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Does anyone have loading information for 12 Bore Westley Richards "The Explora" Paradox Gun ? Also case dimensions so I can turn up some cases to use or where a source of cases can be found ?

Westley Richards in England could not really help with much more that the manufactured date of 1906 for the gun. They told me from the serial number it was 12 bore and Nitro Proofed. Under the barrels there is reference also to Cordite 730 ??

Most likely Cordite powder and a ball/conical with a diameter of .730 You're a lucky guy.

No, the "730" isn't diameter, it's bullet weight. A Westley Richards 12 bore "Explora" proved under the 1904 rules should say "Cordite, 730 MAX". Is this an "Explora" (2 1/2"), or a "Super Magnum Explora" (2 3/4")?
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Here is a picture of cordite.





This is from http://www.accuratereloading.com

The most full information abot 12G Explora I've found in Markevitch book.
He wrote the bullet for Explora been invented by Lesli Taylor in 1899, in 1901 he modified his bullet and sold patent to W.Richards. The design of this bullet looks like lead body with hollow aluminium or brass nose (hope you know it and saw the bullet).
The weight of the bullet can vary from 730 to 750 gr. The weight of Cordite was 2 gramms (metric), that gived velocity Vo=396 meters per sec. Also Markevitch gives service chamber pressure 540 Kg/sq.cm for 12G Explora.
Also there are must several articles about shooting from Explora in English journal Field in 1904-05.

SJA,
The 21/2 inch Explora shot the 730gr LT capped bullet at 1250fps. the cordite load was probably around 33grs. Some guns shoot standard paradox cast bullets well others don't. G. Wrights book has several loads that might do well in your gun. You can use shotshell cases, I like federal paper cases. How long have you had your Explora, is it a droplock? What are the barrel diameters and how does the rifling in the chock look?
PM

SJA,
Welcome to the Board. Plenty of Paradox fundi in Oz, notably Grahme Wright who wrote Shooting the British Double Rifle, and Marrakai posts here often. The second edition of Wright's book has a chapter on Paradox guns and their ilk, the Explora, the Colindian etc. etc. as made by various in the trade. I believe that Ross Seyfried here in the States is working on the small bore W-R, a 20 gauge Fauneta and someone has written about successfully putting together LT heads for a Fauneta (late edition of The Double Gun Journal??). Suggest you do a google search with the terms "Paradox" "shotgun" and/or "Explora" "Westley Richards" and see what comes up.
Regards, Tim

Can't you just use regular 12ga slug cartridges?

You can but, both barrels will almost certainly not shoot together.

Explora and other rifled choke guns of the "day" used bullets cast no harder than 15-1. I prefer to err on the side of caution and use bullets cast at 20-1. Many modern slugs are cast harder than this and there is a risk of bulging the barrels. Also the "average" bore size if there is one is .735 in these older guns.