My visit Westley Richards

15 June 2014, 16:28

Guys,
I was in the Uk last November on a 3 week shoot for Driven Grouse , Pheasant and Partridge. We travelled throughout the Uk and I made an appointment to meet the WR guys to discuss a new Double rifle and look through the factory workshop etc.
I also went to Purdeys and H&H as well, but more on that later.
i'll post some photos of the visit at Birmingham .

15 June 2014, 23:44

The Norwegian

A pity that WR rifles are so f.... expensive

16 June 2014, 01:38

Bockhunter

quote:
Originally posted by The Norwegian:
A pity that WR rifles are so f.... expensive

I dont think so sir.

Wr has the best Price-for-value from the complete english gun makers.

You get an great drop lock (witch is very unique in my opinion) for an good price.

16 June 2014, 01:50

The Norwegian

quote:
Originally posted by Bockhunter:
quote:
Originally posted by The Norwegian:
A pity that WR rifles are so f.... expensive

I dont think so sir.

Wr has the best Price-for-value from the complete english gun makers.

You get an great drop lock (witch is very unique in my opinion) for an good price.

Maybe you are correct sir, but what is a good price ? A brand New WR Drop Lock from factory starts at 59.500 English pounds ( approx 99.000,- US dollars ) and a Fixed Lock starts at 39.500 English pounds ( approx 65.800,- US dollars )

For that Drop Lock you can hunt tuskless almost 7 times With CMS ! I Guess 7-8 times when all the add ons on the rifle is included !

So the expression Good Price does have a flexible meaning I should guess !?

16 June 2014, 18:18

nickh

Bockhunter,
you are absolutely correct in that the WR Droplock is the best value bespoke double on the market today when comparing the big 3 UK manufacturers.
Morten you are also correct in that it is difficult to justify so much money as value!
But they are not for everyone, that's for sure.
There have only been approx. 45-50 Droplock 577 ever built!!! There rarity, exclusivity and bespoke nature I feel justify the cost.

They impressed me so much more than Purdey or Holland, and so they got my business.

Now I'm waiting for about 30 months till delivery.

The rifles in the photo are all drop locks.
The one in the case was a just finished and packed 500 going to a Canadian .
The matched pair are also new and in 470.
The two others are the famous Sutherland 577 that WR re acquired and the other is a left handed 577 belonging to an Arab Sheik with some special extra engraving etc.

Cheers

NIck

17 June 2014, 06:27

Rockdoc

Thanks for the post.

Great rifles and the photographs give some idea of the atmosphere of the shop.

On my to do list

Best wishes, Chris

17 June 2014, 07:59

cal pappas

Good thing Shootaway does not see this post. All here would face his anger and his verbal attack on the difference between garbage and (his) quality rifle(s).
Cheers, mates.
Cal

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17 June 2014, 15:11

mboga biga bwana

quote:
Good thing Shootaway does not see this post. All here would face his anger and his verbal attack on the difference between garbage and (his) quality rifle(s).Cheers, mates.Cal

17 June 2014, 16:58

The Norwegian

quote:
Originally posted by nickh:
Bockhunter,
you are absolutely correct in that the WR Droplock is the best value bespoke double on the market today when comparing the big 3 UK manufacturers.
Morten you are also correct in that it is difficult to justify so much money as value!
But they are not for everyone, that's for sure.
There have only been approx. 45-50 Droplock 577 ever built!!! There rarity, exclusivity and bespoke nature I feel justify the cost.

They impressed me so much more than Purdey or Holland, and so they got my business.

Now I'm waiting for about 30 months till delivery.

The rifles in the photo are all drop locks.
The one in the case was a just finished and packed 500 going to a Canadian .
The matched pair are also new and in 470.
The two others are the famous Sutherland 577 that WR re acquired and the other is a left handed 577 belonging to an Arab Sheik with some special extra engraving etc.

Cheers

NIck

Nick,

please do not get me wrong; if I had the money I would order one myself !

One day maybe ...

17 June 2014, 17:19

Bill/Oregon

Thanks for the thread and the photos Nick. What a great experience, and something I can only dream of.

18 June 2014, 03:48

Use Enough Gun

Appreciate the pics!

18 June 2014, 07:45

Rusty

I am jealous! Thanks for sharing. I don't suppose you found a "spare" W.J Jeffery in 400 Jeffery laying about?

