{"id":1970,"date":"2026-01-09T12:53:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T12:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2026-01-09T12:53:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T12:53:25","slug":"griffin-howe-tradition-meets-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1970","title":{"rendered":"Griffin & Howe: Tradition Meets Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Griffin & Howe is rekindling and reinventing a storied flame.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pulling up to the spacious Hudson Farm facility in northern New Jersey to celebrate the Griffin & Howe Centennial, I was immediately impressed with the sheer scope of the operation. In addition to the huge showroom, there were meeting halls, what amounts to a small hotel, a full farming operation and\u2014most intriguing\u2014the Griffin & Howe Gunsmithing Shop.<\/p>\n

While most rifle historians will be immediately familiar with the Griffin & Howe name\u2014as their famous sidemount and customized rifles have received accolades for decades\u2014many of the younger generation are likely unfamiliar. But what impressed me most while we hobnobbed under the huge tent erected for the 100th anniversary celebration was how a couple of relative youngsters have brought the brand seamlessly into the 21st century.<\/p>\n

And, catching my eye immediately, was a unique rifle\u2014the Highlander\u2014blending a walnut stock with classic lines and a carbon-fiber barrel, but with steel sections to accommodate traditional iron sights.<\/p>\n

That rifle at the Centennial celebration was\u2014appropriately\u2014chambered for .35 Whelen, but little did I know that just a couple years later we\u2019d be putting a similar model in .375 H&H Magnum to the test in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n

High Class, High Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Highlander Safari is the larger-bore variant of the G&H Highlander, being offered in both .375 H&H Magnum and .375 Ruger. Like most rifles available from Griffin & Howe, plenty of options are available to the customer, as their gunsmithing shop is capable of just about anything your checkbook and imagination could handle.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin
The Griffin & Howe Highlander Safari melds traditional lines with modern construction materials and techniques. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the rifle\u2019s heart is the Defiance Rebel CRF action, attached to a Proof Research Sendero carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel and housed in either a premium walnut or synthetic stock. Dan Rossiter, stockmaker of excellence and manager of the Griffin & Howe Gunsmithing Shop, would bring along a beautiful, figured walnut stock variant on our safari to the Sango concession of the Sav\u00e9 Valley Conservancy, for both backup on the dangerous game species and to handle any plains game species.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
Griffin & Howe have cleverly mated a Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel with metal inserts to facilitate the front and rear iron sights. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Topped with a Swarovski Z8i 1-8\u00d724 in G&H quick detachable top-mount rings, this rifle exhibited true versatility, performing wonderfully in a number of situations.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
With the scope removed through the use of the G&H quick-detach top mounts, the Highlander Safari becomes svelte and a dream to carry in the field. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I readily admit having a strong preference for a controlled-round-feed (CRF) action in a repeater for use on dangerous game, and though the Mauser 98 and its innumerable clones are probably what come to mind when discussing CRF actions, there are other options. The Defiance Rebel is one, and I quickly came to like this action.<\/p>\n

Using a \u201cmodern claw style\u201d extractor to handle the cartridge without question, the Rebel allows the user to insert a cartridge into the chamber and close the bolt over it without running the risk of breaking the extractor. It acts like a push-feed when loading directly into the chamber, and as a CRF when loading from the magazine. This will turn a \u201cthree-down\u201d rifle into a four-shot gun, and when the game is large and close at hand, that extra shot will be much appreciated.<\/p>\n

Constructed of aircraft-certified 416 stainless-steel, the Rebel will surely handle the pressures generated by the pair of 375s, and the one-piece steel bolt cycles as smoothly as you could ask for. That bolt face handled the feeding and extraction without a single issue; during the course of our safari, we\u2019d load, empty and reload the rifles several times a day, not to mention running the bolt during the course of taking an animal. I had complete confidence in that Rebel action.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
The bolt face\u2014and beefy extractor\u2014of the Defiance Rebel action. Operating as both push-feed and controlled-round feed, the Rebel is a smart, modern design. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A three-position Winchester 70-style safety allows the shooter to safely unload the firearm, and a hinged floorplate allows for quick emptying of the magazine; the Highlander Safari in .375 H&H held three cartridges in the magazine. A spring-loaded bolt release located at the left rear of the receiver allows the bolt to be removed for cleaning. The action also features a TriggerTech trigger timed to the action, and that trigger broke cleanly at about 2\u00bd pounds, with almost no creep or overtravel.<\/p>\n

