Small Bore Double Rifles

[IvW]

Right, so I want to put this out there because it doesn't look like it'll happen (no one makes one?) and it's driving me mad: I REALLY want an OU in 22 hornet... What an amazing little walker it would make- everything from hare/guineas to broadside shots on pigs... Awesome.

VC will make what you want

 

[HWL]

Right, so I want to put this out there because it doesn't look like it'll happen (no one makes one?) and it's driving me mad: I REALLY want an OU in 22 hornet... What an amazing little walker it would make- everything from hare/guineas to broadside shots on pigs... Awesome.

Easiest way is to have a 20 gauge O/U and 2 .22 Hornet insert barrels.

HWL

 

[Alexandro Faria]

VC will make what you want

VC??

 

[Alexandro Faria]

Looks like I have some reading to do.

 

[spike.t]

VC??

Verney carron gunmakers in France

 

[AZDAVE]

At DSC this year a VC 8x57JRS O/U followed me home and so far it is just plain flat fun to shoot

They are not O/U but Chaplin in Oklahoma, and william Larkin and Moore in Arizona both have Chapuis SxS 22 Hornets in stock and for sale.

 

[Tanks]

Heck, the only small bore centerfire I have is a .308 next step up is .375H&H and next step down is .22LR and that is in bolt rifles.

If I were to get a small bore double I'd probably commission a set of barrels in 7x57R O/U and a matching 20 gauge.

 

[vette447]

I have a nice little SxS double in 7x65R that I am slowing falling more in love with. Great caliber in a super handy rifle. I need to get it back out and take some decent pictures to share.

I have some big bore doubles and really enjoy them but the small bore double is getting more and more appealing to me. As many have said above, a .303 would be really nice for good all around use here in the US.

 

[Major Khan]

During the time of my career , as a professional shikaree ( 1961 - 1970 ) , the small calibre double barreled rifle was an extremely popular concept ... Amongst my continental clients . I have seen my clients bring the following ( Over the 10 year period , of my career ) :
> .243 Winchester calibre side by side or over under double barreled rifles built by Auguste Francotte , Franz Sodia and Dumoulin
> .270 Winchester calibre side by side and over under double barreled rifles built by Auguste Francotte , Franz Sodia and Dumoulin .
> A .30-06 Springfield calibre over under double barreled rifle , built by Franz Sodia .

Among my English clients , the only small calibre double barreled rifle which I have ever seen ... Was a John Rigby & Co. side by side double barreled rifle , chambered in 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed calibre . It was regulated for 70 grain Winchester cartridges .

 

[Saul]

During the time of my career , as a professional shikaree ( 1961 - 1970 ) , the small calibre double barreled rifle was an extremely popular concept ... Amongst my continental clients . I have seen my clients bring the following ( Over the 10 year period , of my career ) :
> .243 Winchester calibre side by side or over under double barreled rifles built by Auguste Francotte , Franz Sodia and Dumoulin
> .270 Winchester calibre side by side and over under double barreled rifles built by Auguste Francotte , Franz Sodia and Dumoulin .
> A .30-06 Springfield calibre over under double barreled rifle , built by Franz Sodia .

Among my English clients , the only small calibre double barreled rifle which I have ever seen ... Was a John Rigby & Co. side by side double barreled rifle , chambered in 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed calibre . It was regulated for 70 grain Winchester cartridges .

Did you find such rifles particularly useful?

 

[Major Khan]

Did you find such rifles particularly useful?

Actually , Saul ... My personal opinion is that these rifles were more for clients , who simply happened to prefer double barreled rifles . Instead of any practical advantage .

Yes , they certainly accomplished a great deal of execution . For instance ... My client who was armed with the 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed calibre double barreled side by side John Rigby & Co. rifle , used that dainty little fire arm to lay low ( On a single shikar trip ) :
> A cheetal deer
> A kakar deer
> A clouded panther
> 10 pea fowl
> 5 Indian bustards
> A Buri Ganga river crocodile

How ever , I personally feel that all this could easily be accomplished ( And at greater ranges ) with a .243 Winchester calibre pre 64 Model 70 bolt rifle ... Wearing a low power telescopic sight ( Not too high magnification ) .

The sad truth is that the bulk of my upper class British clients ... Did not think too highly of repeating rifles , in the 1960s . They viewed it as " The preferred sporting weapon of uncultured Americans , with new money . " .

Views such as this ... Were what led to the popularity of small calibre double barreled rifles , amongst my upper class British clients .

 

[HWL]

..... upper class British clients ... Did not think too highly of repeating rifles , in the 1960s . They viewed it as " The preferred sporting weapon of uncultured Americans , with new money .....

Today, they sell their doubles, and not even a repeating rifle is left....



HWL

 

[Major Khan]

Today, they sell their doubles, and not even a repeating rifle is left....



HWL

The irony , eh ?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Velo Dog, the small frame double sxs in .303 would be a pleasure. Get it made by a fine British company and that description becomes a treasure. It isn't that the continental gunmakers couldn't do it well, but this quintessentially British round needs a quintessentially British rifle. I have trawled through old magazines and it seems perfection in this outline comes from David McKay Brown. As soon as the ship comes in, although it is still sailing out near mars, that will become a reality.

 

[HWL]

The irony , eh ?

I thought of Prince Harry......

