Define "Holy Grail" please? As a collector's item? As a rifle to be carried and used? As something that is the best available double?

I guess the answer would be that the only higher priced doubles, assuming all other factors are equal (H&H will bring more than an Army/Navy, and a Purdey more than a H&H, condition the same, cased or not, etc) are the 600 or 700 NE and they are even fewer of the former and the latter appeals to a different type of collector. As a rifle to use? I don't own one -- 500NE as big as I go -- but a 577 is about as heavy as I would care to tote around, and I am told that the lighter 577s that are out there are a complete beast to shoot. Since I put 6 rounds through a friend's normal weight 577, I can understand that this load is about all you would want to shoot and a 600 or 700 would be too heavy and too much push on the flat end for most tastes.

If I was looking for a big double purely to collect and shot from time to time, I think I'd stick with a 470 or a 500 in the best possible condition and a 'best gun' if possible. Since the cost of a 577 fitting the same criteria might be double that of a 470 or a 500, I think I'd let someone else grab the Grail in my place. Dave