I am fairly new to the world of double rifles. Have always lusted after one, but couldn't afford them. A year or two I decided to break the bank and buy a nice plain Jeffrey double in .450. Now am planning for number two and three.

Over the years I have taken careful note of the discussions and in the very recent past a lot of people would rave and recommend good quality in good condition old English double rifles.

Some people would recommend buying a Merkel, Krieghoff, Searcy or Chapuis. Usually in terms of price. This is usually where the "wars" started as someone would rave about one maker but absolutely blast another maker.

Overtime I realised vested interests often played a part in these discussions. Some of the "players" were connected with one of the agency or 'touting' for them. I know this for a fact and know many commercial interests on the net like to market their products by stealth, ie never wanting their aliases associated with the products they sell.

In the last twelve months it seems the old English doubles have run past their use by dates as they now seem to get rubbished on almost every double rifle thread on every forum where they discussed. Hell I looked hard at my Jeffrey and couldn't find the "Use by 2003" tag on it anywhere so it must still be 'on face', still regulate, and still be as good as it has been for the last eighty years. Even more amazing some 'personalities' did sudden 'U-turns' and stopped advising people to find a nice checked-over English double - if you could afford it - and suddenly they were all next to crap and nothing but a ###### would satisfy!

I've actually handled two doubles in the last week. One a brand new Merkel 9.3mm and the other an old Webley .450 BPE. Both were reported to shoot well and regulating loads had been found for them. These owners must surely have been lucky! Regulate immediately, not blow up in their face, still not off-face (sarcasm intended).

To bring some realism into the debate lets all detail our own and personal doubles as a poll. Lets forget about secondary and third hand experience (ie a mate's or a mate of a mate or I heard it on the net), just what you personally have experienced. If YOU bought a lemon, sure it can happen to anyone, tell us about it.

Please detail:

the maker, appox manuacture date, calibre, new or pre-owned, condition when bought, did you have it checked over by a competent double rifle experienced gunsmith, any problems after, does it regulated OK.

Lets detail all the Purdeys, H&Hs, Westley Richards, A&Ns, Webleys, Jeffrey's, Merkels, Searcy's, Kreighoff's, Chapuis's, Rigbys etc - personal experience only.

Any commercial interests please declare these.

PS As an incentive I will throw in a copy of the Double Gun Journal magazine as a prize selected randomly from the participants who enter their double rifle details.