Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only My First Double Rifle Came From Santa This Year

Having shot Parker guns most of my life, I am no stranger to double guns, but became intrigued with the idea of a .405 WCF double rifle to be company for my 1895 TD .405. I looked far and wide for such a rifle without success until finally, I learned that a kindly gun maker had made one for himself, but was so busy making guns that he had no time to hunt. He understood my plight and provided Santa with one for me by this Christmas. The complete cased kit was in my Christmas day post and generating many requests for more details

Simson &Co. Suhl .405 WCF Double Rifle


The rifle is based upon an engraved 12 gauge Simson shotgun with a scalloped boxlock action with a Greener cross bolt, tang safety, side clips and cocking indicators.
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The 24 inch McGowan barrels with sling swivel stud have a rear express sight with one standing leaf and two folding leaves, an orange fiber optic bead front sight, extractors, and claw scope mounts integral to the rib. The kit includes a Leupold Variable 1x4 scope sight with quick detach Talley rings.


The stunning Claro walnut stock with right side palm swell, left side cheek piece and classic splinter forend really set off
the piece. The stock is fitted with a steel grip cap, sling swivel stud, and a Kick Eze recoil pad.

A few more specifications of interest include weight of 10 pounds with balance at the action, overall length of 40 inches, LOP of 14.25 inches, triggers pull at 4.1 pounds, and minimal drop at the comb. I must be living right because it fits like it was made for me!
The rifle was proofed with 400 grain bullets loaded with the 300 grain service load. It was regulated with 300 grain Hornady JSP bullets at 2100 FPS and this information is stamped into the barrel flats.
I plan to shoot the rifle as soon as the monsoon stops and the ranges dry out and will report back on that. A January hog hunt will be my first chance to take game with it.

Wow! What a nice rifle to own. Once you get it broke in, you need to give us some ballistics data on your loads.

It seems like it could be a one-of-a-kind (er. two-of-a-kind) cape buffalo gun.

BH63

Congratulations on such a wonderful Christmas gift. Best wishes to you for a great New Year.

Beautiful!

Update with 2 new pix:
Scope on rifle:


Nicely crowned muzzles:

Way cool!

Will be very interested in your shooting results.

Wow!

Geno

From one Parker fan to another well done.

Yeah, unfortunately I don't see that working out for you. I hate to see someone have to hunt with something like that.

Let me shoot you an address to get rid of that ugly thing.

I know that piece is as lovely on the inside as the outside. Just looking at the wood, that's saying a lot.

Happy new year.

Thanks all for the kind comments.
BHG63 - My thoughts exactly!
Mule Deer - I am still breaking in the barrels and shot 12 rounds last Sunday afternoon. Here is the picture of the first shot at 50 yards from the right barrel from a bench rest and using Hornady 300 grain ammo at 2225 fps:



I am still getting used to the express sights and hope to do better when it is broken in.

Then I can work on hand loads.

That is nice, very nice. it would be nicer if we could get a traditional double of a mid level quality at a mide level price, say under 3k. UNDER.

I know if can be done, there was a Browning that fit that bill for a while, but it was mostly or all calibers more suited to a bolt rifle.

I guess the big bore double is too small a market. Sebatti did this for about a year, until they split out ALL the desirable calibers for a 5k price and kept a few 9mm or 45/70 at the mid level. Same gun just in-your-face price for any desirable nitro/traditional caliber.

Then I see that even with RCBS loading dies. Any thing with an NE suffix is 4x the price or a comparable non-NE caliber even if very very similar in case design.

Nice gun and better to have than waiting for the under world to freeze over an never having.

Very nice indeed. Congratulations. Good work in finding that under the tree.

If that was the first shot, then it is crossed from right barrel to left side of target at 50 yards. And it is high!
Or you wobbled.
We can't tell until you do some more shooting, of both barrels.
Iron sights first and then the scope.
Could it be that the regulation load works better with the scope than the open express sights?
But I am concerned that you said it was fitted for "claw mounts" but you are using Talley rings. Was that merely an exuberant misspeak at the unveiling?

