I am building a 425 Westley Richards with the focus (obviously) a DG bolt rifle.

Figure ten pounds with iron sights.

With that in mind, would you gentlemen who have hunted Africa for DG prefer:

a. A standard length barrel, 24-26"(originals were usually 28")

OR

b. a short length, like a 20-21" for the ease of handling if push came to shove.

I do not own a "shortie", but the recent discussion about cutting a 375 to 21" here has me thinking.

If your PH trusts you to go along on a wounded Cape Buffalo, for instance; are you in favor of the 20" barrel? The Buff may appear, at full speed, in distance measured in feet.

A 20" barrel will be about like a good double with 26" barrels.

Two leaf express rear sight, zeroed at 25 (standing) and 100 yards (folding).

Krieger says my barrel will be ready to finalize contour and length about the last week of February, so I have time to ponder the length.

thanks,

Rich

I would go with 25 inches.

A short and quick bolt would be a Ruger RSM MK2 for me.Would that be 24 inches??

Rich

i had my 416 B&M done with a 20 in barrel and love it.

Besides , its not only brush but getting in and out of vehicles and other tight spaces.

I've never felt a 24" barrel was a disadvantage in the field, and some of my rifle have worn 26" pipes. A short-barreled rifle doesn't look balanced, and resale in the future would be compromised. A friend just had a 20" Mannlicher rifle built, and chambered it in 300 Wby. I told him he had the loudest 308 ever made, because that's about what his ballistics would be.

If you want that cart, why not go full retro? Long barrel, single stack, extended bottom metal etcetera.

Boomie,

love to have the extended magazine, but the cost would be staggering...

I would have 24" barrel. For me it just looks and handles better. In fact I am happy with 26".

Ask Saeed as he has shot a few a buffalo and from memory he recently posted he has either 24" or 26" on his 375/404s, I think 26"

I also agree with Biebs on resale value and as you know these things are toys and you never know what the future holds

OK we all know the correct answer is the opposite of what ever Biebs says--

so short barrel is best

I think a lot of it comes down to balance in the hand and what powder you use and at what length are you getting diminishing returns in velocity if you are not going full retro. Perhaps save some money by not using exhibition grade wood since this sounds like an all business project. A PH grade build with 5 down single stack fed from a clip like the original that PH's liked so much.

that is true...

So, what do you all think, 16"?

20"

My .505 SRE has a 22" barrel and I never had a complaint from the five Cape buffalo, four elephants and the one black rhino I took with it. Only the rhino was charging, howevere.

I hope you have better luck with your .425 WR than I have had. Four years ago I sent a BRNO 600 action to Petersen in Prescot, Arizona to be barreled in that caliber, and I am still waiting for it to be delivered. He won't answer emails or return phone calls.

I have asked Lon Paul, who is a regular customer of his and thinks a great deal of him, to intercede in my behalf, but even his intercession has had no effect.

My ex 425WR has a heavy profile 24" barrel and was just a fantastic pointing rifle

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Boomie,

love to have the extended magazine, but the cost would be staggering...

I just recently sold my 425 and I had another WR magazine from an earlier gun once too.
The early one could be replicated without too much fuss. I think I have some pictures saved somewhere if you are interested in seeing how it was done.

I would just give them these pictures and tell them to make this rifle, sans the goofy recoil pad.

quote:

OK we all know the correct answer is the opposite of what ever Biebs says--

TURDS! All of you!

Rich,

Harold had an article in the Hatari Times about long barreled rifles. Send me a pm, and if I have it I'll email it to you.

The best part is you can poke them in the eyes instead of firing with that long barrel......or something like that?

Thanks MJ. Now to figure out who I can convince to make me a similar box...

Rich

Glad you are going with 5 down single stack. I hope you do stripper clips for fast reloads for when you get a pack of pachyderms trying to mow you down

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Thanks MJ. Now to figure out who I can convince to make me a similar box...

Rich

Duane Wiebe?

He's a really nice bloke.

Boomie,
find me some stripper clips for RUM cases. I'll take a dozen.

Rockdoc,

agreed, Duane is the consummate craftsman. Sadly, iirc he is more than a year out on projects. Now, if we could get an order for a dozen or more, he might go for it.

Duane, you reading this...?

Have two bolts and you can do either .470" rim or .532" rim and use the clips for the .470". Since you are going single stack there is less issue with the rebated rim.

true...

Ask, and you shall receive...

Duane called me about an hour ago with the solution. He makes two versions of an extended magazine. One is a .150" deeper floor plate that adds one, and aids in chambering a round. IE, will let you push the top round down just far enough to let the bolt pick up the extra one.

The other is what he calls his "pot belly" version.

He has a few in process, and one will be perfect for my 425WR when they are completed. As soon as RCBS/Midway gets some bullets in, I will send him a few dummies to trial fit.

Things are looking pretty good here.

Rich

English drop points and German side panels together! Now that's interesting!

Id go English all the way..barrel length is up for grabs in that 20 to 24 inches, the size difference being the length of my pocket knife is a over worked question with overly responsive answers...Knock your lights out on barrel lenth, take your pick not someone elses..

My only objection is weight, you simply do not need that much weight with that caliber. keep it down to 8 or 8.5 naked and that's 9 or 9.5 with scope and stuff. you can't tell much difference in recoil between it and a .375 is my take having shot both a good deal.

I prefer one standing at 100 sighted in two inches high at 100, but again to each his own.

I do have a unusual front rear sight combination in that I like a gold faced partridge in conjunction with a shallow V rear and I take a flush ( like with a pistol) sight picture..It's fast as can be like a receiver sight is and accurate to a fault..The Texas rangers used this system and its on my granddads SRC and Ive been using it for years..it simply works like a charm and beats the socks off beads ,that tends to move POI depending on the sun and light conditions.

I like the thick floor plate that is cut out and will allow you to take an extra round, but the old drop box is nostalgic and certainly a good option, either of which would suit me fine.

I prefer 16 to 20" on my BIG STUFF but 20-22" is a Great Compomise... (21"?!) Drop "belly" mag is worth the extra cost as it just looks so kool! (Give up liquor or something to cover cost!) Also,Ray is right...keep it under 9pds unscoped...Good Luck!

NOTE: ten pounds ready to hunt Buffalo.