Original British Victorian Double Barrel .450 Express Hammer Tiger Rifle by R.B. Rodda & Co. – Serial 145411 Original Items

Original item: One-of-a-kind. Here is an excellent example of a Victorian Gentleman’s .450 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 the estate of a long time IMA customer who was a true collector of fine firearms.

The .450, 3 1/4 -inch Black Powder Express was one of the most popular cartridges ever devised, it was widely used to shoot deer and similar sized game, as well as large dangerous game up to and including elephant. Frederick Selous owned a single barreled .450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry which he used to shoot lion when low on ammunition for his favorite .461 Gibbs No 1 Farquharson rifle. John “Pondoro” Taylor owned two rifles in .450 Black Powder Express, a single falling block rifle and a double rifle by Holland & Holland, with these rifles he killed elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo shooting 365 grain hardened lead bullets, and lion shooting soft solid lead bullets of the same weight.

The favourite rifle of the great continental sportsman Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a .450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry, with which he shot running deer out to 440 metres (480 yd).

This particular .450 Express big game rifle was manufactured by R.B. Rodda, as indicated on the tops of the barrels on both sides of the front rear sight:

R.B. RODDA & CO GUN MAKERS TO H.E. THE VICEROY

& H.R.H. DUKE OF EDINBURGH LONDON & CALCUTTA.

Both lock plates are also marked correctly with R.B. RODDA & CO.. As indicated, they officially made guns for Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was the second son of Queen Victoria. He bore this title from 1866 until 1893, when he became the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Germany. This rifle has external hammers, so it was most likely made in the 1870s or 1880s, before the move to internal firing pins.

At the time, this gun was in what was considered the premium caliber, .450 BLACK POWDER EXPRESS, a popular cartridge capable of bringing down any Elephant, Lion, Rhino or Tiger. This Double Rifle has 26″ barrels with double folding sights of 100 and 200 yards, with an overall length of 43″. 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 fully engraved metalwork, a “pistol grip” butt stock with checkering, and a checkered fore grip with a horn inlay at the tip. The buttstock looks to be made from fine hardwood with a lovely color and grain, possibly mahogany or some other exotic species. 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, and the barrels have most likely been reblued at some time. However it presents magnificently.

This rifle bears serial number 145411 on the receiver inside the joint and on the bottom of the barrels (faint). Each barrel also is marked with the London Proofhouse CROWN / V viewed proof and the CROWN / GP black powder “Gunmaker’s” proof for barrels. The receiver side is also marked with CROWN / V viewed marks on both sides. Under lever action opening, both bores show clear rifling, with a mostly bright finish, showing light wear from use.

The back action hammer locks both function perfectly, holding at half cock, and firing at full. To be extra careful, the maker fitted both locks with half-cock sliding safeties, definitely the sign of a seriously upmarket example. The rifle breaks open correctly, with the cartridge ejector presenting.

This is truly a lovely example for the discerning collector, ready bring some real class to any collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c. 1870
Caliber: .450 Black Powder Express double Barrel
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 43
Action type: External Hammer
Feed System: Top Break Single Shot (per barrel)