I was at the gun show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota yesterday. I saw this and bought it rather on impulse.
It is a takedown rifle in 318. It was made for Fereday’s in Salisbury, I believe the 12/28 marking indicates the proof date. I am assuming the Bayard emblem indicates the maker. It has an integral full rib and tangent rear sight. Double set trigger. Cocking piece peep sight.
I am pretty sure the stock is not original, at least the Pachmyer recoil pad is modern.
I have no idea what the “WK” in script on the bottom of the barrel means. I haven’t been able to find out much about Bayard. I am guessing it was made in Germany or Austria with the “Krups” and other Germanic markings. The octagonal to round barrel and integral full rib I think gives it kind of a German look, but that’s pretty soft.
I would surely appreciate any further thoughts or information anyone has to share. Opinions, even!
The seller told me he got it at a gun show in Alaska. How it got there from Rhodesia I have no idea.
I bought it because it was nice, with a Rhodesian connection, in a chambering from back in the day.

You passed!

Wow! I love everything about this rifle; especially the barrel.

That’s a great find! Love the rifle and the caliber. Looks naked without checking, though.

It does look like it wants checkering. The grip cap looks like horn, and the fore end may be as well.

The 318 has a great history of being travel sized.

That was a nice score! Looking at the markings gives me pause. The 8 mm and the 60 makes me believe that it is chambered in 8x60 using the .318 diameter (J) 8mm bullet. Before I fired it, I would have a chamber cast made. That is too nice a rifle to take a chance on. The .318 Express uses a .330 diameter bullet and these cartridges are not interchangeable. The action has the Bayard mark of the gun making firm of Pieper in Herstal Belgium. The proofs on the barrel appear to be German so it looks like the action was sourced from Belgium and was barreled and finished in Germany. It is nitro proofed for jacketed bullets and using a 16 gram bullet which would be 250 grains and is confusing as that is the weight used by WR. I am not familiar with any 8mm bullets of that weight. If Alf comes on, he can probably correct me if I misread something. A chamber cast is needed to solve this mystery.

Beautiful rifle! I'd be interested in the findings from a chamber cast as well ^^

It grows curiouser. Actually, 60 1/2 appears below 8mm.
I have found reference to one Wilhelm Kelber, a barrel maker in Suhl, on a South African Gunsite forum. That would explain the “WK” marking.
The 16gr marking, I think, indicates a 250 grain bullet. I think that is perhaps more consistent with 318 express?
Also, I have found an extremely faint “RS” over the muzzle, on the front of the ramp. So faint it won’t photograph.
It does sound like a chamber cast is in order.

I think the 8mmx60 I Bore used .318 bullets. The RS Bore used .323 bullets.

The RS was a rimmed case.

The 8x60J was a rimless cartridge and used .318 caliber Bullets.

So, it should be a 8mmx60RS which used a rimmed cartridge using a .323 caliber bullet. May books at at another house. So, I can not offer anything about bullet weight. I can tell you tomorrow.

The only bolt guns I have looked at chambered for a rimmed cartridge have a flat bolt face, and a notch cut into the back of the chamber to accept the extractor. Being a takedown I get a good look at the breech end of the barrel which is flat with no notch. The front of the bolt looks just like the bolt on my 30-06 Enfield, so I am thinking rimless cartridge.
Interestingly, setting the measurements on ammoguide to metric shows 60.7 mm length for the 318 WR, rather close to the 60 1/2 marked on the barrel. Am I correct in believing the .330 bullet of the 318 WR corresponds to the groove diameter? It’s just possible that the 318 caliber marked on the rifle corresponds to the true bore, or land diameter. I know just enough to be dangerous.
Cerrosafe on order! Got a deal on a Meister slug your barrel kit on eBay.

Thanks,ALF!
I have been to Fereday’s even if I did only come away with a ball cap.
Just tonight I ran across an article on Henri Pieter. His factory was located on Bayard Street in Liege, one of many names he branded his products with. One of the founders of FN! Moved to Herstal in 1905.
Did they make commercial actions, or is this one military? It does seem to have been barreled and completed in Germany, with the full complement of German proof marks.

ALF: Can you confirm the 8x60 RS was a rimmed cartridge.

I am certain it was, but my source is secondary.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:

quote:

I haven’t been able to find out much about Bayard

The mark with name Bayard is that of Henri Pieper of Herstal in Belgium
became Anciens Etablissements Pieper in 1905

They traded under the Bayard trade name and the stamp shown is that of this firm

The top part of the stamp should read Marque deposee and below Bayard the area stamped on the action shows the dude on the horse with the spear.

This appears to be a Belgian Pieper Mauser supplied to Fereday and Sons in Salisbury

Fereday's was on Manica Rd in Salisbury built around 1923 ( it is still there)

During the Bush War Fereday made webbing and kit for the military. Their cloth label can be found in original pieces and much sought by collectors of militaria. So popular fakes now made.

Fereday has moved.

Nice gun.

Mike

Still waiting for casting Metal.
I got the mark over the muzzle to photograph, it is very faint. I am pretty sure the bolt face is not beveled for a rimmed cartridge. Any ideas on what this might mean?

