Category: Gratuitous Gun Pics

I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but there it is:  scarcely had I finished writing the last GGP when I continued down the rabbit hole that is Collector’s Antique Rifle department, and happened upon this H&H double rifle:

Ah, for heaven’s sake.

As for the chambering:  the .450/400 BPE (in the Gospel According To Frank Barnes) is akin, ballistically speaking, to the typical .450 black powder cartridges of the late 19th century and will put anything down at the shorter ranges.  Calling it the “400 Express”, however, introduces an element of confusion, because no such cartridge exists.  The .400 Nitro Express is the smokeless version of the above, and no doubt the rifle would be capable of handling it (always supposing it fits in the chamber).

Whatever:  this is a collector’s rifle, and as it’s been restored by H&H themselves and (assuming the cartridge confusion can be resolved) is a lovely gun worthy of any collection.

You can expect a lot more of this kind of post in the near future… somebody stop me.

As any fule kno, I am not an aficionado of the black-powder firearms genre, but that doesn’t mean I am averse to pics of same.  This particular beauty was made in the late 19th century — which is very definitely a period of history in which I am interested if not actually addicted to — and I love it.

As the action suggests, this is not a muzzle loader — by then, we’d definitely moved on to brass cartridges [snort of derision from Reader Mr. Lion et al.]  even though smokeless powder had not yet become a thing.  Had I access to a friendly reloader who could make me the ammo necessary, I would jump at it just for the historical sense alone.

Here’s a thought, however, if you didn’t want to shoot this fine old gun.

If you were looking for a piece of wall art — say, for over your house’s mantle piece — and you had a budget of around $12,000 for such an indulgence, would you consider this rifle over a contemporary painting?  Here are a couple of examples of what I’m talking about, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot:

I have to tell you, I would be torn.

And I apologize if this discussion makes you want to run to the nearest gun store (or art gallery) and buy something.  (See the above two posts for the implication.)

I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself.  This just arrived at Steve Barnett’s Emporium Of Gun Lust:

Damn, but that is just flat-out beautiful.

Give me a minute while I check that lottery ticket…

Shit.

By the way, if you want to know more about the Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company (CSMC), here’s Jonny Carter’s visit.

Just as we’ve looked at expensive and indulgent cars in the Sotheby’s catalogue before, here’s the gunny equivalent at Collector’s (right-click to embiggen):

I know, at $7,950, the price is nosebleed-high, just like those half-million-dollar cars we saw.

However, a rifle of this quality cannot be simply dismissed as a pricey gee-gaw.  It’s been created by a master gunsmith for Griffin & Howe, from the world’s best action (Mauser 98).  If your .30-30 lever gun is a Toyota, this rifle is a Bentley R1;  if your field shotgun is a Beretta, this is a Holland.

The comparison cannot be made just by logic.

Are there other guns that could do the job as well as this one?  Certainly.  Would those guns evoke the same feelings of pride and wonder when opening the case?  Not even close.

And by the way, I happen to love the venerable Savage .250-3000 cartridge for its outstanding speed, flat trajectory and devastating effect upon arrival.  Yeah, it’s spendy.

Don’t care, just as I don’t care about the fuel consumption of a 1956 Mercedes 300 SC.

Want.  Both.

If ever you’ve wanted to own a WWII-era battle rifle but were put off by the cost of the M1 Garand, the Russian SVT-40 and the German G.41 or G.43, allow me to suggest a decent alternative, the Belgian FN-49, as offered by Collectors in its “Egyptian” variant.

Why choose a gun that was obsolete almost as soon as it began production?

Let’s start off with the fact that it was designed by Dieudonné Saive, the man who refined the John Moses Browning High Power pistol.  He began work on the design just before Belgium was invaded in WWII by you-know-who, and only got to finish it in the late 1940s.  So you know the gun is going to work well.

Secondly, it uses stripper clips rather than a detachable magazine, which means that replacement / additional mag costs are zero because 8mm clips are cheap and readily available.

Thirdly, it shoots the manly 7.92x57mm (a.k.a. 8mm Mauser) cartridge.  (Those wanting less recoil should opt for the Venezuelan contract model, which shoots the 7x57mm cartridge.  I lost mine in the Great Canoeing Accident On The Brazos, but I can attest to its greatness.)

Finally, it is a joy to shoot:  smooth operation, reliable feeding (even when chambering the rimmed 7×57), manageable recoil and excellent accuracy.  (One caveat:  the older single-piece firing pin is prone to breaking, and when it does, you’ll get the occasional double-fire slamfire which is irritating not to mention dangerous.  When you buy yours, have the seller affirm that it’s been fitted with a two-piece firing pin.)

Yes, it’s a heavy gun, just like the Garand and G.41, but that’s why the recoil is bearable.

If you already own a Mauser K98 boltie (as every rifleman should), why then, you’ll have an adequate supply of ammo, won’t you?

And if you have rifles chambered in .30-06 Springfield, then you should get the “Belgian” contract FN-49, which are thus chambered. (If you want to read more about it, go here or here.)

Sheesh… as I write this, I can sense that I’m talking myself into wanting this lovely rifle.

You could do worse, a lot worse, than having the FN-49 as your SHTF rifle.