RE: [DL] Double Rifle?

[Frempath2@netscape.net]

At this time the true big game hunters were the wealthy elite and would have fire arms custom made for them.  The H&H Nitro express (1889) was one of the first alternatives to the custom 10 gauge rifle. (yes 10 guage, as in 10 bullets to the pound.)  The big game rifles are meant to be used at less than 150 yards so are not terribly accruate, after all to be manly you need to kill the beast up close and personal.  If you want accuracy with good hitting power you probably want something like the sharps which you mentioned, a ballard, a berdan, or a remington rolling block, good solid single shot, cartridge fed firearms.  As for the Whitworth, yes it was the precision firearm of its time, but as a muzzle loader it was being surpased as the accuracy leader by the above listed firearms by this time.

g'day
kevin jameson


Paul Wilson <Paul.Wilson@po-box.esu.edu> wrote:

>    OK...I'm looking for an interesting big game rifle for a character.
>I could just go with a Sharpe's big 50 but I am looking for something a
>little out of the ordinary. I know there were a number of double barrel
>rifles made by companies like Holland and Holland around the turn of the
>century.  Does anyone know if there were double rifles around in 1876-77?
>Any thoughts on game stats...aside from it being expensive if it's a
>European import.
>    Along the same line there was discussion some time back about a
>British sniper rifle of the period that fired an octagonal (hexagonal?) bolt
>instead of a bullet.  Twisting the barrel provided the spin for the bullet
>instead of the groves found in normal rifles. Does anyone have any
>information on this weapon and its potential game stats? I assume it would
>be expensive and hard to find/make new bolts for. Thanks!
>
>Paul
>
>> Paul B. Wilson, Ph.D.
>> Department of Biology
>> 200 Prospect Street
>> East Stroudsburg University
>> East Stroudsburg, PA  18301-2999
>> 
>> pwilson@po-box.esu.edu
>> (570)422-3212
>> 
>> "It's not safe out here.  It's wondrous, with treasures to
>> satiate desires both subtle and gross.  But it's not for the timid."
>> 
>> "Q"     Stardate  42539.2
>> 
>> "...never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing,
>> great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of
>> honour and good sense."
>> 
>> Winston Churchill   10/29/1941
>> Address to the Harrow School    
>> 
>> 
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