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mehulkamdar
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.

Bill Shear's W-R 318
#155267 - 02/03/10 11:41 AM

My friend Bill Shear acquired a Westley Richards 318 and he has sent these pics:

There were several more pics in his mail which wouldn't download for some reason. I shall get them from him shortly and post them. Until then, please enjoy these pics.

Good hunting, everyone!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

Edited by CptCurl (03/03/10 02:15 PM)

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Carpetsahib
.333 member

Reged: 29/04/07
Posts: 435
Loc: Western NC

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: mehulkamdar]
#155281 - 02/03/10 03:25 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/mehulkamdar/IMG_9024.jpg

Is this a take-down rifle? It looks as if the barreled action lifts directly out of the stock after unlatching the forend latch. What does the rear latch look like?

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500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: Carpetsahib]
#155282 - 02/03/10 03:28 PM

Not sure.

Some of WR Take down 318's (mine being one of them) have a large screw to undo the trigger guard and the tang of the rifle behind the bolt is Split, with the rear of the tang going into a piece of the tang that is set into the stock - so metal to metal.

Hope that explains it although not very well IMHO.

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Carpetsahib
.333 member

Reged: 29/04/07
Posts: 435
Loc: Western NC

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: 500Nitro]
#155312 - 02/03/10 11:51 PM

What I find most curious is that the magazine box is fastened to the receiver. Also, the forward stock bolt hole is not present. I've never seen a take-down arrangement like this...but what else could it be?

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500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: Carpetsahib]
#155313 - 02/03/10 11:56 PM

Need to have a better photo of the tang - preferably from above.

And also one of the bottom of the trigger guard.

Those 2 photos would tell you.

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kuduae
.400 member

Reged: 13/01/10
Posts: 1787
Loc: middle of Germany

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: 500Nitro]
#155316 - 03/03/10 12:10 AM

IMHO this is the "Westley Richards .318 Light Model with Detachable Stock" as shown in their 1912 catalog. Nice rifle!

--------------------
German foresters: We like sustainability! For merely 300 years by 2013.

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/10 02:04 PM)

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vagrouser
.300 member

Reged: 06/01/09
Posts: 104
Loc: usa

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: kuduae]
#155355 - 03/03/10 08:14 AM

Mehul,
Thanks for posting these pics-I thought they would be timely given the other recent threads on WR 318s. Kuduae beat me to it; this is the "LT" lightweight, barreled action takedown unit exactly as depicted in the press copy. My plate is a bit full at the moment, but I'll try to get some good shots depicting the assembly. Looks like a couple didn't make it through to Mehul.
Bill

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A10ACN
.300 member

Reged: 30/01/05
Posts: 198
Loc: USA

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: vagrouser]
#155449 - 04/03/10 09:51 AM

Ohhh!!! I want it! Neat, neat rifle!

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WVFRED
.300 member

Reged: 17/01/05
Posts: 169
Loc: Charleston WV

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: A10ACN]
#155640 - 06/03/10 02:22 PM

WOW.....I really like this one!

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sbs470
.333 member

Reged: 15/04/04
Posts: 378
Loc: Sheffield Tasmania

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: WVFRED]
#156387 - 13/03/10 08:33 PM

Same as mine, serial number LT 41838. 1928-29 ?

good shooting

sbs470

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Buchsemann
.333 member

Reged: 12/12/08
Posts: 439
Loc: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: sbs470]
#156417 - 14/03/10 05:58 AM

vagrouser,

You found yourself a very neat and interesting rifle Bill, congratulations.

It looks like a bunch of fun and I hope to see some follow-up pictures showing how well it shoots and, when you get the time to take it out in the field, some pictures of your first hunt with it.

Nice, very nice.

Regards,

Buchseman

--------------------
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

- John Dryden

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39677
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: Buchsemann]
#156472 - 15/03/10 12:20 AM

Nice. Perhaps a template for my future .318.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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vagrouser
.300 member

Reged: 06/01/09
Posts: 104
Loc: usa

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: NitroX]
#156887 - 19/03/10 03:34 AM

I'm torn between listing this rifle or a Jeffery double I have too. If this were yours, how would you price it? Freeing up funds for another gun purchase-you know how it goes. Please PM me here. BTW this isn't a FS ad. Thanks, Bill

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justcurious
.333 member

Reged: 17/03/10
Posts: 285
Loc: Germany

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: vagrouser]
#156934 - 19/03/10 08:43 PM

The rifle is certainly nice to look at. Perfect classic lines. Well executed. But there is an important inherent weakness in the design.
The W-R .318 rifles made up on the standard length Mauser actions show always a substantial cut away on the front receiver ring to allow the proper feeding of the relatively long cartridge.
So the upper lug area is imho not a really safe proposition.
Would be nice to see a pic from the top of the receiver ring to show what I mean.

