broken grips

[Richard Flanders]

Here's a question for those who know more than I, which includes quite a crowd. I was just sitting here wondering of the possibility of having a set of barrels made for a Parker that would make it a .405 Winchester double rifle. A 28ga frame would be big enough, but recoil might be too much for the wood. Totally aside from that, the question came to mind of which grip style is more likely to split from recoil, straight or pistol? Anyone have any mental numbers on that question? And don't worry about a double rifle conversion from me; it will never happen.

[OH Osthaus]

i would expect the grip design would not be a contributing factor

the layout of the grain

the presence or lack of oil soaking

and any previous abuse that might go unnoticed

I would avoid any narrow wrist or smaller frames

I'd have the stock examined and reinforced - a staple added and some bedding

[edgarspencer]

I think you would find a straight stocked double rifle a bit awkward. I think an 0 frame would handle the recoil of a .405 with ease, especially if you're handloading. My dad had a 00 framed 28 that started life as a VH, and was beautifully engraved by John Warren, with a second set of barrels made by Joe Jurjevic, in 38-55. It was made for Ed Spicer, who was known for commissioning some awesome projects. Dad traded it back to Gary Herman for something a bit more traditional, and Gary sawed the pistol grip off and made it a straight stock. He admitted afterward he hadn't thought it through, and as a rifle, it was very unattractive.
I've had a couple .405WCF doubles, one a German box lock, and it wasn't beefed up. Kynoch loaded .405 but they were too hot for a '95 Winchester.

[Richard Flanders]

I think you're right on the 00 frame Edgar. Smaller than that would seem to be a tad small. The broken grip questions was just rhetorical and wasn't intended for the rifle conversion; If I were to ever do that, which is not in the cards, I'd do a pistol grip. I think a .405 dbl rifle would be a nice gun and plenty for anything I'd ever hunt. A friend here who converted a Winchester High Wall to .405Win took one of the biggest moose every taken in Interior Alaska with it a few years back. It made it into the Pope and Young list.

[Dean Romig]

I've always toyed with the idea of shooting .50 cal copper clad muzzle loader slugs in my 28 ga. Repro. One day I'll try it..... then I'll work on regulating it. Probably a bad dream but it intrigues me.

I've shot Remington slugs through a set of 20 gauge Titanic barrels. At 20 yards the POI was absolutely pitiful.





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[B. Dudley]

I think an 0 frame is the smallest frame you woukd want to use for a double rifle on a parker frame. The spacing of the firing pins on the 00 frame makes for the bores being pretty close together. So your thinnest point in the breech walls would be inbetween the tubes. It may be ok from a realistic standpoint. But i woukd think a little more heaft in the breech is not a bad thing.

Also, the single bolting would concern many double rifle builders as well. Again, i do not think that it realistically would be a problem.

[C.O.B.]

Pope & Young records with a 405??? Isn't P&Y archery?
Grip design would be a PG for several reasons such as strength and handling. I have never seen a double rifle in anything else.
Steve Barnett has a Ruger #1 listed in 405 Win intriguing but I have a #1 in 450/400 NE. I'm hoping to take it to Montana on a Bison hunt in the fall.

[Richard Flanders]

Couldn't tell you Rich. Could be it's P&Y class. I don't remember him saying it was B&C. It's certainly the second biggest moose I've seen here, the first being an 83" monster with 34 points sitting in the Nome airport in 1983. I think that one was the world record until someone took a larger one in the Innoko some years later.

[Big D]

A friend of mine shot a 71" moose with some of my .338 Handloads. His description of the moose raising his head out of the willows was "It looked like two sheets of plywood". I've seen the mount, and cannot imagine what 83" would look like

[OLD GEEZER]

I talked to a gentleman yesterday that said he had a Parker double rifle in 45/70. I said I would like to see it so he came back today with a VH O frame pistol grip in well used condition.I have no idea or did he who did the conversion and the only thing I noticed was the dolls head seamed a tad shy. I would love to have it. I also talked to a fellow who had a 28 Ga with cut off barrels that he got in a Pawn shop. Thomas