Original British Double Barrel J. Manton of London & Calcutta .500 Express Big Game Tiger Rifle in Relic Condition Original Items

Original item: One-of-a-kind. Here is a very nice “Relic Condition” double barreled Victorian Gentleman’s BIG GAME RIFLE! When this was first made, it must have been a magnificent example. It looks to have seen much use, and then it unfortunately suffered a crack straight through the butt stock and trigger guard, after which the removed portion was lost. We offer this as an excellent restoration opportunity, or as a great wall hanger with loads of history!

.500 Black Powder Express was a series of Black powder cartridges of varying lengths which emerged in the 1860s. The .500 BPE was considered an ideal cartridge for medium to large sized game and can still be used for such. It was a popular cartridge in India, considered a good general purpose rifle cartridge popular for hunting tigers. Jim Corbett was a user of a .500 BPE rifle prior to switching to a .400 Jeffery Nitro Express double rifle, shooting cordite Nitro for Black loadings this rifle was used to dispatch the first man-eater he shot, the Champawat Tiger.

This particular big game rifle was manufactured by J. Manton, as indicated on the tops of the barrels:

MANTON & CO. GUN MAKERS TO H.R.H. THE

DUKE OF EDINBURGH K.G. LONDON & CALCUTTA.

Both lock plates are also marked correctly with MANTON & CO.. Joseph Manton and Sons were one of London’s foremost Gun Makers that opened in 1795 and ceased trading in 1877. 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, .500 BLACK POWDER EXPRESS, a massive cartridge capable of bringing down any Elephant, Lion, Rhino or Tiger. This Double Rifle has 27″ barrels with double folding sights of 150 and 250 yards. 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 rifle bears serial number 6963 on both sides of the receiver inside the joint, forestock, and on both of the barrels. Each barrel also is marked with 500EX, as well as 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. Top lever action opening, both bores do still show rifling, but also show use and fouling, with some areas of oxidation.

The trigger group portion of the gun is in good cosmetic condition, except of course for the missing buttstock. It really is a shame, as in top condition this would probably be a $7,000 – $ 10,000 hunting rifle. The hammers still pull back and snap forward, but the internal springs and action for both locks are not functional. Many of the internal springs are out of place or broken.

This is a great opportunity to pick up a relic example of a fantastic hunting rifle. This would make an excellent restoration project for the advanced hobbyist, or just a great collector’s item. Ready to restore or display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c. 1870
Caliber: .500 Black Powder Express double Barrel
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 27 Inches
Overall Length: 32 1/2 Inches (missing buttstock)
Action type: External Hammer
Feed System: Top Break Single Shot (per barrel)