The Proof Research Sendero carbon-fiber barrel certainly has a larger diameter than what any of us are used to seeing on a dangerous game gun, and being a .375-inch bore, it\u2019s bigger than most. With a metal insert on the outside of the barrel for the island rear sight and at the muzzle for the hooded front sight, the Highlander Safari definitely has a unique barrel look.<\/p>\n

Employing a 1:12 twist, the 24-inch barrel will take full advantage of the velocity potential of the .375 H&H Magnum, without being unwieldy in the thick bush. Accuracy was excellent, and this rifle showed sub-MOA groups with both soft-points and solids. Rossiter and I tried a few ammo brands, but we decided to listen to the rifle: It liked the Barnes factory ammo best, using 300-grain TSX expanding bullets and the 300-grain Barnes Banded solids.<\/p>\n

The stock on the Highlander Safari is a thing of beauty, balancing wonderfully in all carrying positions, and coming to the shoulder almost effortlessly. I met Rossiter years ago, as a member of the American Custom Gunmaker\u2019s Guild, and his stock design\u2014in both walnut and synthetic\u2014makes all sorts of sense for a do-all rifle like this.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
A Silver\u2019s recoil pad takes the sting out of the .375 H&H Magnum, while still maintaining a proper look. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The comb is a subdued Monte Carlo design, being carved for use with a riflescope, but the shooter can still make good use of the iron sights by driving the cheek down onto the comb. A proper Silver\u2019s recoil pad takes the sting out of the .375 H&H\u2014of which there isn\u2019t much with this stock design\u2014and there is proper hand-cut checkering on pistol grip and forend. I liked the balance of the rifle with the Swarovski scope onboard and loved the feel and balance with the scope removed. I could easily wrap my hand around the receiver and carry the iron-sighted gun for miles on the trail.<\/p>\n

For the customer, plenty of bespoke options are available from Griffin & Howe, ranging from length of pull (their fitting service is nothing shy of excellent), to engraving and metal finishing choices (Rossiter\u2019s brother, Chris, is the house engraver\u2014and his work is stunning). If the metalwork of your rifle is to be engraved, the receiver and barrel shanks must be left in the white and clear-coated.<\/p>\n

Color case hardening is available for the bottom metal, iron sights and bases, scope rings and bases, and pistol grip cap if so desired. The walnut-stocked variant tips the scales right around the 9-pound mark (sans scope or ammo), and you can shave off a half-pound by going with the synthetic stock, and both models offer the option of elite blackout Cerakote finish. The synthetic model comes stock with a Spartan magnetic bipod socket; that\u2019s an option for the wood stocked model.<\/p>\n

At the Range and in the Field<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farm offers a full-service training facility, with classes for shotguns, handguns and rifles, and for the latter you can take your hunting or target rifle out to a considerable distance. Rossiter had the rifle trued out to 500 yards, with a ballistic turret so marked atop the Swarovski scope. The rifle showed sub-MOA accuracy out to that mark, and we felt we had things nailed down pretty well.<\/p>\n

In Zimbabwe, with PH Mark Jansen on the Sango concession of the Sav\u00e9 Valley Conservancy, we each had a management bull and cow buffalo available, plus a small assortment of plains game. We had another G&H rifle\u2014the Criterion in .404 Jeffery\u2014on hand for the primary duty on the big stuff, with the Highlander Safari coming in as a backup for the buffalo.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
The author used the G&H Highlander Safari (right) to backup Dan Rossiter on his buffalo bull. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Rossiter\u2019s bull didn\u2019t exactly read the script and decided he\u2019d take over a half-dozen shots, Jansen asked me to help put the bull down. Rossiter and I fired almost simultaneously, and the bull\u2019s nose was soon in the dirt, with the death bellow following closely. That Highlander Safari performed perfectly, putting a bullet on the point of the shoulder from about 60 yards. We\u2019d later recover that 300-grain Barnes TSX, well expanded and retaining 92 percent of its original weight.<\/p>\n

A few days later, Rossiter would find himself 284 yards from the largest slab of eland bull I\u2019ve ever seen in my life, and laying prone across his pack, put a TSX through the huge bull\u2019s lungs. The ballistic turret made his life easy, and walking up to that bull reinforced the fact that a truly big eland bull is bigger than any Cape buffalo that ever walked. Our cameraman, Michael \u201cHeffalump\u201d Heffernan, was offered the opportunity to take a pair of impala rams with the Highlander Safari, making a pair of one-shot kills at 168 and 209 yards, respectively, once again proving the flexibility of the venerable .375 H&H Magnum.<\/p>\n

