.577 NITRO BOXLOCK DOUBLE RIFLE MADE BY JOHN HARPER & RETAILED BY P. ORR OF INDIA, ONCE BELONGING TO NOTED KENYA PROFESSIONAL HUNTER BRYAN COLEMAN W/ PROVENANCE & CASE.

.577 NITRO BOXLOCK DOUBLE RIFLE MADE BY JOHN HARPER & RETAILED BY P. ORR OF INDIA, ONCE BELONGING TO NOTED KENYA PROFESSIONAL HUNTER BRYAN COLEMAN W/ PROVENANCE & CASE.

inv# 21-4457
Cal. .577 3″ NE
S# 1420

Bryan Coleman who started working in Africa for the Kenya police relates the history of this rifle in a letter to a new owner which is copied in the “Double Gun Journal Index & Reader Vol. 1”. In the letter, he states that he saved the rifle from being destroyed when it was turned in after following the Mau Mau uprising. He became a professional hunter & carried the rifle for hundreds of miles & it saved his life on a number of occasions. He also relates that he used the rifle to hold down the head of a large puff adder & while attempting to decapitate the adder, he took a big chunk of the stock out with his panja. This rifle has 26″ chopperlump bbls. fitted w/ matted top rib. Center portion is low, forming quarter rib holding one standing, two folding leaf express rear sight & front ramp w/ silver bead. Tops of bbls. are engraved “MADE BY” “John Harper” “FOR,” “P. Orr & Sons. Ltd. Madras & Rangoon.” on right, “.577 Cartridge 3 Inch Case” on left. Bbl. flats are stamped w/ Birmingham nitro proofs for .577 express, 90 grains of cordite & 650 grain bullet. Coin finished boxlock action features automatic safety (“SAFE” inlaid in gold), pivoting third fastener which engages dog’s head bbl. extension, bushed strikers & double triggers, front “loose” to minimize finger damage under recoil. Action is engraved w/ 80% coverage well cut, shaded varying sized scroll on sides of action. Sides of action are engraved “P. Orr & Sons. Ltd. Madras & Rangoon.” (luxury goods store operating in Madras & Rangoon from 1846 – 1967). Scroll surrounds game scenes depicting members of the big five w/ elephant in tall grass on left & lion also in grass on right. Top lever, trigger plate, floor plate & trigger guard are engraved w/ matching scroll. A Bengal tiger is depicted on front of floor plate as well as on trigger guard bow. Serial number is on trigger guard tang, which extends to steel grip cap. Capped pistol grip buttstock of dense, lightly streaked & figured European walnut measures 15 3/4″ over “Silver” type pad. Closely spaced point pattern checkering is at grip & a sling eye matching that on bottom of bbls. along w/ a vacant silver oval are on toeline. Matching splinter forend has Anson release.

MEASUREMENTS: STOCK: DAH: approx. 2 5/8″. DAC: approx. 2″. LOP: 15 3/4″ CAST: approx. 1/4″ off. WEIGHT: 12 lb. 12 oz.

STATUS: CURIO