So, you want a .425 Westley Richards (Update)

On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch...
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling

Life grows grim without senseless indulgence.

05 September 2024, 21:34

Atkinson

The beauty of the 425 WR is the action and its feed clips, otherwise Id prefer a 416 Ruger or whatever.

I had a 425 WR that someone had rechamered to a 458 and made the clips work. a beautiful gun and as I recall the smith was Rick Stickley an absolute genius gun smith, but lived in a world of his own!
It had a bull barrel and weighed a ton, so I had the barrel turned down and I milled out the stocks barrel channel glued a walnut cylinder in and milled it flat and enletted it to the newly modified barrel..Looked awesome and it was all but impossible to see.

Like all guns dear to my heart, I sold it to a gentleman with more money than good since and moved on to a Searcy double with my new funds, but still regret that negotiation.

15 November 2024, 07:59

lee440

Well, it has been awhile, time for an update!
I still have not heard anything from Quality Cartridge, they had said there should be a run of brass by late summer, Oh well. Bad news on Bertram Brass, apparently they have shut down their U.S. operation with no real info given, nor any about any other U.S. distributors, but I need to call Raven Rocks as they may pick it up, some correct .425 W.R. Brass would be nice!
There have been other delays on my end as the Area Car shows and cruises and Hot Rod maintainence plus property maint have kept me busy, but I am back on it. The cocking piece peep sight that I tried on it was a little loose an under recoil was moving which led to 3+ inch 50 yd. groups, so I temporarily epoxied it in place, loaded up some of my reformed brass with some of the 400 grain Hawk softs and shot a couple of 1-1/4 to 1-3/8" 50 yd. groups which shows promise that the unknown maker barrel is worthy of proceeding forward by adding a barrel band swivel and finding a rear express sight to put on it. As said before, this action is too pretty to drill and tap and since we have no Cape Buff or Elly's in the neighborhood, I think keeping it iron sighted will work out fine! I have a few nice stock blanks around and after I finish the metal, including opening the feed rails, it will be a good winter project to stock it. Progress is slow but still underway!

Bwana 500 from Australia sent me a file with an article on the .425 WR that is one of the best, information-wise that I have seen, if anyone could help post it here, I would forward it to you as I am not very computer savvy. I would appreciate it and I am sure everyone following this would enjoy it! If you can help please PM me. Lee.