I will like to get a few things straight about my friend Marc Pechenart.
In fact, Marc hasn't used much the .500-465 double rifle; his favorite weapon was an H&H Royal, caliber 475 No2.
I have got many of his rifles in my hands, and especially this famous .475 No2 for which he later had a second forend semi beavertail forend made by H&H. This forend was shaped beavertail to allow the rifle to be better controlled with wet hands when he was hunting elephants in the wet season in forests.
Notice that many French and Belgian who hunted in Central and West Africa, mainly in forest, favored the 475No2 cartridge.
He autographed a picture for me of his elephant record shot with this same double rifle. It reads: "January 79 - Khartoum - CAR 61 & 63 Kg - .475 No2 Holland & Holland - Spinal solid bullet. For my friend Joel Dorleac - Marc Pechenart".
He owned other H&H Royal double rifles, but didn't show much interest for these guns except for a Super 30 that he especially liked and that I saw him use regularly for driven hunts at Vauguion.
He was more a hunter than a collector
By the end of his life and for his latest safaris, especially in Mozambique if my memory is not failing me, his double rifles were set up with Swarovski or Zeiss scopes. The installation had been done by H&H in Paris, then under supervision of Pierre Bernstein. It seems that for easiness and not to alter the open sights plane, a pivoting Eramatic system was preferred.
For having had a long friendly relationship as well as long conversations with him, I always heard him state that, for him, in Africa, only two calibers were worth it: .475 No2 for double rifles and .300 H&H Magnum Rimless for rifles. We built his last rifle before he passed away in this last caliber (.300 H&H Magnum Rimless Best Quality Mauser SN MP-967).
Here you will find a photo of the 79' Khartoum big tusker: http://www.dorleac-dorleac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hunting-Gallery-021.jpg
And on this one, taken at Vauguion circa 2002, the great man is sitting among his best trophies, holding one of his DR: http://www.dorleac-dorleac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hunting-Gallery-40.jpg

Best to all.

DORLEAC

www.dorleac-dorleac.com