On my bench today, some double spoon love!

[Mericet]

One of the projects I am working on at school is to chamber and regulate a double rifle in .450 Nitro Express (3.25in) on a shotgun action. I continued work that was started by a previous graduate who prepped the barrels and monoblock. I chambered the barrels last week and spent today tinning the barrels and monoblock and joining everything together. One of my classmates commented that this was the messiest they have ever seen my work bench!

[fred cook]

I have had an interest (but not the wherewithall to own one) ever since having the opportunity to shoot a friend's 577/450 double rifle some years ago. The recoil was, well "noticible", but since the rifle weighed a bit over 10 lbs, managable. The target we were shooting at was about 25 yards distance. The two shots were both close to point of aim and spaced about 2" apart. Probably would have been closer had we been shooting from a bench. At that distance and with that bore, one did not need a scope to see where they went!

Good luck on your project. Will you get to finish these barrels sufficiently to try shooting them?

[Mericet]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Will you get to finish these barrels sufficiently to try shooting them?

Fred, next step is to fit the barrels to the breechface. Once that is done, the next step is to regulate the barrels. I hope to not have to shoot it too many times before getting it right. I am definitely using my lead sled for this one.

[Mericet]

Quick follow up: Barrels are now fitted to the breech face, headspace checked and the forend lug soldered on. Tomorrow we will fit the forend iron and if all goes well do a test fire to confirm everything works!

[Mericet]

Test fired the rifle today. No problems, it did great. Good primer strikes, no stuck cases and everything held together well. Will edit and post some video later. At $5.00 a round, I am just glad I did not have pay for the ammo!

[vash]

Pic of cartridge? Nice work.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Nice! I would love a big bore double, but I have a Farquharson action custom rifle in the works. Can't have too many irons in the fire. With my luck they would all finish at the same time!

What's the action you're mounting?

[targa911S]

WOW!!! One of the things I have always wanted to own is a double rifle. I have bragging rights now by being able to tell friends I have a buddy that is MAKING ONE! Just laying the ribs on the barrels is beyond my skill. You are quite the smith my friend. Great job!

[Mericet]

Thanks everyone. The action used for this used to be a AyA 12ga. Never took any pictures of the cartridge but will do so. Going to start work on the new extractor today.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by vash

Pic of cartridge? Nice work.

It must kick like a mule.

[vash]

daaaaaannnngggg!!

that thing must be an elephant gun..good lord.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by vash

that thing must be an elephant gun..good lord.

Well, yes. Exactly.

The big-bore double rifle is the weapon of choice for dangerous game hunters--particularly when hunting the Big 5 in Africa.

[vash]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Well, yes. Exactly.

The big-bore double rifle is the weapon of choice for dangerous game hunters--particularly when hunting the Big 5 in Africa.

crazyness. last time i read about african hunting..i was a little kid. they considered a 375H&H magnum sufficient back then.

i wouldnt face down a charging "big 5" with a double..i guess the advantage is it will not jam?

i'd go with a bolt action topped with a red dot scope (i'd never go to africa to hunt)

[Mericet]

I got the extractor cut done today. Next step is to make a new extractor. I am busy getting ready for my last board of trustees meeting as SGA president, putting out my graduation clothes and rehearsing my keynote speech for tonight. I will post pictures later this week.

The cartridge is 3.25 inches long. The advantage of a double is a quick follow up shot and as they have been around a long time (well set up?) there is very little chances something will go wrong for the second shot.

I also learned that I got all A's this semester. Did not think I was going to make it.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Congrats on your grades! Not that we ever had any doubt.

[Mericet]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Congrats on your grades! Not that we ever had any doubt.

Thanks, I was really surprised. Asked the instructor at graduation today and he said that is what it worked out to. I guess it helped that I scored really high in most things. He even gave me an 98 on one of the stocks I did. Very rare for him.

[Hydrocket]

Originally Posted by Mericet

I got the extractor cut done today. Next step is to make a new extractor. I am busy getting ready for my last board of trustees meeting as SGA president, putting out my graduation clothes and rehearsing my keynote speech for tonight. I will post pictures later this week.

The cartridge is 3.25 inches long. The advantage of a double is a quick follow up shot and as they have been around a long time (well set up?) there is very little chances something will go wrong for the second shot.

I also learned that I got all A's this semester. Did not think I was going to make it.

Around the turn of the century, the "Paradox" gun was the weapon of choice for Big Game in Africa. It was a 12 gauge slug shotgun, smoothbore but with the last several inches of the barrel rifled. It would hurl a solid ~750 grain bullet. This weapon has taken every single animal on the face of the earth.

Fast forward to today, and companies like Dixie Slugs make duplicates of Paradox loads, albeit with modern alloys and treating. These rival and exceed many big game centerfire cartridges out to 100 yds and can be fired through most any rifled shotgun.

VERY impressive...

[fred cook]

In the late 1880s, Winchester built one or more 70 caliber double rifle(s). Depending on who you read/believe either one gun was built on the 1887 Shotgun action, one gun was built as a single shot or a small number of doubles (5-6) were built. The cartridge showed up on the 1888 Winchester Cartridge board and a small amount also as boxed cartridges. The official cartridge designation was 70-150-900, meaning a 70 caliber bullet, 150 grains of black powder and a 900 grain bullet. Muzzle velocity was said to have been around 1200 fps. The case looked like a slightly necked full length brass 12 gauge shell but used a large rifle primer instead of a shotgun primer. No one knows what happened to the gun(s) and the cartridges are quite rare. In the picture below, the first cartridge on the left is the 70-150-900. For size comparison, the cartridge next to it is a 577 Snider round! Recoil must have been "significant"!

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Well, yes. Exactly.

The big-bore double rifle is the weapon of choice for dangerous game hunters--particularly when hunting the Big 5 in Africa.

short range and open sights. Ya gotta have some balls to hunt big game like that.

[Hydrocket]

Originally Posted by targa911S

short range and open sights. Ya gotta have some balls to hunt big game like that.

Not really. Depends what it is. I've seen lions laying lazily with hunters 50 yd away. They aren't scared of a puny human. Depending where, elephants can behave the same way. No fear of a tiny human.

For dangerous game in Africa, Cape Buffalo is the way to go.

Some of the hairiest dangerous game hunting I've seen was hunting wild boar/hogs in the US. Little fear of humans and willing to charge and attack at the drop of a hat. Extremely intelligent too...likely the smartest game animal.