GUNS at Auction: The .700 NE H&H DOUBLE

To help raise $1 million for charity, one philanthropist put this fine rifle on the block.

Kenneth E. Behring has been in the gun selling and collecting business for many years. He began his love affair with firearms and hunting in his early teens when he chased a used .22 single-shot rifle, Eventually he began collecting custom engraved rifles.

On his first African safari, Behring took a record rhino with an H&H double rifle. As finances increased, he purchased a DC-9 jet that made the trip to eastern Africa on a fairly regular basis. Many of his trophies are on display at the Safari Club International World Headquarters in Tucson, Ariz. He continued to acquire fine rifles over the years until his collection of firearms was second to none.

In recent years. he has shifted his focus from business to philanthropy, and in the process started the Wheelchairs for the World Foundation, dedicated to raising $150 million over the next five years to deliver 1 million wheelchairs to people in need who otherwise would have no chance to own one.

Behring donated his entire gun collection to the Foundation, to be sold at auction for the benefit of the cause. This auction took place Tuesday, August 28. 2000 at Butterfield's auction house in San Francisco. It was an opportunity to purchase some of the finest sporting arms ever made.

Guns Of A Hunter

One of the finest pieces to cross the auction block was a cased Holland & Holland Exhibition Grade ejector double rifle in .700 Nitro Express. This gun was custom-built in 1994 for Behring and showed little, if any, wear. He is noted for taking large-caliber double rifles on safari, so this gun probably spent some quality time in Africa.

The .700 Nitro Express is the gunmaker's solution to the .600 Nitro's "paltry" 900 gr. bullet, which travels at 1,950 fps and delivers 7,610 ft/lbs. of muzzle energy. The .700 has a muzzle velocity of 2,000 fps and throws a 1,000 gr. bullet out the barrel with an astounding 9,050 ft./lbs. of energy. Not exactly for the meek and mild.

Holland & Holland have been building fine rifles since they were established in London in 1835. Their specialty is top-grade, exquisitely engraved double guns of both the rifle and shotgun persuasion. An average H&H gun (if there is such a thing) retails in the $90,000-and-up range. The last quoted retail price for a .700 Nitro Express was over $150,000.

This particular double rifle, serial number 35623, has 26 1/2" chopper lump barrels gold inlaid "Holland and Holland, 33, Bruton Street, London." Rear sights are of the express-type with one fixed leaf marked "50 yards" and one folding with "100 yards." Foresight is a spear-type with a folding moonsight on a 4" partially matted, gold-inlaid, spear-pointed block.

The action is case-hardened, the reinforced sidelock is 100 percent deeply engraved with floral designs on a gold background. The locks, triggerguard, upper tang, forend iron and grip cap are similarly figured.

The landscape scenes on the rifle show a rhino on the left lock, three Cape buffalo on the right lock, and an elephant on the floor-plate. Philippe Grifne did all engraving as the gun was being built.

This double rifle has just about every feature you can imagine. A partial list includes: double triggers, automatic safety, rolled triggerguard, cocking indicators, disc set strikers, checkered walnut pistol-grip stock, cheekpiece, drop points, and engraved oval steel grip cap with trap.

Its case is a combination oak and leather trunk with brass corners and blue baize interior. The red leather maker's label is fixed to the inside of the hinged lid. Extras include two horn containers with strikers and spare foresight, gold plated snap caps, four turn-screws with horn handles and a horn-handled cleaning rod with miscellaneous cleaning equipment. All in all, one of the finest double rifles ever to cross an auction block.

It was estimated to bring $130,000. The winning bid was $155,250.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group