Holland & Holland .303 Hammer Double Rifle

[CptCurl]

My "Cpt" doesn't denote any service. It is a long story, not for now. It seems like I laid out the details some time back in a thread under the Lounge.

Curl

 

[Goblin]

The inletting in the stock looks like steel cut on CNC machinery. Unbelievable.

 

[tekarra]

A thing of beauty.

 

[A10]

Another beauty in your collection, congratulations! I have always been attracted to the large bore doubles, but I would have fallen over myself just for the opportunity to handle this one.

Oh, and I also admire your bravery, guts, and obvious skill. There is no way on Gods green earth I would have attempted to use a screwdriver to pull the locks on that work of art!

 

[Walter Rego]

Capt. Curl, have you considered submitting your photos and the details about the gun as an article for publication in The Double Gun Journal ? I would think there would be a lot of reader interest there too.

 

[ameridaddy]

Old immaculate steel married to perfectly fitted old wood - nothing better, IMHO.
Cpt., thanks for the virtual tour of a work of art! I'm afraid if the tour were actual, I'd drool on your treasure. Among the too many things to take in in just one tour, I noticed the builder aligned every screw slot on the best visual axis for its location. Wonderful!
Thanks again.

 

[Chase]

Thank you for handily defining "best gun."

Right there.

I shoot a Stephen Grant side lever shotgun with the same satisfaction in all aspects.

 

[SLT223]

That is unbelievable condition...for everything in the package. What a find. Have you had the lead on it for years and waited for it to become available, of was this acquisition a little more opportunistic?

 

[shouldazagged]

Oh my, my, my.

Your photography and descriptions of that lovely rifle are superb.

 

[CptCurl]

That is unbelievable condition...for everything in the package. What a find. Have you had the lead on it for years and waited for it to become available, of was this acquisition a little more opportunistic?

It was entirely opportunistic. I happened upon the advertisement while trolling the internet on the morning of May 14. After studying the pictures and description I knew I wanted the rifle. I got the seller on the phone that afternoon and negotiated a deal. I mailed him a check right after I got off the phone.

My wife and I were scheduled to fly to the Pacific northwest for 2 weeks' vacation the next day, May 15. I told the seller I would be in touch on my return to make arrangements to pick up the rifle. So I had two long weeks to wait, but the beauty of British Columbia and Alaska kept me amused.

We were back home May 31, and I called the seller. We set up a meeting in Hershey, PA the afternoon of June 1. It was then I first saw this treasure and brought it home.

Many people automatically think a British double rifle should be an elephant gun. There are lots of large caliber British double rifles, and I have a few. I do love the big rifles with their mystique of dangerous game. I've been to Africa, and I have seen these animals. However, the Brits made double rifles in the entire range of calibers from the .240 Flanged Magnum (.243 Winchester equivalent, but before its time) to the .600 Nitro Express. Some of the finest rifles I own fall in the middle range of calibers - those designed for red stag, roe deer, wild boar, and the antelope of Africa. These are the rifles best suited for North American game, which happens to be my normal hunt.

There is something special about a double rifle chambered in .303 British. It is so quintessentially British, and was a popular choice of British officers. I have four double rifles of this caliber and one single shot. A hunter taking the woods of America with a .303 is well equipped indeed.

Double rifles with external hammers are in a class all their own. Many people consider them out-dated, obsolete, and of no use. Those are the people who never have handled nor shot one. It is particularly satisfying to draw back those wonderful hammers and fire the rifle. That's not to say I dislike hammerless rifles. I love them also. In fact, many doubles in my collection are hammerless. They are wonderful guns too. But there is no denying the broad grin that comes across a person's face as those 100+ year old hammers are drawn back to full bent.

I am glad to share my passion with you. The positive response is gratifying. We are caretakers of these treasures of the past. My hands tingle when I hold this nearly 115 years old rifle. If I didn't get that rush I would do something else, like collect coins.

My morning sermon. . .

