Evans 400/360 Nitro Express for Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, 1926

Source: Champlins
EVANS 400/360 NITRO EXPRESS - INCREDIBLE 98% CONDITION - 1926

for EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE of ETHIOPIA - BORES are NEW - 99% ORIGINAL CASE COLORS - Webley Action - 90% Engraving - 99% Original Barrel Blue - The Wood is 97% - 14 15/16" LOP - A Super Piece From a Great Era

Style: Caliber: Price:
Double Rifle 400/360 2 3/4" N. E.
$27,750.00

#14350, William Evans, 63 Pall Mall, St. James's, London: A William Evans 400/360 2 3/4" Nitro Express Deluxe Grade Made in 1926 for Emperor H.I.M. Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, the Lion of Judah; Incredible gun that is totally Original and almost Appears like the day it walked out of Evans, Webley Long Bar Action with 26" Ejector Chopper Lump Barrels with a dolls head third bite, 1/4 rib & 1 standing & 2 folding; Night sight with a fine bead forward, Proved at 40 Cordite with a 300 grain bullet, Bushed strikers, Cheekpiece, It will work for the right or left hand, Sling eyes, 14 15/16" LOP over a 3/4" Silvers pad, The proper and correct 400/360 weight of 9 lbs. 7 oz., 90% coverage of Evans scroll engraving, Very nice wood with nice color & contrast that remains as solid and stout as it was 88 years ago with a lifetime of use left in both the butt and forend. The barrels retain absolute 99% original blue, Absolute original case colors at 99%, Totally original stock finish at 97% with handling marks only, The original checkering is 99%, The bores are absolutely brand new, The striker bushings are 88 years new, The inside of the forend has 100% vivid case colors. This is great stuff from the Golden Era of English guns and it was built on the best boxlock action body that ever came out of that country. Here is a fun cartridge that shoots the very available 9.3 bullets in .366" or .367" diameter. As many of you know, I have seen my fair share of vintage British express double rifles but not many come this clean, this original and with bores like new. The Second World War and the aftermath altered the intended use of many guns and this piece remains to this day like a new rifle. It not only looks great it performs, 1 1/2" 4 shot groups with 286 grain Woodleigh's. This is about as good as it gets, golden era 1926 gun, totally original, outstanding condition, Webley action, chopper lump ejector barrels, great fun cartridge plus it was made for the Lion of Judah.

H.I.M. Haile Selassie was the heir to a dynasty that traced its origins by tradition from King Solomon and Queen Makeda, the Queen of Sheba. Selassie ruled Ethiopia for thirty years until his overthrow in 1974. He had at least 30 Lions (national animal of Ethiopia) roaming the palace grounds during his reign. I had the pleasure of viewing the
descendants of his lions in Addis Ababa in the late 1980's and DNA evidence has it that the Addis Ababa lion in Ethiopia is genetically unique.

Mr. William Evans worked at both Purdey and Holland & Holland and started at 91a Buckingham Palace Road in 1883 and the firm was Gunmakers to H. R. H. Duke of Connaught. On February 23rd, 1944, just before 10:45pm, a wartime bomb killing 8 civilians and wounding more than 50 others hit Pall Mall. The company's premises at No 63 were badly damaged and, as a result, the company was forced to move around the corner to 67A St. James's Street where it has remained ever since and still operates to this day as one of the U K’s few remaining independent gunmakers. Check there great offerings at www.williamevans.com.