.425 WR---Why isn't it popular?

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17 June 2003, 05:11

Tom Kessel

.425 WR---Why isn't it popular?

It produces more speed and energy than the 458, built on a short action, and a classic calibre!!!

17 June 2003, 05:29

500grains

Rebated rim, if I am not mistaken.

17 June 2003, 05:34

<Axel>

I believe 500grains has it right. The rebated rim would not be such a BIG issue in a PF rifle with inline feeding from the magazine, though!!!

Axel

17 June 2003, 07:55

Robgunbuilder

Rebated rims are not an issue with CRF rifles with in-line feeding systems either! To make a rebated rim work properly from a std staggered magazine box takes a talented gunsmith! Most Hacks will fail on this test!-Rob

17 June 2003, 08:29

carcano91

Has been resurrected.

Is called .45 Blaser now.

See the search function of these boards.

Carcano

17 June 2003, 09:00

<JOHAN>

quote:
Originally posted by carcano91:
Has been resurrected.

Is called .45 Blaser now.

See the search function of these boards.

Carcano

Finally two matching things has found eachother, a over complicated junk rifle camberd in a crappy caliber [Big Grin]

Great

/ JOHAN

17 June 2003, 10:42

Tom Kessel

I had a custom mauser sever years back and it worked great--but--I didn't know whatwork went into the gun for proper feeding etc..
TOM

17 June 2003, 11:38

<Axel>

Robgunbuilder, I agree. BTW, when did you move to Lost Wages! How do you like living there? Is it better than the Bay area?

Axel

17 June 2003, 12:01

bluetick

I think for one reason it was not popular is because it was designed to easily and affordably convert old rifles with a 30-06/8mm bolt face into a dangerous game rifle. This in some peoples mind also equals cheap. That was a hard stigma for the cartridge to get over. From what I have been told it is not all that hard to get to feed in a CRF action. Although I have not seen or done it first hand. Sounds like a good next project though. [Big Grin]

As for today until recently brass has been hard to find and of poor quality.

17 June 2003, 12:49

Oldsarge

Well, you could turn down the rim on .404 brass and reform. Frankly, there isn't any particular point to it these days. Now that double square bridge actions are available at a (relatively) reasonable price, why get a .425 WR when you can have a .416 Rigby? And since .375 length actions are easy to come by, why go through all the hoops of building a .425 when you can have a .416 Rem or a .400 H&H? WR made a big mistake when they kept the cartridge propriatory. Anything the .425 could do, the .404 could do cheaper . . . including being built on a standard length action. Today, its only appeal is oddity, though that's plenty good enough for many of us!

17 June 2003, 17:56

<the-moleman>

As Oldsarge mentioned you can make brass from .404 Jeffery.

Jack Lott used a different bolt in his rifle with the "magnum" .532" dia face and formed brass from .404 cases and called it .425 Lott if I remember correctly. It eliminated potential problems with feeding, but still allowed 5 rounds in the magazine of his original W-R rifle. He couldn't use stripper clips though, which was the primary advantage of the .425 W-R.

Kurt

17 June 2003, 19:39

ALF

23 June 2003, 13:50

Atkinson

The 425 was born a bastard and died a bastard...a non functional, poorly designed and useless cartridge...

A 404, 416 and a host of other cartridges will duplicate it balistics..If I had hone I would simply rebarrel it to something simular...

Even the poor little 10.75x68 is a better bet than the .425 WR, in fact the 10.75 x68 with modern brass and bullets is a neat little Buffalo/Lion gun...and now Huntington has brass for it....

23 June 2003, 15:18

Careful ray..... you know where this leads..... [Big Grin]

25 June 2003, 01:10

mehulkamdar

I guess ALf could answer this better than anyone else here with his encyclopedic knowledge of the hunting scene in Africa, but I think I read somewhere that the .425 WR was the standard game department issue caliber in Uganda for many years.

I don't know if my memory remembers right, and, even if it does, whether the Ugandans really issued the .425 - it would be interesting to know of their experience with it if they did use it that extensively!

25 June 2003, 13:48

ALF

25 June 2003, 23:02

mehulkamdar

ALF,

Thanks - I knew I'd get a brilliant response from you.

Good shooting!

10 July 2003, 04:26

Oldsarge

Damn, ALF,
Only 30-40 rifles for PAC by the game departments? I had visions of several hundred. No wonder so few "classic" Africans show up at the SCI convention booths. That is a very interesting batch of data you release and puts a whole different perspective on the subject. It also makes my .318 by Greener seem like a much rarer bird than I originally thought. See if I ever part with it now! Isn't it amazing what you can find out when you start to ask for quantifiable information?
Cheers,