Product Details
FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF H.H. THE MAHARAJA OF KOTAH
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
A FINE .375 H&H MAGNUM (RIMLESS) 'ROYAL' HAND-DETACHABLE SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE, serial no. 32171,
25 1/8in. nitro reproved chopperlump barrels with matt sight rib, open sights and four folding leaf sights (marked with yardage and charge requirements) and ramp-mounted gold-bead fore-sight with fold-over protector / moonsight, the breech end mounted with a Burris 1 3/4x - 5x telescopic sight in quickly-detachable mounts, treble-grip action with side-bolsters, hidden third bite, removable striker discs, elongated top-strap, automatic safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, hand-detachable lockplates, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, articulated front trigger, rolled-edge triggerguard, best bold Royal scroll engraving with gold-line details at the breech, triggerguard and pistolgrip-cap, the toplever gold-inlaid with the skull mount of antelope horns, the underside of the action later gold-inlaid with a cape buffalo and the pistolgrip-cap trap later gold-inlaid with a portrait of a wildcat, retaining traces of colour-hardening, 14in. well-figured pistolgrip stock with cheekpiece, pistolgrip-cap (with trap), sling swivels and including 7/8in. rubber recoil pad, weight 10lb. 10oz., in a lightweight leather case with maroon velvet lined interior, some accessories and canvas and leather outer
Provenance: The makers have kindly informed us that this rifle was completed November 1931 in the calibre .375H&H for 'Kotah'.
Umed Singh II was born 15th September 1873 and became Maharaja of the Princely 17-gun salute state of Kotah in 1889 on the death of his adopted father, Shatru Sal II. Umed Singh was educated at Mayo College in Ajmer before embarking on a long career with the Indian Army, where he attained the honourary rank of Colonel. He sent men from his state to fight in both World Wars and was considered by most a progressive a just ruler.
Singh was an avid big game hunter, as were most of his peers, and he is probably best remembered in sporting circles for his choice of transport. Barker, a reputable firm of coachbuilders, were often recommended to clients by Rolls-Royce during the 1920s, and this was the preferred marque of many of India's ruling classes (in spite of the fact that Daimler were the motor car of choice at that time by our own Royal Family). So it was that Singh commissioned Barker to build a special car suitable for hunting tigers and other large game. The body was built on to a Phantom I chassis and sported many unusual features; it had search lights front and rear, a special gearbox with low ratios and high-profile tyres so it could negotiate steep and uneven ground. More unusual still was the rear-mounted Bira .450 calibre machine gun and Lantaka cannon! It was perhaps due to these items of ordnance that Umed Singh had Chubb build a special safe for the car in which he kept funds to compensate the families of beaters accidentally shot during his hunts.
After a reign of 52 years, the Maharaja died 27th December 1940 and the title passed to his son, Bhim Sinhji II.
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Estimate £25,000-30,000
S1