Curl

 

[Chase]

Well said.

 

[SLT223]

Thank you for entertaining my question. You have some very good "gun luck".

There is something special about a double rifle chambered in .303 British. It is so quintessentially British, and was a popular choice of British officers. I have four double rifles of this caliber and one single shot. A hunter taking the woods of America with a .303 is well equipped indeed.

I couldn't agree more. Perfectly stated.

We are caretakers of these treasures of the past. My hands tingle when I hold this nearly 115 years old rifle. If I didn't get that rush I would do something else, like collect coins.

It's the only activity I can think of that makes me feel like a much younger version of myself on Christmas morning

 

[Tom K]

My "Cpt" doesn't denote any service. It is a long story, not for now. It seems like I laid out the details some time back in a thread under the Lounge.

Curl

Found it.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/414846-explain-your-user-name-4.html#post138357310

 

[CptCurl]

Yep, that's it!

And there I stand with a nice hammer double rifle!

 

[Cooter Brown]

Captain, one more question--the gun came with spare firing pins in the trap door in the grip cap--did it come with a socket driver to facilitate field replacement of the pins? I see a handle in the case--is that a turnscrew or a, uh, "turnsocket"?

 

[CptCurl]

Yes, the rifle is equipped with an ebony handled offset socket driver that reaches around the hammers when cocked and turns the threaded collars that retain the firing pins. Here are a couple of poor photos of it.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Wonderful!

I find the cases and the tools, oil bottles, brushes etc. that come with best guns as interesting and fine as the guns themselves~

 

[CptCurl]

With every gun that's displayed on any forum, the question always is, "How does it shoot?"

I had a range session with this rifle yesterday. My old supply of IMR4895 ran out and was replaced with 16 lbs. from another lot. So I did the right thing and did a fine-tune adjustment of my pet load, using the new powder. I tried loads of 37.5 grains, 38.0 grains, and 38.5 grains.

With this new lot of powder I found that my best load is now 38.0 grains with a Fed 210 primer and the Woodleigh 215. My OAL is 3.063", which seats the base of this bullet right at the bottom of the neck.

It's a wonderful load, and my rifle loves it. My average velocity of 8 rounds yesterday clocked 2175 fps.

Here's a look at my target, with the chronograph printout:

Only seven shots are on the target. I am embarrassed to admit that as noted, my first shot out of the right barrel barely grazed one of the screens of my chronograph, causing it to fly wide of the target. It's velocity did register, though. I re-adjusted the chronograph screens!

My group measures approximately 1-5/8", and the two barrel groups indicate the barrels are shooting parallel. It's hard to see on this scan, but the three shots on the right are the right barrel group, and the four shots to the left are the left barrel group.

If you are wondering, the notation at the top of the chronograph tape, beside the load data, 3.270", has to do with my powder measure setting.

I also see, that as for these 8 shots (four from each barrel) the left barrel clocks slightly faster than the right. The right averages 2162, and the left 2189. This would have to be repeated many times to draw any conclusions.

Curl

 

[Fat Frank]

I am assuming that getting the overall grouping better centered on target would only involve moving the rear sights to the left a touch. Am I right?

I've had 4 or 5 old Winchester rifles chambered for .30 US (aka 30-40 Krag). It was a joy to work up some really good loads and quite accurate in one particular favorite ca.1898 Model-1895. I reckon the .303 is very similar.

BTW, that is truly a beauty! Thanks for sharing.

 

[CptCurl]

The sight could be drifted a bit, but I see no need. These are open express sights. It is easy to experience some lateral shifting based on nothing more than how the light falls on the sights. I am sighting on a bullseye measuring 3-3/4". At 50 yards my front bead is slightly larger than this bullseye.

For my sight picture I have the front bead all the way down in the "V" notch of the rear sight, with the bullseye on top of the front bead. The bullseye and front sight bead make a pattern like an "8", all snuggled down in the bottom of the rear sight "V".