Planning a Double rifle

@tygersman1
Funny how men from the Boot follow similar naming conventions, lol. I’m from WBR Parish, and after peeking through your posts I figure I’d make a pretty poor imitation

@Tokoloshe Safaris & @Tintin
Thank you for the suggestions! Both are fine rifles and I will be considering them moving forward. The .450 3” bears some looking into.

@Major Bonkers
“Eccentric” would be my middle name if my Folks deigned to give me one! I have been known to become very detail oriented on my possessions and if I can’t find it made, I try to make it myself. Experience in machining tends to help lol. And thank you for the “barebones” suggestion! That actually sounds perfect, as I would have requested SIACE to blue the reciever anyway, since the standard comes in “french gray” and I am much more partial to a sleek, unbroken finish. I have looked a bit into what New England Custom Guns does for importing, as some family has dealt with them before. However, I think you are on the money re: finding out what SIACE would prefer. No comment on the Trucks of Peace, lol
 
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@AZDAVE
Thank you for taking the time to guide me! I am happy to know that SIACE makes good guns. On the topic of your .45-70, what sort of pressure signs did you observe, and what kind of stats were you getting out of your “danger close” loads? I’m not completely disheartened, as the Alaska Standard I assume is building the .444 on the same frame as the 9.3x74, and what I’ve read on getting to that magic 405 grain SG .444 with the COL should drop case pressure some. SIACE also offers a “Big Hunter” which may be a more suitable frame but at that point it would be tougher not to just go with a standard chambering.

@crs
Thank you for the words of encouragement! I also do not currently feel a “need for speed”, as I have bounced ideas around in my head for awhile and have settled on purchasing a single shot .444 to get some in-depth experience with loading the case until I am either satisfied or 100% discouraged. And on the parkers, I actually began this trek with researching what it would take to make some .444 chamber inserts myself to fit into a shotgun and regulate to make a double. I even laser cut a name plate for the stock that said “cochon maquillé”, Pig in Makeup for it lol. I scrapped it as I found that it would be incredibly difficult to balance such a rifle properly.
 
Tiggerman,
I like your plan to use a single shot .444 to become familiar with the cartridge. If you do run into pressure limitations, please post about it including the components that are used.
The .405 WCF ( .411) does not need to exceed factory velocities with 300 or 400 grain bullets to kill Cape Buff, so the 444 should be similar. Do you have a pressure testing system?

Interesting 444 article https://www.handloadermagazine.com/444-marlin
 

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For the price of commissioning a SIACE rifle, you could buy a proper (used) double rifle in 450-400NE 3" without the worry of resale or finding ammo. There are a few doubles on GB right now from VC and Heym that would fit the bill nicely. You will also be able to fire 400 grain bullets to your hearts content without fear of overpressure.

There is a reason that you are having a hard time finding a 444MARLIN double rifle, there are very few of them because it's just not that common. Hence the caution given about resale. If you buy the 450/400NE and download it, you can have 444MARLIN performance and still sell the gun if/when you loose interest.
+1 100%
 
@Tigerman The double was regulated with 300gr Federal that were loaded at the trapdoor levels (28Kpsi max) (1880fpsish) the double had a 32Kpsi max pressure level as stated in the case the rifle came in. I was able to get 350gr (1895fps) to regulate right at the pressure max. 405gr remington and 405 cast loads I couldn't get going fast enough to regulate the best I was able to get was about a 4 1/2 in 4 shot group at 55 meters, at a 100 it was minute of basketball. so It was regulated to deer and hog kinda hunts. I don't like pushing pressures in a break open action that isn't designed to go to higher pressures. For reference My 9.3x74 double shoots 300gr aframes and solids (2385fps) into a nice 4 shot 2 1/4 in group at 100 and 4in at 200. I have taken Cape Eland and sable with it.

You might talk to the builder about whether they will use a larger famed action that is designed to operated at 40Kpsi levels. With that you could get to the desired bullet weight and velocity. with your 444.
 
@tygersman1
Funny how men from the Boot follow similar naming conventions, lol. I’m from WBR Parish, and after peeking through your posts I figure I’d make a pretty poor imitation

Familiar with WBR from work, and Bergeron’s in Port Allen. Geaux Tigers!

Welcome to the forum - it’s a nice place to trade info and meet like minded folks. Good luck on the double quest. FWIW, I really like the 9.3x74 and 450/400 3” options.
 
I was shown this book yesterday by a local smith who has made a few doubles, and has a few more in progress.

Looked very interesting.

Building Double Rifles on Shotgun Actions: Gunsmithing Projects of Ellis Brown
Brown, W. Ellis
Published by Bunduki Publishing, Ft. Collins, CO, 2001
ISBN 10: 0971480206ISBN 13: 9780971480209
 
@crs
I figured a combo of Quickload, a Cradle made out of 2x4s and 10 feet of string were in order! Lol. I was also looking at the PressureTrace system as a possibility.

@AZDAVE
Thank you for the data!

@Tintin
I have heard of the book but sadly cannot find a physical copy.
 
Sorry, but I have lived to a ripe old age without either a 9.3 or 6.5 and will keep it that way.
 
@crs The 9.3 have been around longer than the 405. But with your 405 and 45/90 double you are set up for anything your want to hunt. Your 405 shoots the 400 gr where mine shoots the 300gr amazingly but not the 400's. The 300's just don't have the SD that I would feel comfortable with on buff or elephant. I shoot the 9.3's and the 6.5's and there is a place for them being used where the game is appropriate sized. The 6.5 anything I my view is a fine deer\antelope\ blesbok and smaller animals. The 9.3 with the right bullets have been taking everything in africa since 1905.
 
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