments. My like is for very nice small scroll type engraving or none at all. Take you fine double and go hunt some DG. look forward to hearing about your adventures.

 

[Rare Breed]

As @rookhawk correctly notes that is the Merkle sidelock action. The barrels are also sleeved. It is interesting that a virtue was made of it by putting a gold accent on the sleeve joints. The rifle also has the big beavertail forend to appeal to US buyers.

This is a very similar Merkel with the same action in the same caliber without the gold inlay. If you came in around there, you did well.

Merkel Double Rifle SLE 470 NE for sale

Merkel Double Rifle SLE 470 NE for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

you know your DRs!!!! i came in $1,000 under this and the Merkel you show on GI does not have the gold or higher stock grade so i guess i did okay

 

[CJW]

It's none of my business what you paid but that is a great price for that fine rifle.

I don't think it's been asked, did you get any regulation info or ammo for it?

 

[Rare Breed]

It's none of my business what you paid but that is a great price for that fine rifle.

I don't think it's been asked, did you get any regulation info or ammo for it?

for my 470’s i use RL 15.5 at 86 grains has historically given me within 2 inches producing 2050 FPS. i talked to JJ Perodeau last week and he recommended trying 86, 87, 88 and 89 grains to see what regulation looks like. weather permitting i will test each tomorrow at 50 yards. one of these should give me my desired within 2 inch regulation i want and maybe better. my last 470 was at 1.5 inches

 

[chashardy]

Congratulations! It's a real beauty.