| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 08/06/14 01:21 AM |
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Westley Richards 1871
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Here is a new toy I just picked up.
Pretty typical W.R. 1871 in 577/500 No.2.
I must admit that I have a fondness for these rifles (1869/1871) and the 500 No.2 is such a fun round, I couldn't resist it. They are so Victorian and quite robust.
Interestingly, this example has Whitworth rifling and my two 450's are Henry rifled.
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 08/06/14 10:24 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Come on! Full rifle pics!
Looks like you had 2 good pick ups from that gun show?
Can't wait to see pics of it being fired, like the field patent 577/500
| chapmen |
| (.300 member) |
| 08/06/14 09:52 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Wow, would love to have such an example! Could you tell me something about the price for this kind of rifle in USA?
| AkMike |
| (.416 member) |
| 12/06/14 02:15 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Very nice looking rifle!
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 18/02/15 08:30 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Going to bump this in the hope of more photos!
Pleaaaasse?
| Norman4 |
| (.300 member) |
| 18/02/15 08:38 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Feeling Martini Fever Ash?
| tinker |
| (.416 member) |
| 18/02/15 10:48 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Nice!!
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 18/02/15 11:31 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Very cool, as well as being in my favorite condition.....a bit used
| ducmarc |
| (.400 member) |
| 01/03/15 03:21 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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thats nice
| ducmarc |
| (.400 member) |
| 01/03/15 03:23 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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love the ramrod
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 02/03/15 04:14 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Come on Huvius - get the camera out!
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 02/03/15 08:41 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Huvius,
Wow she's a beauty!
I was wondering if you could kindly expand our knowledge out here & explain a bit more about the action itself? Is that action a pure WR creation, as to me it sort of looks like a Martini?
As with the cartridge, what would be the capacity of the 577/500 No2 be with water, surely over the 100gn mark?
I can't find for the love of Pete a cartridge drawing/dimensions of the 577/500 No2 & lastly would this old cartridge then stuff into a Martini if it was rebarrelled?
Love to see the old girl sing again, will have to supply a load too when you get around to it
Congrats
93x64mm
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/03/15 05:49 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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The Westley Richards action, often referred to as an "Improved Martini" is actually a development of the Peabody action.
In fact, the patent submission was before that of the Martini so really, both the WR and Martini should be referred to as "Improved Peabodys"
The 1871 is similar to the 1869 with a separate pivot for the lever and the hammer. You can see that there are two screws on a '71 and only one on a '69 and '68. Other than that, they are much the same.
I don't know what the internal capacity of the 500No.2 is offhand but Inhave seen Martinis chambered in it so definitely an option on the bigger Martini actions.
I will try 54grs of H4198 and a paper patched or lubed 440gr bullet. That is what works in my Turner and the WR action is surely robust enough to take much more than that. Will report on that when it happens.
Will get better pictures soon. Been cold and snowy here the last couple weeks and my indoor photos never seem to work out well.
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/03/15 09:46 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Quote:
As with the cartridge, what would be the capacity of the 577/500 No2 be with water, surely over the 100gn mark?
I can't find for the love of Pete a cartridge drawing/dimensions of the 577/500 No2...
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/03/15 06:30 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Huvius,
thanks for that info mate! If my rough calcs are within ballpark then this cartridge will have approx. 150gn water capacity!
Our BP express competitions require 110gn minimum case size.
I am looking in the future to use my .500 cal moulds, but in a straight BP rifle only. My idea is to use a MH, so I wanted a cartridge the would be not only period perfect, but being British as well that will slide around the bend as well so to speak.
Otherwise the .50-110 would have been the ticket really
Just have to wait a while now until things settle down a bit a home, Lovey caught me bringing home a little M92 in .32-20.......ears still burning!
Cheers
93x64mm
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 03/03/15 08:55 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Huvius, looking foward to the pics
One day i will own one! There is so much i am torn between, old American rifles, old British rifles, ahh! So many choices! For some reason the Evans (American lever) is calling me at the moment..One day too!
| underlever |
| (.300 member) |
| 03/03/15 09:15 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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I've got one of these in 500 No2 but mine has an ovate barrel with Metford rifling. Looks as though you could have any rifling system you wanted. They do have a look that only a mother could love but mine has really grown on me over the years. Great fun to hunt with and the No 2 really dishes it out the the pigs.
