Britain’s gun trade was highly developed and well patronized. Guns and rifles both for domestic use but especially to serve the needs of the British Empire led to the British becoming some of the most outstanding gunmakers the world has ever produced.
Nowhere was this seen more clearly than in the perfection of the British double-rifle: and these double-rifles were made both for the wealthy, and for those of less affluent means, which means that used British double-rifles can be found at affordable prices.
Fast Facts
- British double-rifles have a reputation for being eye-wateringly expensive and rightly so, they are hand-made by expert craftsmen who have spent years perfecting their knowledge and skills.
- Even used British double-rifles tend to attract prices in the tens of thousands of dollars.
- However, sometimes it is possible to find a British nitro double-rifle by a famous maker that is affordable.
- Two such double-rifles are coming up for sale by Rock Island Auction at their Premier Auction to take place over December 6-8: 2024.
As many long-term Revivaler readers will have suspected I am a fan of exotic sporting rifles, with particular emphasis on double-rifles, bolt-actions, and falling block single-shots.
I’m also a fan of exotic cartridges and finding ways of getting rifles in obsolete calibers shooting again.
A problem faced by aficionados of exotic rifles, especially double-rifles, is the sheer cost of acquiring one: and once that hurdle is overcome the next issue is not only creating ammunition to get it shooting, but working up a loading which will regulate to shoot projectiles from both barrels to a close point of impact.
There’s quite a science attached to that and one of the best sources of practical advice is found in Graeme Wright’s book “Shooting the British Double Rifle: A Modern Guide for Load Development and Use, 3rd Edition“.
That being said the book is seemingly out of print and quite hard to find. We used to be able to buy a copy for less than AUD$70.00 Australian dollars.
The other resource for a double-rifle enthusiast is the “Woodleigh Bullets Loading Manual” of which Graeme Wright is a co-author.
But before we get to enjoy the challenge of loading for our double-rifle the first challenge is to find a suitable double-rifle to purchase and enjoy.
My personal preference is for British made doubles and if one is on a budget buying a new British rifle is going to be out of reach. So it becomes a case of searching for the right secondhand rifle in decent condition: and that task is likely not to be quite as difficult as one might first anticipate.
One of the sources for a used double rifle is Rock Island Auction who specialize in firearms and who are often trusted to sell collectible guns of exceedingly high value. But they also tend to be trusted to sell not so expensive guns that are unusual and which appeal to a specialized audience, and British double-rifles fit that category.
Of the Rock Island Auctions their “Premier Auctions” are the place to search and their upcoming December 2024 Premier Auction has some double-rifles coming up that could well suit someone on a budget looking for a decent British double.
Lot 1446: Engraved W. J. Jeffery & Co. Boxlock Ejector Double Rifle in 475 No. 2 Nitro Express
W.J.Jeffery & Co. were one of Britain’s best known gunmakers, famous for their double-rifles, falling block single-shots, and magazine rifles (i.e. bolt-action).
Jeffery were the creators of the .500 Jeffery dangerous game cartridge for bolt-action magazine rifles: a cartridge with which one could confidently take on any dangerous game on earth with a measure of confidence.
Coming up at the December 2024 Premier Auction is a W.J. Jeffery boxlock ejector double-rifle chambered for the less well known but well regarded 475 No. 2 Nitro Express.
The rifle is reckoned to have been made in the period 1910-1913, in a period when the African and Asian safari trade was in full swing: and a time when the British gunmaking trade was at its height in terms of both design and craftsman quality workmanship.
Boxlock double rifles were significantly less expensive to make than sidelock and droplock models, but the boxlock action formed the foundation of a solid reliable gun well suited to the needs of professional hunters and government officers who had need of a heavy caliber double-rifle in their professional roles.
Rock Island Auction provide the following description of the double-rifle offered for sale as follows:-
“W. J. Jeffery & Co. has long been at the top of the British gun trade with names such as Holland & Holland, Rigby, and Purdey, with this rifle being a fine example. The rifle was built between 1910 and 1913 according to Nigel Brown’s “British Gunmakers Volume One: London” and has blued steel chopperlump barrels which feature a beaded blade front sight with hood, five leaf (one standing, four folding) rear sight graduated at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards on the rear quarter rib, and a front sling eyelet. The barrels are marked “W. J. JEFFERY & Co. Ltd.” on the right and “13 KING STREET St. JAMES St.. LONDON” on the left along with period Birmingham nitro proofmarks indicating a loading of 80 grains of cordite topped by a 500 grain bullet. The barrels are fitted to a casehardened boxlock action which has been polished bright and displays bull buffalo on both sides and features bushed firing pins, chambers with automatic ejectors, double triggers, and a tang mounted automatic safety with gold inlaid “SAFE” indicator. The rifle is fitted with an attractively figured and multi-point checkered forend with an Anson button release and a pistol grip stock with horn grip cap, rear sling eyelet, blank gold inscription oval, and an orange rubber recoil pad. Included is a wood and canvas takedown case, a set of snap caps, cleaning tools, and three boxes of Kynoch .475 Express cartridges (15 total rounds). Length of pull 14 7/8 inches. Weight 11 lbs. 3 oz.”