To top it off, I was invited to participate in a management elephant bull hunt at the end of the safari, using the Highlander Safari for backup duties. The rifle had no issue putting a 300-grain Barnes Banded Solid into the bull\u2019s brain at 15 paces. Death was instantaneous, with all of the meat neatly weighed and donated to the villages.<\/p>\n

The Highlander Safari handled it all, from the small to the tall, the near to the far, with grace.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Bespoke<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The rifle we brought to Zimbabwe had a Grade 5 Turkish Walnut stock, handworked by the Griffin & Howe team. Time is money, as the saying goes, and the hours put into a custom piece need to be paid for. Without the walnut being upgraded, the Highlander Safari starts at $28,400. Our rifle had a 14-inch length of pull\u2014to accommodate my longer arms\u2014and that feature can easily be adapted to the customer, though other upgrades are obviously going to raise the price.<\/p>\n

Griffin & Howe is working toward offering an \u201coff-the-rack\u201d stocked version, with a length of pull suited to the customer that will reduce costs. There is always the synthetic version\u2014with stocks finished in Gore\u2019s Sub Alpine, Open Country or Cover camo patterns\u2014which sports a price tag of $11,750, again reflecting the amount of handwork that goes into a Griffin & Howe stock and metalwork.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be the first to admit that the carbon-fiber barrel is a non-traditional look on a bespoke rifle, but I will also testify that, after carrying that rifle through the ins and outs of a week on safari, I truly enjoyed the experience. I\u2019ve been blessed to have used a number of custom\/bespoke rifles over the years, and the G&H Highlander Safari sits among some of the best, especially in the stock design department. The action is slick, the trigger is sweet, and the G&H quick-detach mounts allow the optic to be removed and reinstalled without fear of losing zero.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in the custom rifle experience, contact Rossiter at Griffin & Howe, or stop by their booth at one of the outdoor shows and hold the Highlander Safari for yourself\u2014I\u2019ll wager you\u2019ll be impressed. Rossiter has indicated that in addition to the .375 H&H Magnum and .375 Ruger offerings, they are offering the .35 Whelen chambering so long as the barrel blanks hold out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Background: A Very Brief History of Griffin & Howe<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Seymour Griffin\u2014a New York City cabinet maker\u2014was inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt\u2019s book African Game Trails and wanted to use a .30-06 rifle like his hero. He liked the action of the 1903 Springfield, but the military stock left much to be desired, so he restocked it himself using a French walnut blank. In the 1920s, Col. Townsend Whelen heard of Griffin\u2019s talents and introduced him to the foreman of the Frankford Arsenal, James Howe.<\/p>\n

\"Griffin\"Griffin
Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Howe collaborated with Whelen to develop the .35 Whelen, and that cartridge remains inexorably tied to the Griffin & Howe name. Griffin & Howe opened their doors in June of 1923, but Howe would leave by the year\u2019s end. By the 1930s, the quickly famous G&H detachable scope side-mount was on the market, and G&H was selling not just fine rifles, but all sorts of outdoor gear.<\/p>\n

The firm would make their most famous connection when they outfitted Ernest Hemingway with the .30-06 Springfield rifle made famous in Green Hills of Africa<\/em>, and which inspired the fictional works Snows of Kilimanjaro<\/em> and The Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber<\/em>. Griffin & Howe would also provide rifles to the likes of Clark Gable, President Dwight Eisenhower and author Robert Ruark. After Griffin\u2019s retirement in the late 1950s, the company declined until gunsmith Bill Ward acquired the assets, keeping the name alive through the 1970s and \u201980s.<\/p>\n

By 2015, Steven Polanish would assume CEO duties, and today, he has brought the G&H name onto the 4,000-plus-acre Hudson Farm complex, with G&H issuing new rifle designs in 2017. The complex offers training for handgunners, shotgunners and riflemen alike, as well as an enormous showroom full of premium firearms and gear.<\/p>\n

Having celebrated their 100th anniversary, Griffin & Howe is most definitely back, delivering all the classic products as well as new, cutting-edge rifle designs. Brothers Dan and Chris Rossiter are among a crack team in the gunsmithing department, which is turning out some head-turning products. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of\u00a0Gun Digest the Magazine<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

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