A year or so ago, a very good client of ours purchased from a used gun dealer this .476 double rifle, it is a Gold Name model rifle made in the early 1900's. Having received it he then had problems getting it to shoot and so sent it across the Atlantic for us to have a look at.
The rifle had, unfortunately, been shot at some point with monolithic solid bullets which had pushed the rifling to the outside of the barrels rather than being on the inside. Worse still there was a hairline crack in the centre of the barrel, barely noticeable unless you look carefully, rendering them as scrap.
Whilst hugely disappointing for the client I was very pleased that he immediately thought of sending us the rifle to check, rather than load and try to get the rifle to shoot himself. The barrels were totally unsafe and the crack could at any point have opened up and potentially caused injury.
I have come across quite a lot of old rifles which have been shot with the wrong ammunition, and whilst I will not say this is a common problem, it is not uncommon either. When you are buying a double rifle ( or shotgun in fact) the barrels are the most expensive item to replace and it is worth thinking a vintage gun is only as good as its barrels. Spend the time to check them or have someone check them for you. It is possible in the case of the rifle to see the rifling on the outside if it has been raised by the wrong solid use, hold the barrels to the light and look up the outsides and you can see the feint twist of the rifling. This is perhaps easier said than done but worth remembering to check or ask someone to check for you! The penalty is a bill for in excess of $20,000 for new ones!
Simon Clode on December 2, 2015 at 10:40 pm
New .476 ammo as original and new sights.
Simon Clode on December 2, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Certainly was very bad luck! We have always shot the Woodleigh bullets in the old rifles, their original bullets were as near a copy of the old Kynoch as possible. They do now make other solids which I think are safe in the old rifles but have not shot myself. I can show you how to check the barrel in Dallas!
Neill Clark on December 2, 2015 at 8:31 pm
A prime example of why I like this blog, I learn so much from it. I was not aware it was possible to damage rifle barrels in this way, and I cringe when I think what could have happened. Thanks for the post, and I imagine your Client is very please with the new barrels.
vancedaigle on December 2, 2015 at 4:31 pm
What bad luck for this Gentleman, on many levels. I ask, if owning a vintage rifle that the bores have been inspected and have passed muster. Is there a certain type of ammunition that you can recommend that works better for these Ole Work Horses? I find this a very interesting story and of course want to try to keep the originality of any vintage Double rifles I may have, or purchase in the future. I very informative topic Simon, Good to have you back!!Morning Simon,
In Christ
Vance,
Larry on December 2, 2015 at 3:48 pm
It’s great that this rifle was brought back to life; albeit with a hefty cost! Was it regulated with the original 520gr bullets (I believe this is what the cartridge originally came with, right?). Did you use the original sights or are those new as well?