O/U 375 Weatherby Double Rifle For Sale On Gun Broker

Ryan

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Happened across this while browsing today, throwing it out there in case someone is looking for such a double.

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I don’t know why O/U rifles don’t have a following in the US. You would think that as popular as a O/U shotgun is here that the rifle would be also if for no other reason than manual of arms. I fall into this also as I love my shotguns either way SxS or O/U but a rifle I want SxS. Maybe it is just a nostalgia thing.
 
That would be a sweet rifle to take to Africa.

I believe that the doubles don't grab a hold here in the US is that they don't shoot far enough as far as where the barrels are regulated to shoot to. That and most US hunters want a rifle that will shoot out to 300+ yards and while the 375 Weatherby will certainly do this I doubt that this rifle would do it accuracy with both barrels using the same sight without adjusting it.
 
From what I've gleaned here and there doubles are great for dangerous game because of a very fast second shot, usually at close range, that's not a common thing needed in the US. Then there's the economics. US makers don't sell a lot of rifles costing $2 K plus.

To my understanding the one possible disadvantage to an over an under is the breech has to be opened wider to be able to get to both barrels. So, if you have a jammed cartridge it makes it that much harder at the wrong moment to get it open, cleared and reloaded. I have no idea if this has ever actually happened. I'd think regulating the barrels would be easier with an O/U, but I can't prove that either. I seem to recall someone here using an O/U double on a buffalo this year without a problem.

But, again, just throwing it out there since this is the place for people possibly interested in such a firearm.
 
The gun is likely ruined. Caveat emptor.

the gun is a 375HH that was rechambered to 375 weatherby. Since it’s unsigned, the bubba that did it probably made no matter if whether something traveling 50% faster requires re-regulation. What load?

add to that, someone added a hex but to the head of the stock worried about the stock splitting, or to repair a split.

truly an unfortunate alteration to the gun. The only thing I could think of doing to it is trying to re-bore and rechamber to the lower pressure 404 but I’m unsure it would clean up and not sure there is enough meat to bore from .375” to .423”.

I just want to shout to the original owner “why?!, what were you thinking!?”.
 
All the 375 Weatherby is is a 375 HH improved.

But I agree on questioning if the barrels are still regulated to the same point of aim at X distance
 
All the 375 Weatherby is is a 375 HH improved.

But I agree on questioning if the barrels are still regulated to the same point of aim at X distance

correct. It’s a pseudo-ackley of a 375HH. So if you shoot hh, it will fire form. Will a HH round regulate anymore? Probably not. Will a weatherby round regulate? Probably not. Will you have to load a custom never-thought of before loading in a 375w case to reproduce 375hh ballistics? Probably.

should the guy that did this be tarred and feathered? Certainly.
 
Never mind higher pressure which is always an interesting proposition in a break open rifle action... :whistle:

Tech corner

On the technical side, yes, O/U doubles are typically easier to regulate (hence cheaper to manufacture) because both barrels are in the axis of the action/stock as opposed to one on each side of the axis, resulting in a yaw when the rifle is fired, which the regulation is intended to compensate for...

So, in a perverse way, the rifle "may" still regulate (place shots from its two barrels together) even though not to point of aim (what with higher velocity and increased recoil) because being an O/U, there is no yaw to compensate for, to begin with... By the way, this explains why O/U continental doubles in 9.3x74R or similar low recoiling calibers are much more forgiving of ammo variations than SxS nitro express rifles with much greater recoil, hence an amplified tendency to yaw...

Also, FYI, the description in the gunbroker ad is risible: "made in Germany by Steyr-Mannlicher for Italian gun company Armi Renato Gamba." Unless I am considerably off my rockers (?), Steyr-Mannlicher never made a double rifle. Most likely it is a German guild made and proofed, hence the German proof stamps, (barreled?) break open action, stocked and finished by Gamba, hence the Italian proof stamps, imported in the US by the US Steyr distributor... As to how a double rifle action likely designed for the 9.3x74 R (49,000 PSI) fairs with .375 Wby loads (65,000 PSI), well, I would just love to spend five minutes with this rifle and a few cuts of cigarette paper... :whistle:

Oh, but, I almost forgot. Looks like the buyer will get what he pays for. Starting bid $0.01 with no reserve. $2,625 as of this writing... Smoking deal for a double .375 ;) Well, at least it is not a soft steel Italian guild break open action...
 
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I genuinely hate American shade tree gunsmiths - many of whom actually have shop fronts. I would guess half of the better British and Continental guns I have looked at have suffered some permanent destructive mayhem from one of these vandals.
 

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