description

William Evans .450/.400 3 ¼” NE Club Head Top Snap Hammerless High Velocity Double Rifle completed in 1925 and sold to Commander A. Maitland Dougall and delivered just before he was to sale for East India Station by January 19.

Based on a Webley Long Bar action with screw-grip top lever with two triggers, automatic safety, and disk-set strikers. Action is house engraved in a small English scroll and the Maker’s name engraved on the action. The guard bow extends to the solid steel grip cap.

The 26” saddle lump steel barrels have a hand filed quarter rib with 1 standing/2 folding spring-leaves that are platinum lined and engraved for their respective distances (200, 300 yds). Fitted with W. Evans patented Turnover Sight (Pat. No. 28106), a very cool and unique combination foresight. Top of the barrels are engraved: “.450/.400 Express 3 ¼" Case” and “William Evans” and “60 Grs. Cordite, 400grn. SNSP Bullet” and “65 Pall Mall, St. James, London”

The original stock has a 14 9/16” LOP over its original rubber recoil pad with a full pistol grip. The splinter forend has a screw grip forend latch and both the forend and wrist are checkered in a point pattern. Original sling swivels on the toe line of the stock and a pedestal on the bottom rib of the barrels. The stock oval has the original owner’s family crest, as noted in the original ledgers.

Rifle retains traces of original colors on the action body and much of the original black on the furniture. Original barrels have been re-blacked. Bores show a fair amount of pitting, but rifle remains serviceable and still accurate inside 100 yards. Barrels are on face and both triggers are well regulated. Stock is crack and repair free and overall, this is a nice old rifle with a lot of use left in it.

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