Wildwillalaska
AH fanatic
Fed-ex guy decided to make it feel like Christmas in April today. And only 1 week before I depart back to Zimbabwe, of course my 500NE 89b shows up earlier than I expected to temp me to bring her along. She will likely have to wait till October…but will decide after shooting her tomorrow morning.
This 500NE is pretty darn close to my dream rifle, perfect compliment to my real love…my 450NE. And as much as I love the wood in the 470, I don’t think I can keep it, and as much as I thought I would want to hold onto it for a while and play with a properly weighted 470 89b, I just do not see myself shooting it much between my others. For anyone interested, keep an eye on the classifieds mid-May, as this beauty will find her way there in May.
So I purchased both these doubles from the ordering dealer in Germany in late December. Both are brand new, ordered a couple+ years ago for the same gent with what I think were customer requested serial numbers. I started discussions back in November, exchanging some correspondence about the 500 as I had wanted to order one for bit but kept having difficulties catching Chris at the right time to get pricing on the different options I was trying to decide between, and when I saw this case colored 500, I basically fell in love. While I adore Level II and III engraving, especially on the nitride finish, I really love case colors, and the simple border scroll pattern too. What really got me was the simple, subtle gold Heym, Gold bands at the barrels, and especially the extended top strap—-that might have been what pushed me past worrying about uncertainty of trials and hurtles of undertaking my first import project.
So after some brief discussions, I committed to the 500NE. I decided to use Griffin & Howe for the importation since I figured they had some experience with it over the last 100+ years, and likely mindful of where importers marks are placed. Their import and compliance lady, Laurel, is amazing. She said it would take several weeks for the import permit, that she tells people up to 8-weeks, but generally has it within 1/2 that time. She was great in setting out what expenses, taxes, tariffs, and duties to expect. AND…she made it clear that subsequent rifles are less, that there is a real economy of scale to the export/import expenses (Of course more taxes, duties, and tariffs)
So the wood on the 470 was so darn beautiful, it kept me looking back, and it was also on a grossbox frame, so proper weight, both rifles were perfect LOP for me…and somehow I quickly convinced myself I shouldn’t just liberate the 500 to the US and leave the 470, so few more correspondence with the dealer and we struck a deal for both rifles. Early January Laurel let me know that my import permit arrived in a new record time—-4 days—and then we were truly off to the races. The export permit process had to wait commencement an extra week as the dealer didn’t feel safe shipping the rifles in the little blue Heym box, and ordered a couple beefier take down cases to better protect them through their journey. The exporter had my application submitted within a couple days of the guns reaching him the first week of February and he said to expect 8-weeks, which was the pretty consistent timeframe for processing and approval. He was spot on, with my application submitted February 9th, and approved March 25th-ish. Rifles were on a flight the 30th, through customs and to Griffin & Howe on Friday for engraving. Monday I settled up with Laurel for the fees, duties, taxes, and tariffs, and of course shipping to Alaska…and 2 days later I had them in hand.
So late in the day, less than great lighting, guns having some hand and finger prints from me looking them over…so not the best photos…but I couldn’t not take and share a couple photos.
So both guns are built on grossbox actions, date code CF for 2025, wear 26’ barrels, and 14 7/8-15” LOP. My 500 weighs 12lb 6oz, and the 470 11lb 3oz.
Griffin & Howe did a splendid job laser engraving their import marks tucked in under the forearm so not seen when assembled.
This 500NE is pretty darn close to my dream rifle, perfect compliment to my real love…my 450NE. And as much as I love the wood in the 470, I don’t think I can keep it, and as much as I thought I would want to hold onto it for a while and play with a properly weighted 470 89b, I just do not see myself shooting it much between my others. For anyone interested, keep an eye on the classifieds mid-May, as this beauty will find her way there in May.
So I purchased both these doubles from the ordering dealer in Germany in late December. Both are brand new, ordered a couple+ years ago for the same gent with what I think were customer requested serial numbers. I started discussions back in November, exchanging some correspondence about the 500 as I had wanted to order one for bit but kept having difficulties catching Chris at the right time to get pricing on the different options I was trying to decide between, and when I saw this case colored 500, I basically fell in love. While I adore Level II and III engraving, especially on the nitride finish, I really love case colors, and the simple border scroll pattern too. What really got me was the simple, subtle gold Heym, Gold bands at the barrels, and especially the extended top strap—-that might have been what pushed me past worrying about uncertainty of trials and hurtles of undertaking my first import project.
So after some brief discussions, I committed to the 500NE. I decided to use Griffin & Howe for the importation since I figured they had some experience with it over the last 100+ years, and likely mindful of where importers marks are placed. Their import and compliance lady, Laurel, is amazing. She said it would take several weeks for the import permit, that she tells people up to 8-weeks, but generally has it within 1/2 that time. She was great in setting out what expenses, taxes, tariffs, and duties to expect. AND…she made it clear that subsequent rifles are less, that there is a real economy of scale to the export/import expenses (Of course more taxes, duties, and tariffs)
So the wood on the 470 was so darn beautiful, it kept me looking back, and it was also on a grossbox frame, so proper weight, both rifles were perfect LOP for me…and somehow I quickly convinced myself I shouldn’t just liberate the 500 to the US and leave the 470, so few more correspondence with the dealer and we struck a deal for both rifles. Early January Laurel let me know that my import permit arrived in a new record time—-4 days—and then we were truly off to the races. The export permit process had to wait commencement an extra week as the dealer didn’t feel safe shipping the rifles in the little blue Heym box, and ordered a couple beefier take down cases to better protect them through their journey. The exporter had my application submitted within a couple days of the guns reaching him the first week of February and he said to expect 8-weeks, which was the pretty consistent timeframe for processing and approval. He was spot on, with my application submitted February 9th, and approved March 25th-ish. Rifles were on a flight the 30th, through customs and to Griffin & Howe on Friday for engraving. Monday I settled up with Laurel for the fees, duties, taxes, and tariffs, and of course shipping to Alaska…and 2 days later I had them in hand.
So late in the day, less than great lighting, guns having some hand and finger prints from me looking them over…so not the best photos…but I couldn’t not take and share a couple photos.
So both guns are built on grossbox actions, date code CF for 2025, wear 26’ barrels, and 14 7/8-15” LOP. My 500 weighs 12lb 6oz, and the 470 11lb 3oz.
Griffin & Howe did a splendid job laser engraving their import marks tucked in under the forearm so not seen when assembled.
