Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Kind of have an itch

Been thinking about a .375 Winchester double rifle for decades. A guy could build himself some shotshells using the .375 case for up close grouse work, and have a pretty fine woods shotgun/rifle combo. For my purpose, I'd want it to carry more like a featherweight SxS shotgun than a 12 pound behometh.

What are the odds all the stars would align and it could happen? Could a SxS shotgun serve as a donor action? Pressures for the 375 Winchester would perhaps overwhelm the shotguns receiver rating?

Just a thought to consider or not - how about 9.3x74R? The rifles are "ready rolled" and available off the shelf. A friend has a Verney Carron 9.3x74R over/under - it's light and handles really well, for a super fast second shot. Price was quite good, about $4k AUD IIRC. Regulation was good - can start becoming a problem if you start looking at lower cost off the shelf alternatives.

I did see someone using a converted double barrel shotgun (SxS) at one of our events a few years ago. Don't know what cartridge it fired. I'll have to look for the photo I've got of it and post it (give me a day or two).

There are a couple gunsmiths building double rifles on shotgun frames. I don't have a link. There is also a book out there somewhere on the subject.

Building double rifles on shotgun actions has a lot of variables. Some are far stronger then others. More strength can come for a stronger design or in some cases, very high grade steel and in a few cases, from both. Also the caliber is important. Power can be available by volume instead of pressure, which is why a cartridge like a 9.3X74R if often preferred over many more "modern shells. A 348 Winchester of in your case a 375 Winchester are not wimpy, but are a lot easier in a break-action system then say a 308 Winchester or a 7MM Mag, and I doubt anyone can't see that a 9.3X74R has more power available despite the lower pressure. So pressure and the pressure curve of a given shell can be more important them simple power.

Anyway there is no easy answer to your question. It depends of what shotgun you start with, and in the case of some actions, their heat treatment was all over the pace in the days they were made simply because having it strong enough for a shot gun shell was the only goal. Having it 3X stronger or 5X stronger, or .5% stronger then it needed to be was enough in every case and none of them were considered to be used for a rifle, so you may get a shotgun that is excellent for a build and then go get another one of the same make and model and find it's too soft for the same exact build you did last year. Some of the guns were held to specific standards in their metal processes and alloys (many of the Japanese guns were ) where others were made "strong enough for any shotshell" and nothing else was considered (Spanish guns often fall into this category)

There is no pat answer for the simple question. Overview ....... Yes is possible and can be done very well, but you must start with a solid and strong action.

i too have always wanted a doubles rifle but i want a 375 H&H .

No, what you really want is English version of 9,3x74R which is called .375 Rimmed Nitro Express Holland.

I would look for .405 Winchester double. Belgian ones from respectable makers show up now and then eg Raick Freres, Le Forgeron,......

Here's the photos I have - not very good and didn't speak with the owner. All I know is that it's 45/70 and shoots alright.

Doubles in 9.3x74R are available off the shelf, rather than trying to build something. They need not even be all that expensive. I had a Baikal O/U for example, which actually proved very reliable and handled and shot well. I shot a good number of critters with it including several truckloads of our buffalo. Baikal also made a .45/70 SxS - which I think might be what mauserand9mm pictured.

Alternatively, if you want something which can do for deer as well as grouse and whatever, why not just get a combination? Something like 7x57R/12 ga does a fine job, for example, and there are any number of options available in this or similar combinations of rifle calibre and shotgun gauge. Before I bought my drilling I had a Brno ZH300 series in that combination, with a second set of 12/12 barrels. It worked very well, giving an instant choice of rifle or shotgun barrel when in combination form due to having dual triggers. I shot everything from rabbits to birds to deer and pigs with it. It wasn't perhaps as light as it could have been , but was very stout.

There are others too - though I'd recommend steering clear of those which have a single trigger and require you to manually select each barrel, especially those with an external hammer. I've tried a couple of such guns, and you give away an awful lot of the versatility.

They do make one heck of a nice travel rig, ready for just about anything

Thanks for the thoughts fellas. Some good information here, and I thank you for taking the time to spell it out for me.

I've just got a real soft spot for the 375 Winchester. Been shooting them in lever actions for 30 + years.

Valmet made a few 375 Win barrels for the 412/512 series guns. I had a set back when I was big into the Valmets. I also had a set of 300 H&H FM barrels (not factory chambered).

Possibly the most un-appealing gun I've ever seen.

Yes, rough as guts - I had to shield my Merkel as I walked past it. The owner didn't have all his teeth and his Blue Heeler was missing an eye. I won't even go on to describe what his Hilux looked like.

It did shoot okay though. I'd like to think that it was an unfinished project, but I'll bet it's still the same today. Some people know no shame

Yeah, not my cup of tea but I didn't know that tidbit.

I had one made by a gunsmith many tears ago We used a Greener sxs for the strong action and he recommended not to exceed 45-90 which is what we did

I have a Merkel B3 over/under 9.3x74r that I would sell if anyone is interested.

What kind of a receiver was it? I heard that the 12 gauge receivers don't hold up well because of the off-center pressure and that a 20 gauge or - even better - a 28 gauge would be better suited to a rifle conversion.

Butch Searcy made a few double rifles on Browning BSS receivers early in his development of his big game doubles. He heat treated them and added a dolls head.

Fireball2,
Here is what you need to read on the subject of making a DR on a shotgun frame. It is known as "the book" on the subject and was written by a gunsmith/gunmaker in Colorado. It is also an interesting and informative read.

Building Double Rifles on Shotgun Actions
by W. Ellis Brown

Buy it from Bunduki Publishing --- www.BundukiPublishing.com

Enjoy