Giggity Giggity—Merry Christmas to Me

[Snowball]

Gorgeous rifle, the wood and checkering look exquisite as well.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello Tom Leoni,

Beauty !
Yours truly once owned the Army & Navy hammer gun shown in my Avatar.
Mine was a .450 No2 NE.
The 28” barrels would put 4 shots (480 grainers, 2 softs & 2 solids) inside 2” @ 50 meters, easy breezy.

I couldn’t help but notice that, when hunting with it, if I shot it straight, then reloading it quickly was not necessary, LoL.
I suspect mine was made for A&N by J. Manton, because I once saw an identical rifle to mine except in caliber .470 NE and marked by that maker (no A&N markings like mine).

Sadly, being of modest income, I had to sell it to pay my safari bill, when I returned home from a combination Buffalo and so called Plains Game hunting trip.
I can either have a tall stack of guns or, I can go hunting in Africa now and then.
I choose Africa.

Anyway, man like the other fellows here, I am way impressed with your new rifle.
And, I look forward to you posting information on how it shoots.
Hopefully there will also be stories and photos of hunting with it as well.
I repeat … Beauty !

Best Regards,
Paul
(Velo Dog)

 

[Tom Leoni]

Hi, Paul--thanks for the info and the kind comment. I already have 2 safaris planned: one for next June, one for 2023 (hopefully buffalo will be on the menu in the latter). Depending on how comfortable I get between now and June, I may take this rifle or else it will be the old standby H&H single shot in .375 Flanged, which by now I can shoot with my eyes closed.

I also have a "new" WR Mod. 1897 in .500 NE/NfB that I'm dying to take on safari. I want for all my fine rifles to have their time in the sun. One more reason to book as many as possible!

 

[Velo Dog]

Hi, Paul--thanks for the info and the kind comment. I already have 2 safaris planned: one for next June, one for 2023 (hopefully buffalo will be on the menu in the latter). Depending on how comfortable I get between now and June, I may take this rifle or else it will be the old standby H&H single shot in .375 Flanged, which by now I can shoot with my eyes closed.

I also have a "new" WR Mod. 1897 in .500 NE/NfB that I'm dying to take on safari. I want for all my fine rifles to have their time in the sun. One more reason to book as many as possible!

Hi again Tom,

Excellent.
Again, more than one or two of us nostalgia types look forward to your reports on whichever vintage double you use to hunt with, each time.
Thanks for posting.

Cheers,
Paul.