Original item: One-of-a-kind. Here is an excellent example of a Victorian Gentleman's .577 Black Powder Express double barreled BIG GAME TIGER RIFLE! It is still in great shape, having stood the test of time, most likely having spent much of the past century in various collections. We acquired this fantastic example from a long time IMA customer who was a true collector of fine firearms.

.577 BPE was pretty much at the pinnacle of many cartridges designed to hunt soft-skinned large game such as lions, tigers and wild boar. The cartridge was available in a number of different lengths, and this example is the long 3 Inch length, which was also the most popular, eventually being released as a Nitrocellulose cartridge in the early 20th century. Being made in 1884, this is definitely a Black Powder rifle, and should definitely NOT BE USED with modern ammunition.

In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor describes the .577 Black Powder Express as the most popular cartridge for shooting tiger in India and that many of the greatest lion hunters in Africa preferred it to anything else. He further states "If I was concentrating on tiger or man-eating lion to the exclusion of anything else, I shouldn't hesitate: I would almost certainly have a double .577 [Black Powder Express] built....".

There were many famous hunters of the late 19th century that used the cartridge and spoke highly of it:

• Sir Samuel Baker's favorite rifle at the end of his hunting life was a .577 Black Powder Express built by Holland and Holland, with which he hunted various game all over the world. He mentioned that it was ideal for any animal bigger than the fallow deer and smaller than the cape buffalo, "as the .577 is the most fatal weapon I ever used, and with 6 or 61/2 drams of powder it is quite equal to any animals in creation, provided the shot is behind the shoulder".

• Arthur Henry Neumann preferred the .577 Black Powder Express to all other calibers for hunting elephant until the introduction of the .450 Nitro Express.

• Yank Allen, a famous specialist lion hunter, shot most of his lions with a .577 Black Powder Express double rifle.

• Harald G.C. Swayne used a Holland & Holland .577 Black Powder Express double rifle extensively for hunting in Africa and India.

This particular .577 B.P. Express big game rifle was manufactured by the well known E. M. Reilly & Co., as indicated on the matte panel on the top center strap:-

Both back action lock plates are also marked correctly with E. M. REILLY & Co.. This company was a very well known maker of hunting guns during the mid-late Victorian era, and there is much information available on the internet regarding their guns and the many advancements they made with regards to double guns such as this. There is a great thread on the Double Gun Shop forum regarding the maker, with a full chronology: E.M. Reilly History - Chronology - Serial Numbers. This and other records allow us to relatively firmly date the rifle to 1884. It has the correct external hammers of the period, as it was made, before the move to internal firing pins.

At the time, this gun was in what was considered the premium caliber, .577 BLACK POWDER EXPRESS, a popular cartridge capable of bringing down any Lion, Tiger, or Wild Boar. This 45" long Double Rifle has 28" barrels with a 100 yard notch rear sight and double folding sights of 200 and 300 yards in front of it. Like almost all top break shotguns and rifles, the gun breaks down into three pieces for storage in the case. To retain the clean external lines and appearance, most of the markings are inside he barrel joint.

This definitely looks to be an example made for a discerning customer, with lightly engraved metalwork, a checkered "pistol grip" butt stock with a horn cap on the bottom of the grip, and a checkered foregrip with a patented release button at the front.  Both stocks look to be made from lovely highly "flame" figured English Walnut, which has retained its color beautifully. There are sling attachments under the stock and barrel, for whatever type of carrying strap the owner desired. There is of course some wear from cleaning on the metalwork, which has removed the original case hardening on the action, and the bluing on the barrels is a bit worn. However it presents beautifully, and would look fantastic in any collection.

This rifle bears serial number 26532 on the rear trigger guard, dating the rifle to 1884, and the bottom of the butt stock actually still has Indian Registration marking where it meets the pistol grip. This means this rifle is verified to have been in India! The bottom of each barrel is marked with the chambering of 577 EX, along with the London Gun Company Proofhouse CROWN / GP black powder "Gunmaker's" proof for barrels and the CROWN / V viewed proof. Between these is the number 25, indicating "25 bore" or about .571". There is another proof at the very rear, and the bottom strap of the barrel bears assembly number 7447.The water table side is also marked with CROWN / V viewed marks on both sides.

The double rifle features an under lever style action opening, which is definitely a bit stiff, but still opens correctly with the ejector presenting. Both bores show clear rifling with a mostly bright finish, showing light wear from use. The back action hammer locks both function perfectly, and are the "rebounding" type, so they do not have any half-cock position, as it was not needed. The firing pins move easily, but if they had springs to pull them back after firing, they are no longer functional.

This is truly a lovely example for the discerning collector, ready bring some real class to any collection. Just perfect if you ever wanted to go on safari, or at least pretend to!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture:  1884
Caliber: .577 Black Powder Express - 3 Inch
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 28 Inches
Overall Length: 45 Inches
Action type: External Hammer
Feed System: Top Break Single Shot (per barrel)