The Accurate Reloading Forums
Interarms whitworth/ mark-x
07 February 2004, 17:24
SevensInterarms whitworth/ mark-x
Does anyone have any tips one where to find one of these rifles and what to look for when purchasing one? I want to get a 375 H&H and the m70 seems to have too many quality control problems and ruger is just too heavy for me. The whitworth/ mark-x seems like the best alternative without breaking the bank for a mauser 98. Are there any differences between the two? Is one better than the other? Thanks.
Sevens
07 February 2004, 18:43
Frank MartinezPut a WTB add in the classifieds. I got a 458 markX by doing so a few month ago and there had been a 375 just a couple of months ago. You might also check the SEARCH feature then contact the person selling. Good luck. They are great rifles. I also have a 375 Mark X. It makes the change up and down very much like using the same rifle.
Frank
07 February 2004, 18:53
Matt NormanNot all of the Mark X's are created equal. Some are good, some are rather rough. Check them out individually.
07 February 2004, 20:10
Dave In LBLegacysports.com is the distributor of the Mark X mauser action. There is a list of authorized dealers that will help you locate one that's handy for you. You can also try asking your local dealer to purchase the action from Legacy Sports. I believe they have complete rifles as well including the Charl;es Daly line of imported Mauser guns. I have been toying with the idea of building a rifle or two off the Mark X action myself.
08 February 2004, 02:19
LongShotRXBecareful when buying a Whitworth. I have had two of them, one good and one bad. The good one shot well and functioned well. The bad one had a safety that took hulk like strength to move and an extractor that failed time after time. Come to think of it, the safety on the good rifle was very poorly made. I have seen several on the gun auctions and GunsAmerica.com
Joe
08 February 2004, 04:52
OldsargeDifficulty with a trigger block safety is hardly a problem. Simply replace the shroud with a Precision Metalworking 2-position M70 style safety /shroud and the trigger with a Timney. That will take about $65 and about a half hour with no tools more complicated than a file and a punch. The key question is how the barrel shoots.
08 February 2004, 05:38
MacD37Quote:
Becareful when buying a Whitworth.
Joe
I think you need to be carefull when you buy any used rifle! You will not get a NEW WHITWORTH today. 
There seems to be some confusion about exactly what is a Whitworth, and what is not a Whitworth!
A rifle that simply has a MK X action, doesn't mean it is a Whitworth! Interarms had many rifles bulit on the Zestava MK X action, that were built in the USA, they were not WHITWORTHs! The Whitworth African express was made on the Zestava MK X action by Whitworth in Manchester England, and were barreled , and stocked by WHITWORTH, and the actions are marked as WHITWORTH , on the top of the reciever ring! All had Island multi rear sights, with one standing, and two flip ups, a barrel band front sling loop, and a catapiller front sight! Though the Whitworth was imported by Interarms, The fit and finish is far superior to the INterarms Alaskan, which was put together here in the states, and they are not the same rifle! If the action is not marked WHITWORTH Manchester Eng, then it is not a whitworth.
The MK X action is a dirrect copy of the FN mauser action, right down to the scope base screw spaceing. The Zestava action is built on the machinery bought from FN.
The Whitworth marked rifles were only made in 375 H&H, and 458Win Mag, with a few rare ones chambered for 7mm Rem Mag. I have two 375 H&H Whitworth African express rifles in my vault now, both were bought at the same time as six others, all 375 H&H, for myself, and six of the guys I hunt Alaska with yearly. These rifles were bought in 1985, and not one of the 8 rifles has ever given a problem, and all will print 1" five shot groups @ 100 yds every time! One of mine is in the origenal stock,for dry climates like Africa, and the other is in a synthetic stock for hunting in Alska's insesant rain.
NOW, Jo where you need to be exceptionaly careful is that you are getting a WHITWORTH, and not a INTERARMS ALASKAN! 
08 February 2004, 05:57
LongShotRXMac, I just made a call to the friend that I sold the problem Whitworth to. He confirmed that this is a true Whitworth per the reciever ring. He purchased the rifle as a project and as far as I know, its still resting in his safe un-altered. I never knew that two different Interarms rifles existed. Though the years I have seen some advertised as Mark X and some said to be Whitworth. I wrongly assumed they were one in the same.
Joe
08 February 2004, 06:04
Mickey1I second Mac's post. Ihave had 4 or 5 over the years and everyone of them is a great shooter. Like someone said, rreplace the safety and the trigger and you got a good a375/458 as you can buy on the market. Winchester and Ruger should be as good.
08 February 2004, 06:08
jstevensI also have two, both .375's. I also had one other one years ago, all shot well, especially the one I now hunt with.
08 February 2004, 09:14
Mike SmithI have a 458 whitworth that I dearly love. It will hold 1 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards and that is with my shooting. I am not the worlds greatest shot with a bigbore by any means. It has been pillar bedded and has a Leuopold scope that has been modifified by Premier Reticle to the 4A. It has the express sights which can be used by removing the scope. The QR rings make it a fast process. The only other change I would make although not necesarry is to add a second crossbolt.
09 February 2004, 07:05
John FrazerI found one on Gunsamerica a bit over a year ago.
Unfortunately, while very accurate, it needed professional attention to feed correctly from a full magazine. It's still not 100% with blunt-profiled bullets but I don't plan to use those.
So buy with an inspection period, and during that time, check functioning carefully with dummies of whatever you plan to shoot.
John
09 February 2004, 07:54
ALF.
09 February 2004, 08:07
SevensYou are all being most helpful. I am still skeptic about buying stuff over the internet but if it needs a new trigger, safety, etc It'll just have to take it to the smithy. I have been looking on guns america and have found two 458. I'm still holding out for a 375, but can you guys tell me what you think of these. I'm not totally sure what to look for in the rifle description. Here are the two examples:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976415552.htmhttp://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976375608.htmThanks,
Sevens
09 February 2004, 10:21
David WSevens,
I've owned several of these rifles and my experience has been very good. I own one of the 7 Mags that wouldn't feed when I got it but I was able to get it fixed.
My advice is to hold out for a .375, if that is what you want, and it is definitely a more versatile caliber. I also concur that you should have the rifle bedded, and the trigger and safety replaced. Also, the recoil pads tend to get hard and slick with age, so you may want to replace that too.
All of those that I've owned have been very accurate. One thing that may help as you evaluate individual rifles: Get the numbers that are stamped on the right side of the rear ring of the action. They're usually right at the wood line, so you may have to remove the stock. These are the month and year of manufacture. If you can find a rifle built in the '70s or early '80s it will probably be better assembled than later rifles, and with nicer wood.
Good luck!
09 February 2004, 13:10
steve505I would hold out for the 375HH. My Whitworth in 458 is a great, quick handling rifle with great wood but IMO it is not proper for a 458. The barrel thinness at the muzzle is 0.11", the butt is 1.6" at the width and tapers to just 1.2" one inch from the bottom and weighs around 7 1/2 lbs. which makes for great fun