HWL

 

[Red Leg]

Velo Dog, the small frame double sxs in .303 would be a pleasure. Get it made by a fine British company and that description becomes a treasure. It isn't that the continental gunmakers couldn't do it well, but this quintessentially British round needs a quintessentially British rifle. I have trawled through old magazines and it seems perfection in this outline comes from David McKay Brown. As soon as the ship comes in, although it is still sailing out near mars, that will become a reality.

Nice - but for me, the holy grail would be either a Rigby Rising Bite in 30-30 (seriously) or a Hartmann & Weiss OU 7x65R.

That said, my Blaser S2 with 30-06 barrels in place is a very nimble little double.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

It looks great Red Leg. What does a little S2 like that sell for?

 

[Red Leg]

As you probably know, the S2 is no longer in production. Most used ones on the market are in DG calibers for obvious reasons. I bought mine originally as a .375 and added 500-416 and the ‘06 barrels over a 10-year period. I recently found a new receiver and forearm being sold as clearance and so now have a dedicated 30-06.

Here in the States, prices for a basic rifle in a DG caliber seem to run 8-10K USD. If you can find one, a basic receiver and forearm will be around 3-4K. Barrels, again getting very scare, will be around 5K. I don’t know when I last saw an ‘06 or 9.3x74R set for sale.

 

[Dinosaur]

Actually , Saul ... My personal opinion is that these rifles were more for clients , who simply happened to prefer double barreled rifles . Instead of any practical advantage .

Yes , they certainly accomplished a great deal of execution . For instance ... My client who was armed with the 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed calibre double barreled side by side John Rigby & Co. rifle , used that dainty little fire arm to lay low ( On a single shikar trip ) :
> A cheetal deer
> A kakar deer
> A clouded panther
> 10 pea fowl
> 5 Indian bustards
> A Buri Ganga river crocodile

How ever , I personally feel that all this could easily be accomplished ( And at greater ranges ) with a .243 Winchester calibre pre 64 Model 70 bolt rifle ... Wearing a low power telescopic sight ( Not too high magnification ) .

The sad truth is that the bulk of my upper class British clients ... Did not think too highly of repeating rifles , in the 1960s . They viewed it as " The preferred sporting weapon of uncultured Americans , with new money . " .

Views such as this ... Were what led to the popularity of small calibre double barreled rifles , amongst my upper class British clients .

G'day Major Khan, I was wondering when somebody would bring up the .22 Hi Power (5.6x52 Rimmed). It was a well known red deer cartridge in Scotland in the old days, and was used in double rifles.

A great uncle had a Savage 99 Lever gun in that caliber which was excellent on feral hogs, but I would love one in a double. They have taken down everything up to and including Tigers and Cape Buffalo, which is absolutely crazy, not sporting at all, I am totally against small bores for big game, and hunters
should avoid deliberately going out of the way to wound things.

Here's a double off the internet.

Regards
Rob

 

[Major Khan]

G'day Major Khan, I was wondering when somebody would bring up the .22 Hi Power (5.6x52 Rimmed). It was a well known red deer cartridge in Scotland in the old days, and was used in double rifles.

A great uncle had a Savage 99 Lever gun in that caliber which was excellent on feral hogs, but I would love one in a double. They have taken down everything up to and including Tigers and Cape Buffalo, which is absolutely crazy, not sporting at all, I am totally against small bores for big game, and hunters
should avoid deliberately going out of the way to wound things.

Here's a double off the internet.

Regards
RobView attachment 352291 View attachment 352292
View attachment 352290

Good day , Dinosaur . During my 10 year career as a professional shikaree ... I have had the good fortune , to have clients bring BOTH the Savage Model 99 AND double barreled rifles ... Which were chambered in 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed .

How ever , the double barreled rifles were ALL built by John Rigby & Co .

I must give you a word of warning , how ever . Yes , Reverend Caldwell ( Author of " The Blue Tiger " ) DID dispatch 1 tiger with a Savage Model 99 ... Which was chambered in 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed . How ever , what most people do not know , is :
> He only killed 1 tiger with this calibre .
> The tiger was an Oriental tiger , which is FAR lighter than a royal Bengal tiger ( Royal Bengal tigers weigh 500 pounds . Oriental tigers weigh only 400 pounds ) .
> His shot was able to dispatch the tiger ... Only because he shot it in the stomach , and it's stomach was FULL of food ( A half digested mongrel ) . The resulting explosion of gases in the brute's stomach ... Was what killed it .

And yes . Karamojo Bell writes about witnessing a gentle man lay low 23 African buffaloes ... With a Savage Model 99 , which was chambered in 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed . How ever , what most people do not know is :
> The buffalo , which were dispatched ... Were West African forest buffalo . These are the smallest species of African buffalo . FAR smaller than a Cape buffalo .
> The herd was full of females and immature bulls . Not large fully mature West African forest buffalo bulls .
> The shooter wounded all of the animals with lung shots . When the buffaloes saw blood on the other buffaloes ... They went insane ( Like all bovines do , when they see the colour red ) and began to gore the wounded buffaloes to death . The shooter simply kept wounding each member of the herd , with lung shots . By the time the last few buffaloes were left standing ... They were SO weakened by blood loss ( From the lung shots and also from getting wounded by the other members of the herd ) , that finishing them off ... Became a straight forward affair .

To conclude ... The 5.6 × 52 mm Rimmed is NOT a dangerous game calibre !