500, I don't think the double rifle's popularity is a fad, now, anymore than it was 100 yrs ago! True, it has had periods of being only a curiosity in some collection. That fact however was not because the double rifle wasn't a viable hunting rifle, but that the componants needed to shoot it were not available! The lack of ammo was due to a ruined ecconomy of the largest segment of buyers of doubles,the English, by two wars, causeing a loss of interest in hunting Africa.

Always when ammo was available, these rifles were sought after by those who hunt dangerous game. The old doubles that are in the field today did not just appear, but were here all along. If they had been a fad, they would have been bored out to make shotguns from them when the ammo became unavailable. Once the ammo, and componants became available, these old hunters came out of those gun safes, and went back into the hunting fields.

The disbanding of MAST IND is bad news, and will be a drag on the double rifle market if someone else doesn't use the equipment to keep the old NEs shooting. The NEW double manufacturers will simply start makeing their rifles in more available chamberings, but that bodes ill for the old NE doubles. FAD, it isn't, but many things that are not simply fad, are suddenly discontinued at the whim of the bean counters of the world, and replaced by things that are not equal, but cheaper to make. Even if all use is lost for these fine hunting rifles, they will not disapear simply because, the fact is, they are NOT A FAD , and never were! The double rifle is the only firearm in the world, that was designed for only one purpose, and that is hunting game animals! All others were origenally designed for fighting wars, or target shooting, and were simply addapted to hunting.