The Lost Ones

@HWL
Would you happen to know when Raick Freres went out of business ? Do you have any catalogs of theirs ?
@ Professor Mawla

Actually, I do not know, and I do not have....

My rifle was made around 1930, and once I met a guy from Australia, who had pretty much the same gun, made at the same time.

What I know is, some other Belgian gunsmith made .405 doubles, too.

An aquaintance of mine has one.


HWL
 
Further, I see that Woodleigh have two bullets for the 425WR listed, 410gr SN and 410gr FMJ. it's great to see this old caliber come back. Seems Woodleigh believe in them.
@Cervus elaphas
The woodleigh story is very interesting. Basically he started making a few bullets so some of his friends that had old double rifles. The business grew into a,world wide provider for many companies and people. It is still family owned and run by Geoff.
The rest as they say is history.
Bob
 
The Germans made quite some interesting also, one that would deserve a big comeback since components are made by several makers. One of the Schulers took the 10,75mm bullet .404 ones and put them in a .375 FL case, voila .404 Jeffery energy and ballistic in a double rifle.

Harald Wolf should have been in business still, his 11,72 Schuler version looked quite interesting .
 
The Simson & Co Suhl Double rifles, shotguns and combination guns were made in Suhl Germany also,
Simson made a nice .405 DR - AZDave has one.

My Simson .405 DR was made from a Simson 12 shotgun with custom barrels and wood.
56534_600x400.jpg

The .405 is still effective too:
52090_600x400.jpg
 
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Ah the days when Presidents were huntin' and shootin'. Now it's either golfing or gun-hating.

We could do with another Adventurer president. These corporate types, with their maternalism or paternalism, will be our downfall.
 
We could do with another Adventurer president. These corporate types, with their maternalism or paternalism, will be our downfall.
In the wild west when men were men and women weren't men, they would have been run out of town on a rail after a tar and feathering haircut, or taken on a one-way trip to a low branch on an oak tree. People get soft when they no longer have to struggle or work for a living.
 
#1 & #2 .461 Gibbs.

.577/.450 Martini (I found one of these spent cartridges on the Great Karoo. My PH told me they were used on the farm from 1868 to 1875).
 
I will second and third the .318 Westley Richards Rimless Nitro Express.
 
That's a pretty good effort Prof ! I think the .425 WR is making a comeback among handloaders. I'm making up a list. thanks

I handload for the 425 Westley Richards. I use Woodleigh bullets but Hawk also makes .435 diameter bullets for the 425 WR. Living in California I must use a lead free bullet for hunting. Unfortunately no one makes a lead free bullet for the 425 so the days of taking it on wild pig hunts in the State are over.
 
I handload for the 425 Westley Richards. I use Woodleigh bullets but Hawk also makes .435 diameter bullets for the 425 WR. Living in California I must use a lead free bullet for hunting. Unfortunately no one makes a lead free bullet for the 425 so the days of taking it on wild pig hunts in the State are over.
@John A Flaws.
All is not lost get a good machinist to make some for you.
Bob
 
I imagine a 6.5x57 would qualify for the list. It's a Mauser cartridge that apparently saw some use in Africa. A friend has a sporter Mauser in 6.5x57 that his family brought over to the US in the early 1900s. It's the only 6.5x57 I've ever seen. It has very thin lines, double set triggers and the flat stock side profiles where historically a lock and sideplate would have been - over alI I think a fairly recognizable and common design from that era.
 
How about the greatest 458 ever devised for a double rifle.. the 450 no. 2, 3 1/2 inch NE
 
Tell ya what gentlemen.. This is a DAMN good thread!! I've heard of some of these calibers, but the talk of our past presidents huntin and shootin compared to what we get now.. Haha.. I wish we could go back to the good ol' days!!
 
Tell ya what gentlemen.. This is a DAMN good thread!! I've heard of some of these calibers, but the talk of our past presidents huntin and shootin compared to what we get now.. Haha.. I wish we could go back to the good ol' days!!
@Ryeboy86
The good ol days weren't all good. That's why a lot of us older blokes have stuffed worn out bodies from busting our arse doing shit that would get an employer in big trouble with work cover nowdays. We had to do it to provide for our families. If we didn't there was always some one else who would do it.
At the same time we got away with doing shit that we wouldn't let our kids do now.
Bob
 

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