| Levallois |
| (.300 member) |
| 11/03/17 10:52 AM |
Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Westley Richards 1897 "second grade"
image by John Lindly, on Flickr
image by John Lindly, on Flickr
image by John Lindly, on Flickr
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 11/03/17 10:55 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Nice hunting rifle, that!
Is it a .35?
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 11/03/17 11:03 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Second grade or not, it looks bloody nice. Good looking sights as well. How does the safety work and what caliber is it. well done.
Waidmannsheil.
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 11/03/17 11:25 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Lovely rifle.
Good bullet selection out there for the 400/360 too. Wonderful cartridge for North America.
Quite an addiction, isn't it?
| Levallois |
| (.300 member) |
| 11/03/17 11:52 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Thanks guys! Yes, the addiction is becoming serious. I'm already looking at what else I can sell to get another. It is indeed a.400/360. Safety works better that expected - easy to use. Sights are fantastic and the LOP is perfect as I can bring it to shoulder with my eyes closed and be lined up every time.
| Iowa_303s |
| (.400 member) |
| 11/03/17 03:17 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Fantastic looking rifle!
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 11/03/17 04:54 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Yes it looks great but how do you use the safety ?
Waidmannsheil.
| Grenadier |
| (.375 member) |
| 11/03/17 05:20 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Very nice indeed.
| bouldersmith |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/03/17 12:34 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Nice rifle. I feel the Westley 1897 is the best mechanical design of all the British falling block rifles. It has a rebounding hammer and inline rebounding firing pin with a small diameter tip. Much better for high pressure rounds than other makers concepts. I do like a top tang safety though, especially the design used by Wesley Richards. Much more positive than that used on PD Farquharsons and not dependent upon the action screw timing. Enjoy your new rifle in good health.
Steve
| MikeRowe |
| (.333 member) |
| 12/03/17 01:55 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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You will really like that 400/360. Very moderate recoil.
I have had good results in a Fraser with the PRVI 285 grain bullets.
The jackets are pretty thick for 9.3X62 and 74R velocities, so I have made
them into Fraser's Oblique Ratchet Bullets to help with expansion at the slower
400/360 velocity. They go into the same group as the unmodified bullets.
Even though the bullets are .006" under groove size, they will shoot into
3" at 100 yards with open sights any time, which is plenty good for deer. A
1/8" cork wad behind the bullet, and a little dacron to keep the wad and powder
in place, seals everything up quite well.
| Iowa_303s |
| (.400 member) |
| 12/03/17 03:43 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Mike,
Would you post a photo/description of the "Fraser's Oblique Ratchet Bullet" modifications you do to the Prvi 285 grain bullet?
Possibly in a new thread.
| MikeRowe |
| (.333 member) |
| 12/03/17 04:08 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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I'll get to work on it.
Here you go:
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat....true#Post296847
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 12/03/17 05:22 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Gorgeous! Perfection in my eyes!
| 3DogMike |
| (.400 member) |
| 13/03/17 03:29 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Very nice; looks to be the one that was listed by Kirby Hoyt at Vintage Doubles.
- Mike
| Levallois |
| (.300 member) |
| 13/03/17 04:47 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Thanks very much for the kind words and advice about the 400/360 cartridge. The only other falling block I have to compare to the WR97 is the Webley 1902. The WR97 is less robust and has style. The 1902 is built like tank. As far as the safety on the 1897, it can be disengaged with the trigger finger. This is probably not ideal but it takes a blink of the eye to do. Admittedly the tang safety is better because you do not have to take your finger off the trigger. This was one of Kirby's and he was terrific to deal with.
| Wayne59 |
| (.400 member) |
| 13/03/17 12:44 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Kirby has three more listed right now. You guys should check out Vintage Doubles web sight. Kirby is an honest and forthright person to do business with.
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 13/03/17 06:24 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Superb!
Wonderful pickup Levallois!
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 14/03/17 02:04 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Quote:
Kirby has three more listed right now.
He does get in some interesting stuff.
One of the Westleys is the one in this thread - I think he just hasn't taken the ad off the site.
The little Webley he has is nice but NOT a cordite rifle. Any attempt to shoot a 50gr cordite equivalent in that gun will end up being a small Webley in small pieces!
| 3DogMike |
| (.400 member) |
| 14/03/17 03:17 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Looking at the pictures of that little Webley that Huvius refers to on the Vintage Doubles website;it looks like the rifle may have been through a reproof for said load? 50-200 would be unusual for a .400/.360
Resolution of the photos showing the proof marks arent real good but it looks like a "BP" closer to the action then an "RP" (reproof) in front if that.