Rusty
We Band of Brothers!
DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member
"I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends."
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"I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841
"for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”

18 June 2014, 21:11

Milo Shanghai

quote:
Originally posted by Bockhunter:
quote:
Originally posted by The Norwegian:
A pity that WR rifles are so f.... expensive

I dont think so sir.

Wr has the best Price-for-value from the complete english gun makers.

You get an great drop lock (witch is very unique in my opinion) for an good price.

Try Marc Newton at Rigby. I visit them quite regularly and they are doing some special work for what I think are very reasonable prices.

19 June 2014, 00:29

The Norwegian

Milo, what exactly do you have in mind ? A new Rigby or a used rifle that Mr Newton has got as downpayment on a new Rigby ?

Morten

19 June 2014, 11:33

nickh

When I spoke to the Rigby guys at SCI, they werE only
focusing on bolt action rifles, no doubles in the short term.

If different , I'd sure like to look at a rising bite !!!

Cheers

Nick

19 June 2014, 23:59

The Norwegian

May I ask what a Rising bite is ?

Morten

20 June 2014, 00:05

PSmith

Re Rising Bite action From Mr. Hallowell's website:

http://www.hallowellco.com/rising_bite.htm

Paul Smith
SCI Life Member
NRA Life Member
DSC Member
Life Member of the "I Can't Wait to Get Back to Africa" Club
DRSS
I had the privilege to fire E. Hemingway's WR .577NE, E. Keith's WR .470NE, & F. Jamieson's WJJ .500 Jeffery
I strongly recommend avoidance of "The Zambezi Safari & Travel Co., Ltd." and "Pisces Sportfishing-Cabo San Lucas"

"A failed policy of national defense is its own punishment" Otto von Bismarck

20 June 2014, 02:16

The Norwegian

Paul, thanks for the explanation of Rising bite

20 June 2014, 04:54

PSmith

I would like to win a really big lottery, buy every Rigby Rising Bite rifle I could, hunt all over the world with them, and then write a book about them with lots of photos. It is a marvel of gun making as Morris Hallowell said on his site.

20 June 2014, 12:34

nickh

Yep,
I put the rising bite action as used by Rigby and the WR Droplock at the top of the tree when it comes to double rifles.

Cheers

Nick

20 June 2014, 14:07

Milo Shanghai

Hi Morten,

The double I played with in the white (.470 I think) handled well and I dare say could be had for a keen price even when finished. It might, however, be difficult to argue that it would be a true Rigby-built gun and certainly would not look like one as it had a standard bolstered action.

Whilst the firm is currently committed to delivering the impressive number of orders they have for their bolt guns, I imagine that Marc would not require much encouragement to get stuck into making doubles.

I enjoy every visit to their premises as the atmosphere of optimism and energy is very refreshing for someone used to the predominantly dour and negative London gun trade over the last thirty years, Watson Bros probably excepted.

Marc is doing a great job leading the team, in my humble opinion, and I look forward to seeing the company continue to establish itself as a major player once more.

Best wishes,
Milo.

quote:
Originally posted by The Norwegian:
Milo, what exactly do you have in mind ? A new Rigby or a used rifle that Mr Newton has got as downpayment on a new Rigby ?

Morten

20 June 2014, 15:02

Milo Shanghai

They are even further forward with this than I thought. Below from Rigby Blog regarding their production of the Rigby Bissell rising bite double.

"There are currently 21 rifles in production in .470 and .500 nitro calibres, with many already reserved and bought by collectors, big game hunters and Rigby enthusiasts."

http://www.johnrigbyandco.com/blog.html

20 June 2014, 17:44

The Norwegian

At 95.000 pounds for a Rising Bite.. approx 160.000 US dollars... I think I buy a WR Drop Lock and 4 tuskless hunts ....

20 June 2014, 23:47

Milo Shanghai

quote:
Originally posted by The Norwegian:
At 95.000 pounds for a Rising Bite.. approx 160.000 US dollars... I think I buy a WR Drop Lock and 4 tuskless hunts ....

I don't think you are comparing like-for-like in those two choices of maker or product and buying a rifle and paying for hunting is not an either/or situation for many people.

In any case, I may be getting a bit ahead of myself as I have not seen the new iteration of the Rigby rising bite in DR form. Once I have had my hands on one I might be in a better position to comment.