With all the retro stuff, why isn't the 425WR more popular, capt david

quote:

Originally posted by captdavid:
With all the retro stuff, why isn't the 425WR more popular, capt david

People just don't ralize what it can do. Also, there are some rifles floating around that don't feed properly.

I would say because it has a bad reputation and that has held it back. Including stories of being refused and resignations by men, other men killed, the rebated rims cause gun jams. etc,. Its all out there if you Google it up right. I am sure it can be made to work but it has more 'negative' nostalgia , bad karma going against it, rather than good history.

The 500 Jeff suffered from some of the same bad reputation issues too but much lesser extent. Maybe due to only 25 guns built or better builder or the single stack magazine? It overcame any stigma, so who knows maybe its time for the 425. The 500 Jeff, by ever so tiny a margin, was listed as the "most powerful" in some books for many years and I think that really boosted it.

All these rebated wonders suffer from the same problem is that they only exist as a low cost short cut too pack 10 pounds of crap into a 5 pound bag.

Also cases are hard to come by and only 1 comnpany makes bullets its a tack driver but offers nothing over the 404 jeff or 416

the case is ugly and doesn't have enough panash to be built anyway .. you don't read finn or harry and their 425wr do you?

this is why the rigby, TODAY is more popular .. it was not at the time, as the 404 (and 10,75x68) were the leaders...

Thoroughly enjoy mine.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...043/m/2401009921/p/1

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Thoroughly enjoy mine.
http://forums.accuratereloadin...043/m/2401009921/p/1

That's because you are from Oz.

I had a Westley Richards 425 WR and it was a fine well balanced rifle that hit hard. I had trouble with the cases at that time. My son has the rifle now and was able to form cases out of 375 RUM cases:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=732105015#732105015

He worked up some fine loads. This is a sweet rifle!

Hi Doc.

Hi Tony.. I subscribe to your posts and missed them for a while; you must have been hunting.

I think the 425 has had a bad rap here. I had trouble with the Bell cases and had Betram send me up 20 cases which worked fine with loads going 2400 fps. The formed cases from 375 RUM cases can go that and more if one thought it was necessary. My son is waiting for the chance to try it out in Africa. Glad to see you are back on the Forum.

The rebated case was so it could be reloaded with stripper clips . . A lot of men liked the round and rifles . But it wasn,t cool I guess . I,m not saying it is better than the 416 . But when it came out it was the cats meow .

I agree with the Ozhunter that Westley Richards rifle is great.

I picked up mine at a SCI convention. The minute I picked it up, it felt just right. I think it may have been a Parks gun from Zimbabwe but was in very good condition with a drop box magazine and fed like a dream and shot accurately.

Since I had trouble with the Bell cases, I could not get it ready for a scheduled hunt in Africa. I then bought one of the early Ruger 418 Rigbys and had to have a lot of work done to it to make it more functional.

Barrel band, new front sight, new quarter rib with Talley mount milled into it, extra lug, trigger work, action polished and honed, bolt handle lengthened, a bigger knob put on the safety so I could more easily flick it on and off etc. That rifle shot well and did the job but was klunky to carry and not as balanced and sleek as the Westley Richards 425 rifle.

Probably due to the 375 H&H domination and the number of rounds and ease of availability in comparison to the 425. Also the 416 Rigby and 416 Rem are very popular. I owned a lovely 425 droplock for some time and its a wonderful classic proprietary cartridge.

I have a very nice 1950's WR 425 that feeds and shoots with the best of them. It's the plain model but I love it.

Gary
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