OldSarge,

I'm too new! No network built up yet, but I know some folks up in the delta that might be able to help. Look up Thad Scott's website: Thad Scott Fine Guns. He's in Indianola, MS and has quite a stock of English and European rifles and "stuff". You mentioned the .404 in another post. My going away present (retirement from USMC after 30 years) to myself of course, is a Jeffery in that caliber. Iron sights. Gets in this week. Can't wait! Drive on,
Fred

Colbogey,
Both a .318 and a .404? Brother! That is the ultimate bolt action African Pair. Only an original H&H .375 together with a .450 NE double (preferably with hammers) could be better. I rejoice in your comradery. How soon will you be heading to Africa? I am taking mine over July 31st.

Oldsarge you are going to love this...



Yesterday I had a good day at the Holt's auction in London.



I came away with a cased Westley Richards 318WR. Built in 1923, dark wood, perished rubber butt pad, (blank)silver eschution (sp?,)colour hardened grip cap, 98 action with "Westley Richards Accelerated Express" in big scroll on the front ring, all matching numbers on the bolt shroud and safety, leaf safety, fixed floorplate magazine, 26.5 inch barrel, ramp rearsight with fixed 100 yard with silver wire then flip up leaves to 500 yards, ramp foresight with springloaded hood and flip up ivory moon sight. Buffalo horn foreend cap. The rifling looks sharp but grubby and wood to metal fit is perfection.



I will get it home with a new Silvers butt pad in a couple of weeks. I may reblack it at some stage as it has seen some use in the Scottish Highlands if the original receipt is anything to go by.



I'll be shooting 250 grain .330 Woodleighs out of this chap at about 2400 fps. Over irons, naturally. Eland medicine!



I have been after one of these for 3 years! I feel like I just found the holy grail. Best of all I paid �800 for it.

Congratulations! When you get too old to see the sights, I'll gladly give it a nice home! I assume there were no bidding wars, as it seems to be a bit of a steal!

Richard,

Congratulations!

I bet that mothballed reloading equipment has allready found it's way out of the attic...

Great deal...I lust for a rifle like that.

Urdubob

Deerdogs, Great find! How I would love to hunt Africa with one.

Deerdogs,

On my next trip to London, I will be sure to track you down to take a look at this beauty. Maybe we can meet at Bisley Camp so I can see it in action. Congratulations, that sounds like a great find!

Tim

Just wanted to get my two cents in!
I, too,just got my hands on a WR .318. Haven't had the chance to put any rounds through it but this weekend looks good. I am a US MARINE manning a desk and can't wait to see how this 1930 model warhorse runs! Got mine from a collector in Missouri with 100 rounds of Kynoch ammo (looks like it was found in Tut's tomb!) Sounds a lot like yours, no cheek piece, metal butt, place for what looks like a folding sight in front of the leaves,ramp front sight with the hood missing, sorta light. I got me an old copy of African Rifles and Cartridges. In his inimitable style, Taylor really sits on the fence with the .318, just like he did for every gun he likes that ain't a double (what a pukka wannabe!). Seriously, I would be very interested in comparing notes. Thanks to USMC, I actually get to Alaska quite often, this year to Kodiak...........

Deerdogs,

Congrats!!! What a great find and a great deal!! I have always thought that the .318 W-R was one of the best of the old rounds. I'm a man of modest means so I have to make do with a rifle in .338-06 which I consider to be the poor man's .318 W-R. I would love to have an original like yours! Cherish it and take good care of it.

Sincerely,
-Bob F.

Congratulations!! Please post pictures of the rifle!

Visiting auctions paus off, it seems..

Boha

colbogey

Great to hear from another enthusiast. I hope you have as much fun with yours as I know I am going to have with mine.

You take care shooting that old ammo and let us know how you get on after the weekend. Sounds like yours might have a scope.

You can get reloading dies from Old Western Scrounger.

Hooboy! Enough of these old sweeties are coming out of the woodwork to justify us forming a club of our own . . . or maybe a cult! Mine goes to Mozambique this August and to Ontario Canada for black bear the August after that. If I don't get a new light built by the following December, it will go to Texas for whitetail and (fill in the blank here) after Christmas. You just got to love these guns! Let us only hope that the word doesn't get beyond the confines of we, the initiated brethren. Otherwise, the price will go up.

Richard,

Great stuff! How does the rifle fit a leftie? Does it have cast-off and if so does that affect you too much?
Hope to get a look at the old girl sometime soon.

-Stu

Thanks Stu


Good to hear from you - and I still have your videos btw. Send me a PM with your address if you want them back anytime soon!

There is no cast off or on, or cheek piece, so it comes up fine for a lefty like me. I can shoot reasonably off my right shoulder so no worries.

Take care.

Regards

Bog

There are some bargains to be had at Holts. Most people go for the high end shotguns but there are a few nice rifles too. There was a H&H 375 take down inn good nick that went for �2700, a .256 Gibbs at �800, a H&H 240 Apex double (Dominion) went for �4k, 6.5x54MS for �200 and the modern rifles tend to be shop price less 30%.

The cataloges make great reading on the loo.

OldSarge,

I'm trying to get the hang of emailing on this system. I just signed up for this site because I wanted to tell DeerDogs that I had got myself a WR 318 and wanted to compare notes. Do I have it right that you have one of these rifles as well? I haven't shot mine yet because I am a little leery of the ammo that came with it, pre WWII Kynoch. Kynamco told me to throw it in the nearest pond. Anyway, if you do have one, I would like very much to hear your opinion!

Thanks,

Fred

PM on the way.

After I bid at Sotheby's last year they sent me another (free) catalogue for the Gleneagles auction last August. Also makes good bedside reading.

Colbogey,
I have a (possibly) 1939 W W Greener in what is described by Kynamco as the African Game Park Warden model. Greener says that the serial number book is so messed up for the Mauser actions that they refuse to comment except to verify that they did make it. It came with express sights but< given my trifocals< I replaced them with a steel Williams peep sight. Graham Greener okayed the substitution saying that they'd put any sights the customer wanted and that the Williams were used back then. What is it like? I love it. Those long 250 gr. Woodleighs at 2500 fps leave absolutely awesome exit holes. I'm going to try it out on (hopefully) gemsbok, zebra, bushpig and maybe waterbuck or nyala this August. If some warthog in Mozambique is stupid enough to come within range, so much the better, but that country will actually be .404 country. Buffalo, ah luv buffalo! I paid �650, if my memory serves me right, and imported it on my C&R FFL from Kynamco. Some day, I'll put a prettier stock with AAA walnut and a ebony forend but right now I'm trying to locate a thong-end canvas and leather sling for it. Several of the brethren have been trying to help me on this with several leads. Know of one? I use 30'06 brass, trimmed and fireformed. Works just fine.

Oldsarge, I am also headed for Moz. the last day of Aug. Where & w/ whom are you hunting? I am taking my new M70 in .404. A new rifle but a great old cart.

I'll be in Coutada 10 the first week in August with Bahati. My .404 is a "modern" Parker-Hale. After we get back, I'll have a barrel band sling swivel put on it and eventually get it restocked in a more traditional style. Right now, it has that ugglllyyyy 50's monte carlo on it, though I did take out the white spacer on the grip cap (shudder!). We'll try to leave you a buffalo big enough to shoot.