375 H&H Handgun in Africa

In 2006 I had the pleasure of setting up two .375 H&H; Magnum handguns with my machined in muzzle brake, one of which a client took to Africa..... and now back to work in the US.

Features of this gun that I did:

Trigger Job

Bellm Machined in Muzzle Brakes

Even with 300 gr. solids, with my highly effective muzzle brake machined into the barrel the .375 H&H; Mag. is quite manageable for the demanding conditions of dangerous big game huntting.

T'BOSS, The Bellm OH SHIT! Saver

Note he was usually shooting with gloved hands and shooting a belted mag case, which sometimes will not be caught by the extractor either loading in a hurry or unloading. This client's pending hazardous conditions are what prompted me to mill better cartridge access clearance into the breech end of the barrel and is the source of the original T'BOSS.

Named for the expletive most apt to be heard when a gun becomes disabled at a critical moment, T'BOSS is both a convenience for the average shooter and potentially a life saver when the extractor does not catch the extraction groove! It allows access to the extraction groove of the cartridge and removal of the case in the event the case rim ends up in front of the extractor as can easily happen with the belted mag. cases in particular.

Barrel Work Prices and Information 

This barrel was rechambered to .375 H&H; Mag. from a TC factory 26" .375 JDJ heavy rifle barrel, cut back to 18," and my brake was machined into it.

Iron sights were also installed and sighted in here. 

 Barrel was drilled and tapped for short handgun forend screw spacing.

Here are some of the results of his trip:

How it's done with shooting stix. Shot being fired is on the lion above. Look to the right of the narrow clearing. You can see the lion facing this way 

The .375 H&H; is developing quite a history. The owner above moved on to other things and noted sculptor and hunting guide, Mark James is now its owner.

Growing up in the urban southern California, It was Mark's friend, John Hess, who introduced Mark to an interest in shooting that shaped Mark's future, inspiring a love of hunting, the outdoors, guiding professionally, and ultimately capturing in bronze the soul of mountain west pioneer culture and its native American people.

See Mark James' incredible bronze works of art. Mark's western, native american, and wildlife creations are nothing short of fantastic with heart and soul themes. 

Here are Mark and John with Mark's "Distant Hope" monument at the Dallas Safari Club show, 2014:

Mark James at the 2014 Dallas Safari Club Show 

 with a number of notables in the shooting industry. Click on the line above. 

 Mark shooting the .375 H&H; barrel with elephant and cape buffalo stopping power for close encounters with bruins now harnessed in a short, quick Encore carbine:

Having sold the previous .375 I put together for him back in 2005, the former barrel has been replaced by the 18" .375 H&H; featured above as Mark's protection gun in bear country.

Mark carries a .375 H&H; in a backpack scabbard when hunting and guiding in grizzly country, requiring the gun to be light, short enough to be drawn quickly over his shoulder, and sleek enough slip easily from the back pack.

Mark experiences indicated the need for more control with a butstock in extreme situations and also opted for less weight and the bulk of optics in favor of the very rugged, low profile Skinner rear sight with wide aperture and Williams Firesight front sight for very quick target acquisition even in very low light conditions.

Working out the correct sight height combination for this barrel, I found sighting it in quite authoritative to shoot, but also quite manageable with my machined in muzzle brake and VERY easy handling.

This is just one more example of how readily the Encore can be tailored to fit specific hunting requirements.

These close friends were separated for 31 years by distance and a tragic auto accident that left John confined to a wheel chair, reunited once again sharing their friendship shooting the .375 H&H; as a focal point.

Short and easily managed by folks from wheel chairs, Encore and Contender/G2 carbines just handle naturally!

Sure, we use guns, but it is not just about guns. It is how they so often positively shape lives, friendships, and the directions they take us in life.

The question is, what would be the themes of Mark's work, if it were not for John and that first .22 Browning rifle John Shared with Mark?