World’s Most Expensive Rifles

[Grumpy]

Hey Vikram, now tell the guys about the poor H&W colour case hardening ..................
( Vikram recently had an unpleasant surprise regarding his idols.................... )
Be careful with the falling blocks - who makes the `best` System Hagn designs ? Couldn`t be Martin Hagn ( of Martini & Hagn ) himself by any chance ?

[Vikram]

Hey Vikram, now tell the guys about the poor H&W colour case hardening ..................
( Vikram recently had an unpleasant surprise regarding his idols.................... )
Be careful with the falling blocks - who makes the `best` System Hagn designs ? Couldn`t be Martin Hagn ( of Martini & Hagn ) himself by any chance ?

Aaah, Herr Grumpus creating Maximus Rumpus.

I recently was shown an example of a very patchy case colouring on one of the H&W rifles posted.It almost broke my heart.One consolation is that the rifle could have been bought second hand and was not a factory mess up.

It was based on a Martini-Hagn action,John.

Best-
Vikram

[winnie_the_pooh]

Grumpy,

In my limited experience,two of the best shotguns that I have handled were not English.I will not take names lest I be lynched for hearsay.I will only say this that one was French and the other Italian and neither of them are very popular makes in India.Probably fit me better.They were well made and they were not new guns.

[Grumpy]

Er....what has shotgun handling got to do with `The Worlds Most Expensive Rifles` ?
I wouldn`t argue about some French and Italian guns handling well - the French Darne sliding action was renowned as one of the best handling guns around - THE best handling guns in some peoples opinion. The Italians make some very nice guns......some of which make London guns look inexpensive !
Vikram, the H&W rifle you brought to my attention is NOT a System Hagn falling block - it`s a M98. There are a few poorly coloured H&W guns on their website....including a shotgun that looks particularly awful. Most of their rifles are - and look - beautiful however.
H&Ws System Hagn rifles use an action that they build themselves under licence - as I understand the situation anyway - which isn`t of the current generation designed by Martin Hagn and built by Martini & Hagn.

[winnie_the_pooh]

Er....what has shotgun handling got to do with `The Worlds Most Expensive Rifles` ?

Just an obtuse way of saying that sometimes who made it and where it is made, can be misleading in judging the quality of the product.

[Grumpy]

Can`t argue with that Winnie. It`s something that Vikram and I have discussed extensively - we`ve found several superb French, German and Austrian ( and even Italian lol ) guns that are beautifully built and finished yet aren`t considered `names`.
They don`t qualify for the designation the `Worlds Most Expensive Rifles` though.

Is it just me or do others agree that the `worlds most expensive rifles` is an irrelevent title when they have thirty diamonds affixed to them ? You could stick the Koh i noor onto a bog standard IOF .315 and it would then be the `worlds most expensive rifle`......... the quality and finish would still be the same though.
There are gold filled and jewel encrusted rifles being built all the time for rich Arabs and I`m sure that some have cost well over a million quid. Doesn`t make them the `best` however - just the most expensive ( and gaudy. )

[winnie_the_pooh]

The fetish of the Maharaja's is now evident in the Arab world.After all,when you have money to burn there is only so much that you can spend on wood and steel.

When you move suddenly from the camel to the Rolls Royce,this is what happens.Though off, course the camel may be a bit more alluring in the eyes of some in the land of veils and segregation of sexes



With a bit more ooomph in it

[shooter]

welcome biggamehunter. please introduce yourself in the intro page. im sure people wud like to know more about you

well said grumps. to tell u the truth i didnt like the rifles here and had even put a post saying so but then didnt press the submit button seeing the "beautiful gun" type responses here. sort of 'emperors new clothes' syndrome.

[Grumpy]

That is one gorgeous camel !
Well I expect so anyway - I don`t know a lot about camels.........

Hiya Shooter - how are you doing ? Well I hope.

Yeah - the Emperors new clothes.....but in reverse. All tarted up and wearing baubles, bangles and beads.
Good wood ? Yes. Nice engraving ? Yes also. I can even tolerate a little gold fill.....but only a little. Masses of gold and diamond encrustation does nothing for me......looks vulgar and detracts from the gun itself - in my opinion anyway.
Still, like Winnie says, the poor blighters have got to spend their money on something.

[darwinmauser]

It's only my opinion and that"s worth about as much as you've paid for it but I can't see much beauty in that rifle. Bolt action rifles to my mind don't look good with heavy engraving ,I look at a good double and the engraving sets off the gun be it a rifle or shotgun ,heavy engraving on a bolt action just overwhelms it , is it just me ??

[shooter]

It's only my opinion and that"s worth about as much as you've paid for it but I can't see much beauty in that rifle. Bolt action rifles to my mind don't look good with heavy engraving ,I look at a good double and the engraving sets off the gun be it a rifle or shotgun ,heavy engraving on a bolt action just overwhelms it , is it just me ??

[Grumpy]

I think that scroll engraving on a rifle looks fine.
My Antonio Zoli AZ1900 Lux .243 Win is scroll engraved.............................

[Bespoke]

Hartmann & Weiss is definitely top of the line.

My pick any day would be P.V Nelson!


Few years ago wealthy Arabs we easy target for most of the Elite gun manufacturers make anything put some gold on it Viola!Things have changed drastically now well to do sheikh's hire retired military officials as their personal shoppers!

[Sakobav]

Bespoke

Pictures please or link to these guns..

Also do introduce yourself since you have been spoken for Zubin..Welcome aboard

best

[Bespoke]

Ngrewal,

Thank you.

I am a Double rifle enthusiast and have known Zubin for almost 5 years now.

Peter V Nelson had a website but it is not working anymore.He is very well known in Double gun circles and I have never seen his work come up for sale in auction houses some people regard him as the Best Gun maker of all time

One of his example http://www.blixtco.com/stat/newsletter/ ... terpv.html

I have seen few other examples but were private collection so will not be able to share.

There are few lesser know but very expensive double rifle manufacturers other than Boss, H&H,Purdey,WR etc.

1)F lli Rizzini (Not to be confused with other Rizzini)
2)Max Ern
3) Philipp Ollendorff (Beautiful Bar in wood Rifles)
4) Peter Hofer


Bespoke