rgds,
steve
09 February 2004, 13:52
T.CarrSevens,
You need to check GunsAmerica daily. The really good Whitworths will be gone in a day or so. I have seen several good prices on GunsAmerica but they go really fast.
Regards,
Terry
09 February 2004, 14:49
SevensI will hold out for the 375. I am checking guns america daily for a 375. I will probably get it glass bedded, a new recoil pad installed, but what is wrong with the trigger? This rifle will go to Africa with me and probably become my elk gun (my hunting buddies are going to think I've lost it when I show up with a 375, they all shoot 270's).
Steve, did your 458 come from the factory at 7.5 pounds? Do they all weigh this much? This will make one great mountain rifle. Looks like now all I have to do is wait. Thanks.
Sevens
09 February 2004, 17:00
OldsargeSevens,
There's nothing wrong with the trigger,
per se, but it has a trigger block safety built in. This, IMO, is a giant no-no. When you replace the shroud/safety with a M70 or Buhler style (the latter is far easier and less expensive) you have a safety that blocks the striker. When you are wandering the jess with a PH, perhaps a buddy, and a couple of trackers, that is too damned many people to keep track of with anything less than the most reliable of safeties, hence the need for the striker-block version. Once the safety has been replaced, you replace the trigger to get rid of the original dumb-dumb safety because you don't want to get confused and try to turn one off while the other is still on.

10 February 2004, 03:19
steve505Sevens,
my 375 and 458 are the Whitworth Express and came from the factory. I have not weighed mine but was in the bookstore yesterday and the Gun Guide listed the Express at 7 1/2 lbs. The muzzle dia. is the same for both, ie the 458 is the 375 bored to 458, so this could be even lighter. I really like both rifles but the 458 is hard for me to shoot. The LOP feels short, must be less than 13 5/8, and this combined with the small butt

gives me troubles.
rgrds,
steve
10 February 2004, 03:25
mark65x55I weighed a Withworth 375 the overday and it was 9lbs, bare rifle.
10 February 2004, 04:27
fla3006I've owned 2 Whitworth 375s. Both are wonderful rifles, great value, accurate, function flawlessly.
10 February 2004, 08:57
CrazyquikI handled one yesterday, but the stock didn't fit me at all. When I got a good cheek weld (which is pretty necessary for a powerful rifle) I was looking right at the bottom of the rear sight. I wouldn't have been able to shoot it with irons, much less a scope.
So if I bought one I'd have to build up the stock or cut an adjustable cheekpiece or get a new stock, etc.
10 February 2004, 16:11
steve505threw the 458 on the bathroom scale, came in at either 7.5 or 8 lbs (my digital scale rounds to nearest half lb). The barrel wt calc. at Lilja site estimates about 0.5 lb wt loss between the 458 and the 375 bore for same muzzle dia.. I think Whitworth is a better package in the 375HH. The LOP measured out to about 13 6/8 ".
rgds
steve
10 February 2004, 16:29
fla3006Steve, I agree. I haven't weighed my 375 but it seems light and has a small butt, definitely hurts more than my pre-64 M-70 or Brno ZKK-602.
10 February 2004, 18:10
SevensThe weight seems light, but will make it a great mountain gun. If it does become to much in the recoil departement I can always have some mercury recoil supressors installed to give it some weight. The LOP is slightly more than my current gun, but I think I'll get one of those F990 recoil pads installed to add to the LOP. I did an unofficial measuring of my LOP and it came out to 15 inches. I can always get a new stock if worst comes to worst. Stock fit is one of the keys to taming recoil. I'll I have to do is get the gun now. Thanks for your guys' help.
Sevens