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bouldersmith
.375 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 625
Loc: Boulder Colorado

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: justcurious]
#156951 - 20/03/10 04:07 AM

Well this world needs guinea pigs......and I am offering myself up for such a hazardous task. Seriously, long rounds on standard actions have been done for years with no ill effects. On paper I would agree that more metal around the locking lugs is usually a beneficial situation. That said, you still have plenty of material to get the job done safely on this gun. Now back to your question. I would say that gun is in the 5-7k range. I do not really care for bolt guns, but that one is COOL!

--------------------
New website http://www.bertramandco.com

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pjaln
.375 member

Reged: 08/06/06
Posts: 710
Loc: massachusetts ,U.S.A.

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: bouldersmith]
#156962 - 20/03/10 06:44 AM

rigby made 416,s out of them ,,selbys the most famous...paul

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Huvius
.416 member

Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3549
Loc: Colorado

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: pjaln]
#156974 - 20/03/10 11:24 AM

Agree.
My .500Schuler, 404Jeff, 425WR, and .333Jeff are all on standard actions as well as the 11.2X72 I used to own.
I have never heared of one of these throwing the bolt back. I am sure Westley Richards knew what they are doing when they built this one.
Speaking of which, has there ever been a verified failure in this way?
Bouldersmith, don't care for bolt guns eh? No wonder you think I'm insane...

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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bouldersmith
.375 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 625
Loc: Boulder Colorado

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: Huvius]
#156976 - 20/03/10 11:40 AM

Not insane, just a little mis-guided is all.

--------------------
New website http://www.bertramandco.com

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Huvius
.416 member

Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3549
Loc: Colorado

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: bouldersmith]
#156979 - 20/03/10 12:02 PM

Some day all of my ugly duckling bolt guns could become a beautiful swan of a double!
In the mean time, I will just have to put up with their ghastly looks...I know, it will be hard, but I think I can endure it.

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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vagrouser
.300 member

Reged: 06/01/09
Posts: 104
Loc: usa

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: Huvius]
#157053 - 21/03/10 06:03 PM

Thanks all for the comments and pricing suggestions. I'm away at a conference, but will try to post a few more pics as promised. Undecided yet if I'm going to let this one go. If I do, will post in the Classifieds before likely turning over to Champlins.
Thanks,
Bill

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500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: justcurious]
#157074 - 22/03/10 12:51 AM

Quote:

The rifle is certainly nice to look at. Perfect classic lines. Well executed. But there is an important inherent weakness in the design.
The W-R .318 rifles made up on the standard length Mauser actions show always a substantial cut away on the front receiver ring to allow the proper feeding of the relatively long cartridge.
So the upper lug area is imho not a really safe proposition.
Would be nice to see a pic from the top of the receiver ring to show what I mean.

Yes, your first post as well !!!

Since we haven't had the pleasure of your knowledge and experience, please provide a list of 318's that have failed.
I don't think you won't have one.

And they are not written up in the numerous books as having been "failures".

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justcurious
.333 member

Reged: 17/03/10
Posts: 285
Loc: Germany

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: 500Nitro]
#157091 - 22/03/10 06:06 AM

We need no statistics.

#1. Why used WR the standard length actions ? The answer is : To make it cheap !

#2. Is it possible to prepare the standard length action for the .318 cartridge without butchering the front receiver ring ?
The answer , you guess it , yes . Several makers did so.

#3. Ask any c o m p e t e n t riflesmith to build you a mauser rifle after that WR pattern and listen what he can tell you.

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vagrouser
.300 member

Reged: 06/01/09
Posts: 104
Loc: usa

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: justcurious]
#157097 - 22/03/10 08:06 AM

Hey Schwuli,
Can't decide if the non-issue of the front ring chafes your German aesthete and need to massively overbuild things or If you don't like WRs. If you want to shit on this rifle why don't you start your own thread? When you do that please be sure to show pics of the "butchered" WR front ring in comparison to .318s by other makers--sounds like it would require an extra machining step(s), which wouldn't make it any cheaper. Of course would still like to see pics or written documentation of WR 318s which have failed in the manner you suggest their design makes them prone to doing. Given the enormous popularity of the chambering and the action there should be a surfeit of stories for you to draw on; I, unlike you, do require "statistics."

Bill Shear

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500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: vagrouser]
#157099 - 22/03/10 08:27 AM

I believe The 240 grain bullet was why they did this. It sits out a long way compared to the 174gn bullet.

They all passed proof so they can't be that bad.

I have 3 of them and have no problems shooting them and feel comfortable doing so.

I see modern "Mausers" and derivatives of such with a lot more butchering than what WR did and they survive as well.

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justcurious
.333 member

Reged: 17/03/10
Posts: 285
Loc: Germany

Re: Bill Shear's W-R 318 [Re: vagrouser]
#157103 - 22/03/10 08:51 AM

Quote:

Hey Schwuli,
Can't decide if the non-issue of the front ring chafes your German aesthete and need to massively overbuild things or If you don't like WRs. If you want to shit on this rifle why don't you start your own thread?

Bill Shear

Sorry that level of discussion in "your" thread is too high for me.

L.m.a.A !

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