The African 3 gun battery

[Professor Mawla]

Here is my choice :

* 12 bore ( 2 3/4 inch ) Remington Model 1894 boxlock ejector side by side shotgun with ordinance steel barrels
* 7x57 mm Mauser Oberndorf rifle with sporting stock
* .425 Nitro Express Mauser Model 98 action Westley Richards rifle ( the made to order model , not the inferior “ White Hunter “ mass produced model ) with 5 round drop box magazine

 

[dchamp]

If I were going on Safari in Africa in 1909 I would probably get off the boat in the British Isle and get outfitted there by either Holland & Holland, Rigby, Jeffery or Westley Richards.
Therefore I would likely, have a hard time choosing.

.318 WR - medium bore
.476 NE - large bore
Drilling with 12ga. on top and 7x57R underneath - combo with small bore

 

[Tanks]

Suppose for a moment that you could go back in time to let's say 1909, and you were invited to accompany TR on his famous 6 month safari throughout what was then British East Africa.
What are your thoughts on a Mauser Model 96 in 6.5 x 55 Swede, a Mauser model 98 in 9.3 x 62 and a fine English double in .500 Nitro Express as a 3 gun battery? Keep in mind this is a full bag safari lasting 6 months during which you very likely would have the opportunity to harvest hundreds of animals ranging from duiker to elephant. What is your preferred 3 gun battery?

30-06
9.3x62
.500 NE for 1909

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

275Rigby
9,3x62Mauser
404Jeffery

 

[spike.t]

Same as I've got now

9.3 x 62 (I think I can have that - it just gets in at 1905 I think?)
404 Jeff
Double barrelled side by side 12 bore shotty

Shit didn't realise you were that old.......

 

[SJN]

...found 110 rounds of Kynoch 160 grainers in an Austrian gun store.

Bought it for 200 €...... hope they are not from 1909 and still go bang....


HWL

Luchy you. Don't shoot them, keep as collection.

 

[HWL]

If I were going on Safari in Africa in 1909 I would probably get off the boat in the British Isle and get outfitted there by either Holland & Holland, Rigby, Jeffery or Westley Richards.
Therefore I would likely, have a hard time choosing.

.318 WR - medium bore
.476 NE - large bore
Drilling with 12ga. on top and 7x57R underneath - combo with small bore

Great choice....but I have never seen an English made Drilling.

For this one, you probably have to sidestep to Liege or even Suhl.


HWL

 

[John Telford]

.256
.303
404
If I was British
6.5x54 MS
9.3x62
10.75 x73
If I came from the Continent...

 

[dchamp]

Great choice....but I have never seen an English made Drilling.

For this one, you probably have to sidestep to Liege or even Suhl.


HWL

I guess I didn't give that enough thought. But since my wife is from Liege, that would be my sidestep.

Rethinking this, being an American, if I were accompanying President Theodore Roosevelt I would probably bring a 30-06 and a .405win, along with a 12ga. 1897.

 

[Pondoro]

Great choice....but I have never seen an English made Drilling.

For this one, you probably have to sidestep to Liege or even Suhl.


HWL

Charles Lancaster made drillings with the rifle barrel on top (!) in 6,5x53R..

 

[HWL]

Charles Lancaster made drillings with the rifle barrel on top (!) in 6,5x53R..

Did not knew this... do you have any pictures / further information?

HWL

 

[Pondoro]

It is pictured in Charles Lancaster´s 1914 catalogue..

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Never really understood the idea of a multi-gun battery. My 404 is at least as accurate as my 30-06 and kills anything a 30-06 will. Same with my 375. If forced to take 3, I'd probably take a matched set of 404s and a shotgun if birds were on offer. Otherwise, a third 404. If I'm going to have the wrong gun in my hands for the job at hand, I'd much rather it be too big than too small. What's the downside, I kill an impala too dead?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I notice you set this in 1909 and thereby eliminating the possibility of using a 375H&H and the 375R. Very clever.

450/400NE Holland and Holland Royal double rifle
6.5x55 Mauser
12 bore Rigby Rising-Bite SxS

@BeeMaa
I would go a 3 gun British set
Small 303 british in a Lee speed made b the Rigby.
Medium 350 Rigby magnum
Large 450/400 in a H &H double
12 bore Purdey sxs
Bob

 

[Cervus elaphus]

Here is my choice :

* 12 bore ( 2 3/4 inch ) Remington Model 1894 boxlock ejector side by side shotgun with ordinance steel barrels
* 7x57 mm Mauser Oberndorf rifle with sporting stock
* .425 Nitro Express Mauser Model 98 action Westley Richards rifle ( the made to order model , not the inferior “ White Hunter “ mass produced model ) with 5 round drop box magazine

Like your choices Professor. I still think the 425WR is a greatly underestimated and unappreciated caliber.

 

[Professor Mawla]

Like your choices Professor. I still think the 425WR is a greatly underestimated and unappreciated caliber.

@Cervus elaphus
Like I always say , “ A man must always know what he likes “ . And I find that I can shoot immensely better with bolt action rifles , than with double rifles .

 

[HWL]

I notice you set this in 1909 and thereby eliminating the possibility of using a 375H&H and the 375R. Very clever.

1910 would have been ok, because of my beloved 9,5x57 Mannlicher-Schoenauer!



HWL

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

318 WR bolt rifle (actually a tossup with 275 rigby, I figured a little more oomph might be handy for cats and large antelope)
500/450 NE double
12g shotgun

I think any combination of light/medium, heavy, and shotgun would set you up pretty well for this scenario.

I do find it odd that some lists here have ignored the shotgun and included both a light and a medium rifle. That’s just too much overlap for me while ignoring the abundance of wing shooting available in Africa and the utility of being able to use buckshot when necessary. Especially since we are talking about an old time safari where everything is on the table as far as game is concerned.

TR was happy to extol the virtues of his Fox shotgun in Game Trails.

 

[BeeMaa]

@BeeMaa
I would go a 3 gun British set
Small 303 british in a Lee speed made b the Rigby.
Medium 350 Rigby magnum
Large 450/400 in a H &H double
12 bore Purdey sxs
Bob

Yeah, you could do that...but you still be one over the 3 gun limit. Not that anyone really cares, least of all me.

And in the spirit of not caring and feeling free to change my mind in "make believe land", my new 3-gun battery.

6.5x55 Mauser (I still like this choice)
30-06 Springfield (sporterized)
9.3x62 Mauser/Rigby
404J Mauser/Rigby
12 bore SxS (and I like your choice of the Purdy)

Apparently I can't count either, but if I had to trim the fat, I'd take the 30-06, 404J and the 12 bore.

 

[IvW]

The way things are going here I will have to check my rifles....
Get a Berstutzen 9.3x4R/7×57mm, another barrel set 7x65R/132ga and keep my 500 Jeff and be done with the primates runnng the show here...