Searcy Sidelock Double Rifle
B. Searcy & Co. · Rifle · In Production · 1990
Also known as: B. Searcy Sidelock Double Rifle, Searcy Deluxe Sidelock
Overview
The Searcy Sidelock Double Rifle is an American-made side-by-side double rifle built by B. Searcy & Co. of Boron, California for dangerous-game hunting. Its action is CNC-machined from 4130 chromoly and 416 stainless steel as an Anson & Deeley-derived design with double Purdey underbolts and a top extension, fitted with detachable Holland & Holland-style sidelocks, intercepting sears, and automatic ejectors. Chambered in heavy Nitro Express cartridges such as the .500 Nitro Express, its two barrels are hand-regulated to a common point of impact and it is offered with a figured walnut stock, double triggers, a quarter-rib rear sight and hand engraving, making it one of the few double rifles produced entirely in the United States.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5100 g (179.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 5170 g (182.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1016 mm (40.00") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 640 m/s (2100 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 7108 J (5243 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- .500 Nitro Express · primary — also known as .500 NE, .500 3" Nitro Express
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Open Double Barrel
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Intercepting Sears
- Features: Sidelock Action, Anson Deeley Derived Action, Double Purdey Bolting, Top Extension, Automatic Ejectors, Regulated Barrels, Quarter Rib Express Sights, Hand Engraving
Service history
Operators
- Big-game hunters and professional hunters
Production
Production years: 1990-present
Bespoke, made to individual order in small annual numbers; Searcy offers several boxlock and sidelock grades
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Bill "Butch" Searcy
Notes
Searcy requires his .470 and .500 Nitro Express rifles to print two-inch or smaller groups at 50 yards with two shots from each barrel. Weight for the .500 Nitro Express version is quoted at roughly 11 to 11 1/2 pounds with 24 to 26 inch barrels; intercepting sears and chopper-lump barrels are available at extra cost.
Background
Butch Searcy set up shop in an old WWII Quonset building on Twenty Mule Team Road in the desert town of Boron, across from Edwards Air Force Base, and became known as America's answer to the great British double-rifle makers, building complete Nitro Express doubles from raw steel rather than assembling imported parts.