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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifle Photos & Archive

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Huvius
.416 member

Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3561
Loc: Colorado

Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350
#220047 - 23/11/12 08:48 AM

Made in 1926 for the Maharaja of Alwar.
Boxlock in .350 No.2 Rigby actually built on a droplock action from another gun!
There are a few more of his doubles from the same order out there so if anybody has a good picture of the Alwar signet for the top lever, I would appreciate it. I think it is a bee.

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

Edited by CptCurl (23/11/12 10:04 PM)

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casper50
.400 member

Reged: 18/10/07
Posts: 1461
Loc: Alaska

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: Huvius]
#220052 - 23/11/12 10:21 AM

a westley with a greener safety. See something new everyday. #4 of how many? Do you know the calibers of the others? Very nice.

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rigbymauser
.400 member

Reged: 15/05/05
Posts: 1972
Loc: Denmark

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: casper50]
#220073 - 23/11/12 05:51 PM

Nize!!!..

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375Brno
.333 member

Reged: 18/10/05
Posts: 354
Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: rigbymauser]
#220079 - 23/11/12 06:57 PM

What would be the thinking on the Greener safety? Was used to it on his shotgun so wanted it on his DR?
Rick

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CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5290
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: 375Brno]
#220088 - 23/11/12 10:26 PM

Huvius,

A splendid rifle with a lot of history, I am sure. Congratulations! Have you researched this gun?

Please explain more about the construction. I'm seeing something I've not seen before.

Quote:

Boxlock in .350 No.2 Rigby actually built on a droplock action from another gun!

In the photo above the two pins toward the rear of the action tell me this gun has fixed locks. In fact, a detachable lock Westley Richards has no pins through the sides at all. Compare this .425 detachable lock (photo below):

Yet the action floorplate does not look like a fixed lock floorplate. It looks like a detachable lock floorplate.

Compare your floorplate photo (below left) to my fixed lock .303 British (below right). Huge difference! Yours does indeed look like a droplock floorplate.

Again, compare these to the .425 Westley detachable lock rifle previously mentioned (photo below):

I'm no expert, but I've not seen anything like this. The Greener safety I can understand - just a matter of preference. But what is the overall construction of the action? Is the floorplate removable? If so, we need photos! I sure would like to see a photo of the knuckle with the forend and barrels off. This would be most unusual to find a Westley with fixed locks and removable floorplate.

Thanks for posting. You have presented a most interesting specimen.

Curl

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CptCurl
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Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5290
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: CptCurl]
#220089 - 23/11/12 10:31 PM

Huvius,

Another question. I would be interested to know the treatment on the butt of your gun, and I would like to see the cheekpiece, if any.

Thanks,
Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

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Huvius
.416 member

Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3561
Loc: Colorado

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: CptCurl]
#220111 - 24/11/12 04:40 AM

Should have thought that there would have been some questions about this action!

The release latch is just as one would expect on a droplock:

Here you can see the locks.

It has a Silvers pad and the cheekpiece has been let in for a pigskin pad. I am not sure when or by whom this was done but there is no mention of a leather pad in the ledger. The angle on this picture is goofy making the butt look really short. It has been shortened an inch though.

This gun is #18114. Here in the ledger it is noted that it was made on #17921. Unfortunately, I still need to get that page from W.R. to see just what it was to begin with or if it was ever finished as a complete gun.
As you can see they were all two trigger, ejector, fixed lock, carved fences, with coronet and greener side safety.

He definitely had interesting taste in chamberings...
The two ledger pages I have show the Maharaja of Alwar ordered nine double rifles at this time.
#18109 .280HV
#18110 .280HV
#18111 .270
#18112 .270 (Noted as rebored to .280 and re-numbered #19772)
#18114 My .350No.2
#18117 .280
#18118 .240H&H
#18119 .240H&H
#18120 .360 (altered from #9850 Detachable one trigger)
All delivered on October 18th, 1926. The copies I have stop at #18120 so there could be more on the next page of the ledger.
I know of one of the .270s (yes, .270 Winchester) which has had another set of barrels in .375 flanged magnum made for it.

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

Edited by CptCurl (25/11/12 03:43 AM)

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Huvius
.416 member

Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3561
Loc: Colorado

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: Huvius]
#220114 - 24/11/12 05:07 AM

A few more photos.

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

Edited by CptCurl (25/11/12 03:44 AM)

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gatsby
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Reged: 05/09/05
Posts: 862
Loc: inland valley CA USA

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: Huvius]
#220129 - 24/11/12 09:37 AM

Maybe the plate acts as a service port? Interesting gun. The original owner was quite a character as well. Exiled in '33 for all manner of atrocities. He died several years later and his body was brought back and driven around Alwar to prove he was dead. Placed sitting up in one of the Royal cars someone placed dark glasses on the corpse giving it a lifelike appearance which had the opposite effect as intended.

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"Recoil is insignificant when there is a tiger on the head of your elephant" The Maharaja of Cooch Behar

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Igorrock
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Reged: 01/03/07
Posts: 1652
Loc: Finland

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: gatsby]
#220154 - 24/11/12 07:31 PM

Has this double been made for same person ?

Quote:

"Fine J. Rigby best quality sidelock EJ in .375 H&H originally for Maharaja of Alwar in 1925."

http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions/catalog_detail_shots.asp?Details=46369&sale=327

--------------------
http://promaakari.wordpress.com/

Edited by CptCurl (25/11/12 03:45 AM)

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WildCattle
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Reged: 22/03/06
Posts: 95
Loc: Northern California

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: Huvius]
#220518 - 29/11/12 01:10 PM

That's a beautiful gun!
And 400/350 is a great caliber in the US or Europe.
A few weeks back, I have seen an ad for another WR A&D boxlock with inspection plate (a shotgun). I just can't remember where.
This action looks just like a droplock. Except it's not.
I wonder why...
The carved fences are wonderful.
I wonder what Dupont powder was this proved for. Any guess?
Another interesting fact is that the barrels are just a tad wider than the action. Quite unusual.
How are the bores on that beauty?
Congrats!
WC

--------------------
You know you have reached perfection of design not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Huvius
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Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3561
Loc: Colorado

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: WildCattle]
#220522 - 29/11/12 01:55 PM

The bores are great on theis rifle.
I have seen a two shotguns with the hinged floor plate and fixed locks as well, online, but not in person.
Not sure what you mean about the barrels being wider than the action. More often than not, the extreme outside of the barrels is a bit wider than the action bar. Some doubles have a very narrow bar compared with the overall width of the breeches. If that is what you are meaning...

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

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WildCattle
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Reged: 22/03/06
Posts: 95
Loc: Northern California

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: Huvius]
#220617 - 30/11/12 11:36 AM

What I meant is the action width is just a bit narrower than the barrels.
It's a big action for that caliber. A good thing in my mind. Could be related to the rounded action look.
WC-

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kamilaroi
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Loc: sydney, new south wales, Austr...

Re: Maharaja of Alwar Westley Richards .350 [Re: WildCattle]
#220641 - 30/11/12 05:14 PM

An old WR catalogue I had showed the leather and rubber cheek pad as an option.

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