Was out hunting with it once and had walked quite a distance when decided to have a sit and look. The rifle had been carried using a sling and when I sat down I noticed that the nut the should be on the left hand side of the hammer pivot bolt had worked it way loose and was now somewhere between me and the car. Boy was I pissed off to have lost the little nut. When I finally got back to the car and cleaned out my pockets of cartridges and such I found that when the nut had fallen off it had fell straight into by back pocket and was saved. Some sort of practical joke had been played on me by the rifle I thought but it is now retained by a small amount of Loctite.
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 03/03/15 10:28 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Can you please put up pics of yours, Underlever? I'd love to see it
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 04/03/15 04:41 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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I'm going to have to take a look at my rifle.
Looks like the nut on the lefthand side of mine is AWOL and the throughbolt shortened.
I thought it could have been shortened and the action threaded on one side or the other for it but the head end sure doesn't look like it would allow for decent tightening of the bolt to me.
| underlever |
| (.300 member) |
| 04/03/15 05:08 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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I did notice that the nut on your rifle was missing and when having a close look at the photo of that side of the action you can see a circle of clear steel where it has rotated. I would think that making a new bolt and nut might be in order. If you need dimensions, pics etc of the nut just let me know.
Will take a few pics of the rifle and post soon.
| MiBruce |
| (.224 member) |
| 17/03/15 03:45 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Loosing the nut must be a common problem. I lost mine while hunting also. Had to make a new one and had a friend do some engraving on it when it was finished. Came out looking pretty good, but it helped to have a few pictures of the gun with the nut before I lost it.
Bruce
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 18/03/15 12:12 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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The nut is missing and the screw is simply drifted in with nothing holding it in place and the threaded end cut and filed flush with the action wall.
For the short term, I may just put a drop of loc-tite under the head and hold it in place. It doesn't need to be tight to function properly and I really want to shoot this gun!
| underlever |
| (.300 member) |
| 13/06/15 03:22 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Finally got around to taking a few pics of my old WR No2. This thing has no finish left anywhere and I believe the butt is a replacement. It also has a strange smell/ stink to it like no other firearm I've ever handled. This rifle has had a lot of days in the field.
It is noted in Winfer's book and I have a feeling it spent most of its life in India. The bore is not that good ( metford rifling ) but can still keep them together enough for the distances I use it at. I'll admit they don't look that flash but these rifles handle really nicely and have a wonderful trigger. Also the big 500 No2 cartridge looks just lovely.
I've tried all sorts of loads in it and the black powder/ paper patch combo works very well, which doesn't come as any surprise. Even though this is a good load, I don't always have enough time for cleaning shells and rolling pills, so I resort to NFB loads. I have used Woodleigh 440 gr bullets but a box of these don't go far so I looked for something else to keep me going. The pics tell what I ended up doing. These go into my very quickly made die at .500 " and a little squeeze later come out at .510" and with a new nose shape. A friend also uses these in his Stephen Grant double 500 BPE and they work just fine and are easy on the pocket.
I have toyed with the idea of giving the rifle a re furb but I'm glad now that I never have. It is a piece of living history and I get a real joy when its in use.
The new loaded round next the old shell is a Bertram case. In the early days I formed cases from Bell basic 577 brass. This is when I found out that the 500 No2 is not a 577 necked down to 500. It uses a parent case with a smaller head diameter and I'll NEVER make these shells from 577 basic brass again.
Underlever
| Bidgee |
| (.375 member) |
| 13/06/15 10:19 PM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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Very nice, I like it a lot. It reads of character and with history. Glad you left it in original condition.
Cheers
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 14/06/15 12:27 AM |
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Re: Westley Richards 1871
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I really like the looks of these rifles without a cleaning rod. Especially if fit with an ovate barrel as yours has!
Can you show us how that bullet sizing die works?