Simson & Co of Suhl, Germany: The "golden years" would be 1856 to 1936, until the Simson family fled Hitler. Then the maker's name held on in various guises through the hot war and the cold war until ceasing manufacture in 2002. I sure don't know the ins and outs of all that.
Is this a conversion of one of those "golden years" shotguns?
Used McGowen barrels instead of "Krupp Stahl" you say?
I do like McGowen barrels.
Your double rifle looks like a work of fine art.
Cheers

RK,
In order;
1. We could discuss that first shot over coffee, Irish, cigars,etc for at least an hour, but with all the mitigating factors, I am delighted to even be in the bullseye!
2. Yes, on the sighting-in sequence and that is next now the barrel break-in is complete.
3. Thank you for the review of the Simson gun history. I would like to know the year of manufacture; can you suggest a Simson gun serial number database to query?
4. The action is as tight now as my Parker reproductions were when new, so it appears to be well made and long lasting.

RK also asked-
"But I am concerned that you said it was fitted for "claw mounts" but you are using Talley rings. Was that merely an exuberant misspeak at the unveiling??

Ignorance on my part.

Nice rifle! If the builder cut off the original shot tubes ahead of the flats for a monobloc, and the factory stampings were preserved, you should be able to date your gun. Maybe post a photo of the flats?

Jeff

RK and Jeff,
Thanks to you both for motivating me to learn the year of manufacture of the Simson shotgun action. Per this link to European proof marks,
http://www.hallowellco.com/proof_date_codes.htm

"Suhl, Germany: Month and year, 3 or 4 numerals as required, with forward slash between month and year from 1921 until 1930s, as: 5/24 for May 1924. Afterwards without slash, as: 1163 for November 1963."

So, the proof date was either 2/70 or 12/70, as the first character position has been over stamped with a "4".

When used to make the .405 rifle, the characters ".405" were stamped onto the barrel flats and as luck would have it, obscured the first numeral of the proof date. On one side all but the /70 was obscured, but on the other, 2/70 is clearly visible.

cr,

Check for some additional stampings. I suspect that the 12/70 you see is to identify the original shot chambers. i.e. 12 gauge 70mm(what we call 2-3/4" in the USA).

Jeff

Yes, 12/70 is the CIP-compliant marking of a shotgun of "Cal. 12" as they say, or "12 gauge" as we say, that has a brass case or unfolded paper/plastic case length of 69.80 -2.50mm length, and chamber length of 69.90 + 2.00mm, i.e. "70mm" about 2-3/4" as we say.

The Hallowell note says if the year was 70, there would be no slash between the month and year numerals.

Builder stamped ".405" over the "12/70" which makes sense.

I am of no help with serial numbers for year of manufacture. That would take some research ... interesting ... I'll post here if I find anything.

That is really a neat find! I'm green.

Gents,
You 12 ga = 12/70 argument makes so much sense, that I have included pictures of the barrel flats for your perusal:




Now, the hunt is on to find the proof date information!
And after some work with a good light and magnifying glass, here it is:

The number "159" stamped in fine numerals can be seen just above the last zero of "2100 FPS" and is vertical to the horizontal 2100 FPS. This number is under the right barrel flat and is the only such number that I found. Therefore, the proof date must be January 1959.
Please advise if my exuberance has again misled me.

That is one SPECIAL double... I'm a .405 guy and have only seen three for sale in person and none of this quality let alone have the option of a scope...

Great for you...Bob

Pretty certain that you now have the correct date. Jan 1959.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. The builder of the gun agrees also.

RJM - I saw two Belgian made .405 doubles at the Wannamacher Gun show in Tulsa several years ago, but by the time I went back to make and offer, both were sold! They mere made on smaller actions and were very slim and beautiful, but I bet they kicked like Heck. My 10 pounder kicks less than my .308 and is a blast to shoot.

That's a real beauty!

Slow the velocity down a little, or use a slightly heavier bullet, and you'll get the right barrel shooting more to the right and a little higher.

The two first I saw were unmarked Belgium made guns that had English style straight stocks and handled like a 20 ga. double gun...as you said...I bet they kicked... They were in an auction house in Farmeington, NH probably 10 years ago...both were under $10K. The third was at the Allenstown, Pa. Gun Show about three years ago. It was a beautiful cased gun much heavier than the other two...no scope that I remember....never asked the price as I really didn't want to know...all I knew is that it was too much.

Bob

I'm still looking for the perfect double rifle. It will probably be a BPE gun preferably with hammers. There is an Issac Hollis .500 BPE with hammers and a Jones underlever but I can't bring myself to spend $12K+ for it.

luv2 safari,
I slowed the velocity down to 2100 fps and things are much better. Only a couple inches out of the bulls eys at 100 yards now and will continue to fine tune the loads until all is perfect. Plenty good now for hunting hogs and will be doing that next Saturday.
With luck, I will soon have pix of actual game taken rather than just holes in paper targets!