Cheers Waidmansheil.

She wasn't quite like that when she first came into my possession.

In 2006 I was staying with a friend who runs a shooting school/training establishment in the West County (UK) I had been given the privilege of a look at his personal collection of firearms (wow) and the next time I saw him I asked if he had any double rifles in his collection as at that point I had never seen one in the flesh and would be most interested to have a look.

We went into his armoury and in the corner stood a very shabby gunslip. In it was the rifle you see above. She was looking very neglected and grubby (which surprised me) with a broken trigger guard and a sheen of grime. My friend asked me if I wanted to buy it. I was even more surprised by this as I knew he never sold any of his collection. This rifle was not part of his collection (fortunately!). It transpired the former owner had emigrated to South Africa a number of years previously with a view to having the rifle shipped out to him. Unfortunately he died soon after arriving there. His sister handed to rifle in to the local police who were unsure of what to do with it so they lodged it with my friend for safe keeping where it had languished in the corner of his armoury for years.

After a few weeks haggling a price was agreed. (The executors of the deceased's estate authorised the sale with monies to be kept by my friend to defray the years of storage costs )

As previously mentioned I had an apprentice at Westley Richards fit the scope mounts. When re-fitting the front dovetail the top rib lifted. Not his fault. The area under the rib was extremely rusty. This was probably a blessing as it enabled the rust to be dealt with and rib relayed. The concern was, of course affecting the regulation. Care was taken with a clamp being made to hold the barrels in place. (The barrels had to be re-blacked, I had planned not to do this but it was done out of necessity and she looks all the better for it I think) As per previous she shoots magnificently and I had no need to have her re-regulated after the work had been done. http://forums.nitroexpress.com/images/icons/smirk.gif
(Scope is 4 x 32 Swaro Habicht)

Definately a keeper.