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3DogMike
.400 member


Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1464
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
James Woodward .450 resurrected
      #357501 - 22/10/21 03:23 AM



A 2 year project to bring new life to this James Woodward .450 Express has come to completion.
Letter from Purdey says the rifle was finished & sold in July 1895; evidently held on stock for some years as surrounding Woodward serial numbers date to circa 1893.
28" steel barrels with Henry rifling, 8lb 14oz, rebounding locks with stalking safeties, fully engraved steel buttplate, 14 11/16' LOP.
Except for the obviously wrong front sight the rifle was in otherwise original state.

This was a collaborative effort with my guy Steve Bertram (bouldersmith) and Aaron Little; Steve in charge of metal restoration, while Aaron Little relaid the barrel ribs and reregulated.
The barrels were separated at the muzzles and had a bodgered non original front sight; rear sight had been banged up, and the ring of engraving at the breeches needed some TLC. A small splinter of wood was missing from the forend as well.
Steve made a proper new caterpillar front sight, restored the rear sight, had his engraver guy restore the engraving at the breeches, then restruck & polished up the barrels and did a 1st class "London" reblack. Steve fixed the forend wood such that one would never know that it had the missing splinter replaced.
The buttstock was a bit "dry" so I addressed that issue with Linseed oil.
- Mike

Shameless plug for Steve Bertram: http://www.bertramandco.com
Aaron Little can be found on FaceBook….(I don't go there any longer)

Before:




After:








]

Very nicely figured wood:




--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 3DogMike]
      #357503 - 22/10/21 04:01 AM

What can one say? - they did a marvelous job indeed.
Absolutely beautiful work.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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tinker
.416 member


Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: DarylS]
      #357505 - 22/10/21 04:24 AM

Looks great!

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4199
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: DarylS]
      #357512 - 22/10/21 08:01 AM

Quote:

What can one say? - they did a marvelous job indeed.
Absolutely beautiful work.


Mike, Daryl is certainly stating the obvious, but Steve Bertram & Aaron Little did such a magnificent job on this old girl that she will be good for at least another 120 years - easy!
What an heirloom to have. kudos to you all.
Hope to see the range report if you haven't already done so.
93x64mm

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bwanabobftw
.375 member


Reged: 29/12/04
Posts: 675
Loc: Texas
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 93x64mm]
      #357531 - 23/10/21 12:28 PM

Congrats on a beautiful rifle !!!!!!!!!! Hope you can do some hunting with it this fall.
Robert

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3DogMike
.400 member


Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1464
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: bwanabobftw]
      #357533 - 23/10/21 12:40 PM

Pretty rough terrain and potential weather here for 2nd season Deer/Elk, probably not risking this one on this years hunt……my Ruger No.1 .338 will be my "go to" at camp this year.
- Mike

Outdoors & flat light, a couple of better "glamour shots" of this old girl:





--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields

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rigbymauser
.400 member


Reged: 15/05/05
Posts: 1972
Loc: Denmark
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 3DogMike]
      #357603 - 25/10/21 07:56 PM

Awful nice express rifle you have there Mike. Woodwards are rare. Some rifles like yours adds value when restored and by this I mean restored correct!.

Lets hear how it shoots. Thanks for sharing.

J

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degoins
.333 member


Reged: 28/02/06
Posts: 435
Loc: SC, USA
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: rigbymauser]
      #357609 - 26/10/21 05:57 AM

WOW...….that turned out great!!!

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260rem
.375 member


Reged: 16/04/06
Posts: 757
Loc: NSW Australia
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: degoins]
      #357620 - 26/10/21 09:30 AM

She definitely came up very nice, and should be a brilliant staking rifle.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39881
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 260rem]
      #357627 - 26/10/21 10:50 PM

I think that James Woodward .450 BPE will be something special to hunt with.

--------------------
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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Aaron_Little
.300 member


Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 109
Loc: Newark, TX
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: NitroX]
      #357751 - 31/10/21 12:29 PM

Glad to see her finished up and back in your hands. One of these days I hope to get to my own .450 Henry Atkin project!

--------------------
A.M. Little Bespoke Gunmakers LLC.
Michael08TDK@yahoo.com
682-554-0044

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: Aaron_Little]
      #357752 - 31/10/21 01:05 PM

Mike - is it marked for bullet weight & load regulation?

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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3DogMike
.400 member


Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1464
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: DarylS]
      #357800 - 03/11/21 06:05 AM

Hi Daryl,
No, there are no original markings as to load or anything else. Just .450EX proof marks. Typical of those days…..

The rifle was regulated by Aaron Little for 300 grain jacketed bullet (Speer HP) and H4198 NfB load. I would not defile the rifle with modern load info engraving (even under the forend).

- Mike

--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 3DogMike]
      #357802 - 03/11/21 07:23 AM

Might ask Curly what he uses in his .450 BPE Purdey's, Mike. I know it's a 300gr. paper patched copper washed bullet. It prints to the sights in both of his rifles. I almost bought one of those - should have. Oh well.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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lancaster
.470 member


Reged: 06/05/08
Posts: 9033
Loc: There's a lighthouse in the mi...
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: DarylS]
      #357814 - 03/11/21 02:01 PM

very nice work

what ever it cost in the end you feel it was worth the money

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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3DogMike
.400 member


Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1464
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: lancaster]
      #357831 - 04/11/21 12:34 PM

Quote:

very nice work

what ever it cost in the end you feel it was worth the money


Lancaster.
Thankyou for the kind words. This Woodward has turned out to be a very successful resurrection to proper age appropriate condition and appearance.
Fortunately I feel that this project was/is worth the reasonable expenditure, and the restoration was not that huge an investment because the underlying rifle was so good to begin with.
It is very satisfying to facilitate bringing a bit of history back to its rightful glory, and this Woodward is now good for many more years enjoyment.
As they say: I am only the current caretaker of this beauty, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to bring it back to life.
- Mike

--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields

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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: James Woodward .450 resurrected [Re: 3DogMike]
      #357834 - 05/11/21 12:34 AM

Congrats Mike

Absolutely beautiful rifle and workmanship... joy to look at let alone hunt with...

Job well done...

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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