doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Westley Richards by Paul Jaeger

You are very correct in that simply removing the spring on a WR 1897 action will render it an extractor gun. Did the rest of you notice Glenn positioning himself to acquire this action? Is there a Brit falling block safe around him? I'm not so sure.

After viewing the photo's I agree that you should modify as you feel fit.

Ken

I have a question about going the other way: restoring the action to original condition. I am asking because I have a Ballard, which has been in my family for almost 50 years, which has a similar lettering problem. Who does a really good job at restoring action markings? I know there are people who try and engrave them, and others who use some sort of acid etching, but I have no idea about how to proceed or who can do this sort of thing well.

From a custom gunmaker's point of view, do what you want with the action, but trying to make it into something that it is not, would lead to failure of sorts. Trying to mount a tang sight, eliminating the tang safety and ejector along with a target type stock would destroy the virtues without enhancing the results, IMO.

Look at it now, ruined as a British Falling Block sporting rifle, what it was designed and built to be. It could be a very fine contemporary custom sporting rifle, not restored, not appreciably altered, just renewed for a contemporary sportsman.

As said in an early post, it is yours, do what you want, but as a gunsmith I wouldn't want my name associated with what you have in mind, which amount to ruining a singular piece. But neither do I believe "the customer is always right".

Steve (SKB) or Glenn could build you a very fine sporting rifle from the action, but I wouldn't ask them to make hash out of it. My opinion.

Whoever made it, that "tight" pistol grip just doesn't belong on that rifle (IMO on ANY hunting rifle....). But then I never did "get" the 1950s "custom varmint rifle out of a classic single shot action" craze (and I was there for part of it). I was born in 1943, but my taste in rifle stocks is more like 1893....

Now that's not true. I just let one get by without even molesting it. The addition to the shop has tied my hand a wee bit. Which, for those of you keeping score at home, is coming along nicely. The concrete of the floor is drying as we speak. Man, it is going to be nice to have enough room... well, almost enough room.


Bob:

Only three weeks to Lodi? Say it ain't so! I guess I had better cast some bullets. I will look forward to seeing the rifle there. I seem to have lost your email address but if you want to write or call please feel free to do so.

gfewless@tds.net

Best to all,

Glenn

Steven,

I wouldn't be so harsh, as there are lots of people doing exactly the reverse - like taking a former BP target rifle farq (action) and building a sporter on it. You know, those with the special safety lever... In my eyes, also sacrilege.
And don't forget someone already 'ruined' this singular piece...

Now, following rifle is most certainly one that just begs to be ripped to pieces for the single part worth anything, the action:

Barrel drilled with 6 holes, bolt welded in the chamber, buttstock and wood not original (and UGLY), and with extremely obvious repair...
Still, I purchased it - just for the action. And the wood will burn nicely in the stove...

Bob, that rifle could be converted to a super sporter, rebore to a big game calibre (depends on how deep the scope mount hole is, alternative is to have Dennis Olsen reline it, he does high power relines) and then take a lot of wood off the stock, shorten the protruding part of the pistol grip, slim down the forend, reduce the massive Monte Carlo, and rechecker. The action could be remarked by a good engraver or simply repolished to get all the traces of old markings off. It would make a grand .30-40, .348WCF, or any of several Euro calibres like 7x57R, 7x65R, 9.3x74R, etc. etc. Or even a .30-30, aka 7.62x51R.
Or go off the deep end for a .22HP Savage.

Good post Mark. That type of remodel could make a very fine sporter.

Steve, have long speculated about doing that with a 1940s-50s HiWall varmint rifle. If you start with a heavy barrel you could rebore to an elephant calibre, .40 to .50. But this W/R with its auto ejector would be vastly more elegant. The foundation is there. But you have to watch out for scope mount hole depth.