Rock Island Auction describe the condition of this rifle as follows:-
“Very fine as professionally refurbished, retaining 99% blue finish, attractive polished finish on the action, some patches of pitting on the metal, and light handling evidence. The wood is also very fine with sharp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The case is very fine. A great chance to own a fine British dangerous game rifle!”
You will find the sale page for this rifle if you click here.
Rock Island Auction estimate that this rifle will sell in the price range USD$9,000-$14,000, which puts it within reach for potential buyers on a limited budget.
Lot 1447: W. J. Jeffery & Co. Boxlock Ejector Dangerous Game Double Rifle in 450-400 3″ Nitro Express
The second W.J. Jeffery & Co. boxlock double rifle is chambered for the very common 450-400 3″ Express. Graeme Wright says of the 450-400 Nitro Express that he believes that more double-rifles were made in 450-400 than in all the other big game calibers combined.
The 450-400 3″ Nitro Express is quite a pleasant cartridge to shoot, one of the more comfortable dangerous game cartridges one could choose, especially in a properly set up double rifle.
Ruger made a rather lightweight version of their No.1 single-shot chambered for 450-400 3″ and these do need to be handled carefully as they don’t have much weight to counter the recoil. They are beautifully balanced and a delight to shoot – but the shooter needs to mount the rifle correctly or the experience might be a tad less comfortable.
Rock Island Auction provide the following description of this rifle:-
“This rifle was built circa 1903 according to Nigel Brown’s “British Gunmakers Volume One: London” and has blued steel chopperlump barrels which feature a beaded blade front sight, a four leaf (one standing, three folding) rear sight graduated at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards on the rear quarter rib, and a front sling eyelet. The barrels are marked “W. J. JEFFERY & Co.” on the left and “13. KING STREET. St. JAMES’S. LONDON.” on the right along with period Birmingham nitro proofmarks indicating a loading of 55 grains of cordite topped by a 400 grain bullet. The barrels are fitted to a casehardened boxlock action which is signed “W. J. JEFFERY & Co.” on either side and features bushed firing pins, chambers with automatic ejectors, double triggers, and a tang mounted manual safety with gold inlaid “SAFE” indicator. The rifle is fitted with an attractively figured and multi-point checkered forend with a rotary lever release and a pistol grip stock with horn grip cap, rear sling eyelet, blank gold inscription oval, and an orange rubber recoil pad. Included is a wood and leather takedown case, a set of snap caps, two dummy rounds, cleaning tools, and four boxes of Kynoch .450/400 Express cartridges (15 live rounds and five empty cartridges). Length of pull 14 7/16 inches. Weight 10 lbs. 7 oz.”
Rock Island Auction describe the condition of this rifle as follows:-
“Very good, retaining 80% original blue finish on the barrels, traces of original blue on the floorplate and triggerguard, and attractive grey patina on the action with flashes of original case colors. The barrels show some spotting and thinned finish. The wood is revarnished with a few dings and scratches, some thin spots, and worn but well define checkering. Mechanically excellent. Case is very good.”
You will find the sale page for this rifle if you click here.
Rock Island Auction estimate that this rifle will sell in the range USD$7,000-10,000.
So, as double-rifles go, this could be achievable for someone on a budget.
This rifle could also be a good candidate for a professional re-finishing: the wood on the stock looks like it would respond well to some professional care.
Buying a used rifle is of course quite like buying a used car. Its important to ask questions of the vendor and preferably either examine the rifle yourself or get someone with the necessary expertise to examine it and evaluate it for you.
British double-rifles tend to be well designed: Britain’s gun trade perfected the gunmaker’s art, they had a large, but very discerning market to satisfy and the building of an excellent reputation was essential to commercial survival and prosperity.
W.J. Jeffery were one of those makers who were able to establish and maintain an enviable reputation both in Britain and in her far flung colonies in Africa and Asia. So these two “plain-jane” double-rifles are examples of some of the best that Britain routinely produced. Not expensively engraved, stocked with nice but not exhibition grade walnut, but rifles that reflect the British gun-trade’s talent for creating double-rifles with excellent balance and handling: rifles to be depended on if one found oneself “on a sticky wicket” – i.e. in a hunting situation that might result in injury or death.
That being said these rifles are affordable examples of Britain’s gunmaking history.
Picture Credits: All pictures courtesy Rock Island Auction.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
