doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Auction Alert: a Dickson RA Double Rifle...

This is the first Dickson round action DR that I've seen:

http://www.dogsanddoubles.com/2012/10/auction-alert-a-john-dickson-round-action-double-rifle/

Has anyone else ever seen a Dickson Round Action double rifle?

Thanks

OWD

Wasn't there an issue with a Dickson DR cracking in the action or blowing up in the hands on some late-XIX c. Brit African hunter/gun writer? I seem to remember reading something like that, but can't remember exactly - would've explained why there aren't very many of them...

OWD, thanks for highlighting this particular Dickson.

The Dickson Round-action double rifles are indeed very scarce. Of the very few made they were all large, the Dickson records show most calibres of .450 or .577 with a few in .303 and .400/.360. These sizes being popular with the Red Deer population.

I have only seen 5 examples of round-action DR's and the records indicate less than 20 were made.

Going off tomorrow. Don't miss it...

OWD

David McKay Brown also make some stunning round action double rifles.

http://www.mckaybrown.com/www.mckaybrown.com/The_Round_Action_Rifle.html

Did anyone attend the auction today? I was sorely tempted, but I have a once in a lifetime situation coming up and I need all my money and more. The Woodward Automatic shotgun would have been my worst enemy, even though it appears that it may be a restock. It just looks too good. The double rifles and rooks would have been more than I could stand to watch at a small town auction.

Sold for $23,700 plus 18%.

Dang! Any idea how the Grants and the Purdey DRs did?

Thanks for posting the info.

OWD

HD, that was a muzzleloader by John Dickson, yep they've been around a long time, that due to use and extreme abuse blew up. He doesn't really explain how but it may have been double or even triple charged.

That is an excellent book about early dangerous game hunting in 1850's Africa and it is available on Amazon.

treblig - thanks, now I remember where I read it, in a collection o early ivory hunters' memoirs: Oswald, Baker, etc., can't remember which, but it doesn't matter.

However, without any relation to Dickson - don't accidents like that have the potential of ruining the maker's reputation in a particular marke niche?

Good point HD!!! However, it also points out the fact that firms such as John Dickson & Sons and James Purdey & Sons, Westley Richards have been building dangerous game guns to go to Africa for a heck of long time. Probably the main reason that most of your African PH's prefer to have in their hands an English built gun above all others!!!

That's something that many advertising experts, e.g. David Ogilvy, long pointed out: if the customers are certain that product A is good enough, but aren't certain about product B, which might be better or might be worse, they'll pick product A 9 out of 10.

I can only imagine how brutal Africa is on firearms today let alone in the 1850�s especially considering black powder loads and fulminate priming. Testing a product for performance is one thing but testing a product that has to perform in order to save one�s life is a completely if an all together different world. However, that world, the English gunmakers have been living in for a very long time.

The realized prices are on the Pook website. A Woodward Automatic for six grand!

Yes it sold for $23,700, but that figure includes the buyer's premium of 18.5%. The bid was $20,000.

I was interested but unable to attend the auction on short notice. To bid at that level I would have had to personally inspect this rifle. I was on the phone to bid and heard it go off.

Curl

Capt. Curl, did something go wrong with your phone? Did you make the successful bid for the Woodward Automatic? You can email me if you don't feel comfortable posting your answer here. Your friend, Murphy.

In that same auction there was a Purdey rifle that should have been researched more by the auction company. Here is the description of it: "Lot 342 <previous next>
Estimated: $3000 - $5000
Realized Price: $5925

Cased J. Purdey side by side under lever double-barrel Express rifle, .450 cal., London and black powder proof damascus barrels, marked J.P. Purdey 314 � Oxford St. London, with a two-leaf 250 yard express sight, scroll engraved side locks with a hammer safety and a silver escutcheon at the wrist, serial #4610, 29" barrels. (comes with 2 forends)

I looked the serial number up in "the Early Purdeys" and found out that it was originally built by Purdey as a muzzleloading shotgun with an extra set of rifle barrels. It was evidently converted at sometime to a breechloader and was made into a .450 BPE rifle. That also explains why the 2 forends. I was going to bid on it until I found out what had been done to it.

BUYER BEWARE ON THIS ONE!

Bill,

No I didn't bid on the Woodward. I did have a successful bid on a double rifle. Not ready to say which. It wasn't the Dickson, as I said earlier. Now, I want you to identify what you think to be the best double rifle offered, and I'll tell you if it is the one I bought. Identify the one you think in the best original condition.

I'm being coy because there's no telling what the cat dragged home. I don't like the risk of auctions. However, I think I may have bought a sleeper. Of course, you will learn the truth in the long run. But I would like your opinion on which DR was the best (given the shitty photos).

Curl