Nice gun, the cocking piece peep is worth a good deal of money and if properly installed to prevent movement they work well..

The caliber is totally nostalgic, and is merely a 30-06 balistically, but with nostalgia and that's good indeed, Im a nostalgic...

You have a nice gun and its worth a good checkering job to set it off...keep in mind that a half oct/half round ribbed barrel today on a custom rilfe will fetch $2500. at least and
much more in some cases, something that many just over look these days out of ignorance I suspect..Don't know what you paid but Im betting dollars to donuts you made the buy of the year..and I didn't even mention the take down feature and there again is an expensive proposition...\

Im ight add its a poor stocking job especially the bottom metal and deserves a new custom stock

I understand the firm brought out the 318WR to counter the .30-06, Ray, and I know 250-grain bullets can be loaded in the latter, supposedly to similar velocities.

However, considering the 250-grain bullet is a bit uncommon in the .30-06, would not the 333 Jeffery be a better comparison for the 318WR, which I seem to recall has a .329 or .330-inch bullet?

The 333 Jeffery has a .333" bullet and I think 250gr was the lightest offered in that cartridge.
Maybe 250 and 300gr options were it, don't recall.

The 318 could have been a British response to the 9.3X62 which, in reality, is a better all-round cartridge for Africa than the 318 and was introduced just a few years before.
W.R. and Jeffery just had to have their proprietary cartridges for the Brits in Africa.

I have finally done a chamber cast and barrel slug. It’s the 318 express.
It has been a struggle, I think perhaps light pitting in the chamber made getting the cast out a real bitch.
Next step is an inspection with a good bore scope.

Ogling this one...

https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=100204677

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
Ogling this one...

https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=100204677

Keeeeerap! That’s nice!

You could probably smell the Africa on that rifle.

The Guns International rifle looks good but with a 21' barrel it might be hard to shoulder most places. . Be Well, Packy.

Sadly, the bore scope reveals a very rough chamber and bore. Considering what to next.

I would try hard to get it to shoot first, if you just can not get acceptable accuracy a re-barrel to original barrel contour and re-use the sights and sling swivel is in order. Nice gun!
i sure do like that one. Does the barreled action come out as one piece or does it have the Westley patent 90 degree turn to remove just the barrel?

Yep, a thorough cleaning and a test firing is in order. Lots of us have found a barrel that was rough, but would still shoot acceptable groups. The chamber might not be bad enough to inhibit extraction, and if it does not and the gun shoots allright, sending it to a pro for a light chamber polish might be an option. Reboring is another option. Hey! if worst comes to worst and you decide to sell it, please keep me in mind, but I bet with a little work you can get her shooting. Good Luck and let us know how it works out!

You remove the barrel by releasing the under for end lever and unscrewing the barrel and for end.
I will try shooting it and see, but will need to make some ammo first. My range is still buried in snow anyway.
It might shoot acceptably for hunting, but will of course foul really fast.
It really surprised me that a rifle so cosmetically beautiful would be so ratty on the inside!
I sent an email to John Taylor of Taylor Machine in Washington just to see what is possible.

I’m resurrecting this old thread. The rifle went to the back of my safe for a few years.
I finally got a decent borescope. Not only is the chamber pitted, the rifling is virtually non-existent. I think the only solution is a rebore. I would prefer a “classic” African chambering, but I'm wondering if 35 Whelen may work. I’m thinking a 350 Rigby will be too long. I’m open to suggestions. The barrel contour is pretty slender, OD at the muzzle is 0.59 inches so not a lot of metal for a larger bore. Reproducing the octagon to round barrel with the integral rib would be beyond expensive, so a rebarrel is not my plan.

My first thought would be to see if I could rebore to 338-06.

If not is there enough meat left at the muzzle to do 9.3x62?

I thought of the 9.3, but not sure it will fit the standard length action. Also might not be enough meat.
I’d prefer a cartridge that was at least extant when the rifle was built.
338-06 is a great cartridge.

Value wise it will be worth more as is than a new barrel of any kind IMO..a rebore to a metric caliber is an option but again not a value option. the stock is the downside but that is fixable by a good stock makerwith and the use of an original pattern...If you just want a shooter then fixer up and go hunt..

As with coins, Indian Objects Winchester rifles and colt pistols its all about condition and originality not the object itself in most cases

The 338/06 is just a modernized 333 OKH.

And it will take the 9.3x62 and it was designed to work in a 98 Mauser.

The 9.3X62 and the 318WR were introduced right about the same year, 1905-06.

The more i look at this rifle, the more I think it was originally a TypeB rifle chambered for the 8X60 Mauser cartridge.
Restocked later in the TypeA style.

How does the takedown work?
Also, the bolt isn’t original so in my way of thinking, it’s ripe for a makeover into anything you want with the collector value being of no consequence.
Could make a very nice usable rifle!

You remove the barrel by releasing the under for end lever and unscrewing the barrel and for end.

I’m really thinking 9.3 if the barrel contour allows.

MY 9,3x62 out performed the 318 and 35 Whelen by a good deal and compared to my hunting load in my 375.

I lved my 318 all original WR. but a cp;;ectpr pf fine rifles just had to have it. He will however hunt with it, it hurt to part with it!!