- locks really need a lot of maintainance?
- stronger than regular boxlock?

Any disadvantages?

Locks - no

Stronger ???? Why when you have a non solid floor plate ?

Disads
Yes, you could lose a lock !!!

There is just something sexy about Westley Richards droplock!

Well stated Rusty

Rusty is right there is something sexy about the W/R drop lock doubles. However there are some real draw-backs to the drop lock used in the W/R double.

A lot of steel must be removed to make room for the drop-locks which weakens the strength of the bar.

The plus for the drop lock is it’s accessibility for cleaning especially in the field if used in foul weather or dropping the rifle in the river, or any hunting in Alaska or the rain forests of Africa.

For this type of locking system the best is the German Blitz action used on most O/U doubles, which is built on a narrow removable trigger group. In S/S doubles the best is the hand detachable side locks which requires no more steel removable than a screw attached sidelock!

Here shows the massive amount of steel that has to be removed in the bar section to accommodate the drop lock!

.......................................................................

Rusty

I agree.

COST is a huge disadvantage. Not to mention the others already mentioned. Sex appeal is about the only real advantage to modern sport hunters. If you lived in the bush like Taylor did then it might be easier to perform maintenance on.

The droplocks from my Bradshaw 28 gauge.

Nice gun. Yes, for showing off to your friends, drop locks are a great attention getter. Every WR I have seen, the first thing the owner did was say; "Look at this!" and proceeded to drop the locks and expound on the utility of doing that.

In a quality English double would take a drop lock over a box lock any day, and a side lock over both of those. Disadvantages . . . you have got to be kidding me.

Mjines,
I'm with you ,Mike!
Jim

Who wouldn't take a Droplock over a Boxlock !!!

I have two, a DR by WR and a Shotgun that was
rebarreled from an Explora to a normal 12 Gauge.

Unfortunately the phrase "Quality English Double" is not in my vocabulary due to budget constraints.

Just curious since I think i read somewhere that the droplock epitomizes the pinnacle of boxlock design and that it dose not have a travere hole drilled in the action and that this makes it stronger. The bar is probably not a weak link against recoil forces anyway?

Still have problems with goverment here and .500 licence, one of the alternatives I am thinking about oter than a .500 falling block double is .375 flanged Bailey can build on his droplock action. Don't know much about double rifle designs and unsure if the droplock system is just another snobbish fad without practical significance. It looks great though, thanks for the pictures Rusty!

Norse,
Westley Richards patented The drop lock in 1897 so if its a fad it's quite a long running one, and as the owner of a very nice 12 gauge docs is right. The first thing you do is "say look at this". I must say they are built like a Swiss watch.

Auto incorrect sticks again sorry dpcd.

One of the reasons early on for the drop lock was the ability to have a second set of locks should you have problems with the first. Remember it used to take a month just to get to the dark continent and then you usually were there for 30 to 60 days and a gunsmith was not exactly handy!

Oh and they definetly are sexy!