Homer

Here you go, including the history etc which makes the rifle much more interesting and adds to it. If not appropriate let me know.

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Rifle: Westley Richards, "Best Grade" Bolt Action, Serial Number- LT 38766

Calibre: .318 Accelerated Express.

Date of Manufacture: 1918.

Originally made for: Mr L.A.DeJongh, of Rhodesia, Africa.
After the Rhodesian War, Mr DeJongh relocated to South Africa.

Original Purchase Price: 65 Guinea's (apparently, in 1918 a farm in Africa could have been purchased for this same sum of money!).

Firearm History;

This rifle was purchased by the present owner, from a Mr De Jongh (Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia), the grandson of the original owner (who imigrated to Australia), in 1999.

Mr DeJongh (Jr), apparently, has the original Westley Richards Receipt of Purchase, for this rifle.

According to Mr De Jongh (Jr), the rifle's original barrel was worn out shooting a lot of varied game animals which included among others, dozens of Leopards and thousands of Cape Buffalo (Rinderpest Eradication Program), whilst Mr L.A. De Jong was a Game Keeper, in Kruger National Park, RSA.

Because of all of this hunting and also, a lack of factory ammunition at the time, the original worn barrel was replaced (for a.308 Win barrel), by a gunsmith, in RSA.

The new owner then went about having this uncommon firearm restored, to it's original condition.

He purchased the barrel Bore Reamer, Rifling Button, Chamber Reamer etc and had Mr Dennis Tobler manufacture a brand new .....318" calibre (,323" Groove Diameter), chrome molybdenim steel barrel of the appropriate twist rate, external profile and length. Mr Tobler, then chambered, headspaced and fitted the new barrel, to the Westley Richards M98 receiver.

Mr Ross T Waghorn, an individual recognised as one of the worlds best artisans for building new and or refubishing Best Grade firearms, was recently given the responsibilty of returning this 90 year old firearm as close to its original condition, as is possible.

This included restoring all of the metal work to it's original condition and refitting the original factory, front and rear open sights and then regulating them with new Kynoch factory ammunition.

Mr Phillip Vinicombe was give the task of restoring the existing factory engraving to its original condition and also engraving the new barrel, with the original Westley Richards script.

The metalwork was then, cold rust blued by Mr Waghorn.

Mr Waghorn then turned his attention to refurbishing the stock wood and recutting the checkering.

The stock was then finished with a hand rubbed London Oiled finish.

This would have been the finish that Westley Richards would have originally applied to the stock wood.