HistoricBore
.300 member
Reged: 28/09/11
Posts: 232
Loc: United Kingdom
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Answer: When it is a .310 Cadet! Now let me explain...
One of my Historic shooting pals here in England has just found himself a 'new' rifle for Christmas. It is a small frame Martini-action rifle 'made' by Westley Richards and engraved "The Sherwood Rifle". It is a take-down version where the barrel has a 1/4 turn bayonet catch-type fitting. So far not too unusual.
However it has two original barrels. One is marked .220", and has been Parker-Rifled to .22lr in the 1950s as many were. This one has been used heavily by its farmer owner. The other barrel is chambered and marked for the .310 Greener cartridge (lightly used), and not as I might have expected for the .300 Sherwood. Both have the same serial number. The books tell us that Greener brought out the .310 Greener/ Cadet in 1901, and their deadly rivals Westley Richards responded a year later with the .300 Sherwood, essentially a lengthened .300/ .295 Rook cartridge.
[In case you are wondering, the breechblock can be rotated through 180 degrees to change the firing pin from rimfire to centrefire, plus changing the extractor - clever these old Birmingham chaps!]
So why would WR chamber a rifle for their rival's round? Perhaps it was a special request for target shooting, or because the .310 ammunition was more available? Has anyone else out there seen anything similar??
Answers on a (an elecronic) postcard here, please!
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500Nitro
.450 member
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia
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Because gunmakers were in the business of making and sellng guns,
if the client ordered a 310 cadet, that's what they got !
I have a WR 500/465 !
Edited by 500Nitro (04/01/13 02:12 AM)
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FrankFarmer
.300 member
Reged: 06/08/06
Posts: 172
Loc: Florida USA.
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Sounds like a very interesting rifle, I would love to see photos!
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Caprivi
.375 member
Reged: 30/09/08
Posts: 811
Loc: America's Serengeti, Buffalo W...
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Would like to see pictures of the rifle as well as the "the breechblock can be rotated through 180 degrees to change the firing pin from rimfire to centrefire" sounds very interesting.
Oh' as to the why ??? As 500 said, there was a time when you could get what you wanted.
I have a old client back in N.J. who owns a best WR bolt in .333 Jeffery (barrel is engraved as such, no a re-bore/re-stamping) and a equally nice Jeffery bolt in .318WR........
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To live life as it is handed to me from God
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CptCurl
.450 member
Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5318
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...
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Yes, photos please of this interesting rifle.
Curl
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RoscoeStephenson.com
YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
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DoubleD
.400 member
Reged: 23/11/03
Posts: 2481
Loc: Retired in Oklahoma
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WR built hundreds if not thousands of .310 Cadet rifles to meet the needs of Australian schools.
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DD, Ret.
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