Sorry to have added to some thread drift here.......
- Mike
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 14/03/17 04:12 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Thread drift is OK here as it helps to show the differentiation between the two 360s.
400/360 is much too big and powerful for a round block Webley.
There is a picture of the chamber cast showing it to be the 2-1/4" cartridge.
The original 360 2-1/4" BPE used a charge of 50grs and my suspicion is that this particular rifle could have been proved for the later NfB loading but it does have the BPE load stamped on it.
| 3DogMike |
| (.400 member) |
| 14/03/17 05:06 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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.360 BP Express.....NOT ".360 Nitro Express"......NOT 50 Cordite.
Ah, so there, thanks Ben, I didnt give a close look to the picture of the chamber cast.
That explains a lot because the original .360 Express (.360 2 1/4") was a BP round originally 50 grains black powder and 150-195-215 grain bullet. Therefore the 50 - 200 marking.
The old catalogs show the Nitro for Black as 22 grains Cordite and 190 grain metal base (like a taller gas check) bullet.
(The specific ".360 Nitro Express" nitro proof would have been marked 30 Cordite and 300 grain metal jacket bullet)
Agreed, the round "bolt hole" dropping block small action 1902 Webleys are not a Nitro Express deal. It likely would contain the pressure but would get battered to death in short order.
Decent looking job of a refinish on the action; the originals action, breech block, and lever would have been case color.
Maybe underwent reproof and so marked when it was restored?
- Mike
| Levallois |
| (.300 member) |
| 15/03/17 07:25 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Question - should the safety automatically engage once the action is cocked, loaded, and closed? It does not do that on this rifle. Safety has to be pushed back by hand.
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 15/03/17 08:56 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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On this rifle the safety is manual. I believe all of the top tang safety models were automatic safeties.
The trigger safety is often found less than positive.
To check your safety's function, cock the rifle, engage the safety, squeeze the trigger, let off and then disengage the safety to see if the hammer falls. Sometimes they wear enough to allow that to happen which of course is worse than no safety.
| Levallois |
| (.300 member) |
| 15/03/17 12:40 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Huvius
Good news that it's manual. Checked it as you suggested and it holds fast. I imagine that if you needed a second shot that it would be slightly quicker than adding one more step of disengaging the safety?
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 16/03/17 03:12 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Interestingly, Westley Richards adopted an automatic safety on their 1878 patent rifles (which may have been a first) and then reverted back to a manual safety on the 1881 and the 1897 patent rifles until the top tang safety was offered.
Let us know how she shoots.
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 27/09/18 06:01 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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I just picked up a Westley 1897 as well.
Also a plain grade rifle, this one in 450/400 3"
| Rule303 |
| (.416 member) |
| 27/09/18 07:47 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Huvius, great looking rifle. Have you shot it yet?
| tinker |
| (.416 member) |
| 27/09/18 12:12 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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It's not that I'm jealous, but it's a lot like I'm jealous...
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 27/09/18 12:39 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Quote:
Huvius, great looking rifle. Have you shot it yet?
Just got it on Sunday.
Filed a front sight for it today (original was missing) so I will take it out in the next couple weeks and see if that bead works as I want it to then I will file another more appropriate sight that I have in reserve - didn’t want to screw that one up as this is the first sight I’ve done myself.
I bought this rifle knowing that it had potential issues but hoping that the action was just really gunked up.
Steve Bertram received the rifle for me and did a strip down and clean and it was really really gunked up but under all of that was a very nice original rifle! Great bore too so no doubt it will shoot.
CptCurl
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| (.450 member) |
| 28/09/18 08:55 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Huvius,
That's a fantastic rifle I would be proud to own!
Just like Tinker, I'm not jealous, but there is something tingling in my gut and a green hue as I gaze upon your photo.
Congratulations,
Curl
| 500Boswell |
| (.400 member) |
| 28/09/18 04:07 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Anyone know what the Triangle means, signifies ? always wondered what is was for ?
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 28/09/18 05:40 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Quote:
Anyone know what the Triangle means, signifies ? always wondered what is was for ?
Westley Richards trademark/logo
| 450_Ackley |
| (.375 member) |
| 28/09/18 05:56 PM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Got asked to make a bullet mould for one of these earlier this week, that particular rifle is chambered in 450 Musket #2, would be another good calibre to have a WR 1897 in!
DC
| 500Boswell |
| (.400 member) |
| 29/09/18 09:12 AM |
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Re: Finally another SS falling block (been 3 months)
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Thanks Ash thought it might have had ,dare I say it, some Masonic meaning etc