Milsurp After Hours

Made for the Zuid Afrikaanse Republic as a 577/450 .....i presume!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209006.jpg[/pic]

Westley Richards & Co.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209007.jpg[/pic]

Henry barrel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209008.jpg[/pic]

With .22LR Parker Hale sleeve.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209015.jpg[/pic]

Anyone identify the rear sight?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209011.jpg[/pic]

Front sight says Made in... but the rest is too faint to read.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209014.jpg[/pic]

The woodwork has seen better days. Filled holes in the forend and unevenly spaced holes around the butt possibly indicate it has been decorated with tacks at sometime in its life???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209005.jpg[/pic]

Nevertheless it has a very nice trigger and is very accurate when i do my part.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209020.jpg[/pic]

The rear sight also came with this large screw in eyepiece which i do not like.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209019.jpg[/pic]

I have not started researching this one yet so if anyone can give me any info on it i would be very grateful.

Graham, if this rifle doesnt fit in here, being South African, please feel free to move the post to another forum

Joe

I would like to move it all right - to my gun cupboard

Great bit of kit. Where do you find 'em Joe ?

That's exactly what the top of my wish list looks like.

Wonderful. Do you know when was it relined?

Michael

I dont know when it was sleeved Michael but the barrel is stamped 1898.

Joe

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209016.jpg[/pic]

Very envious Joe, it's a beauty!

Originally a WR (as in Westley Richards) ZAR rifle, chambered in 577-450. Action made by Auguste Francotte (patented too, I might add), and sold by WR to the Boer republics. Obviously, this one has been converted to .22LR (a shame...).

I just plain like these rifles and, being made by Westley Richards, do certainly belong here. Call it a big cadet action - that .22 cartridge must be hard to find on top of that big block!

Sights look like standard BSA (rear) and Parker-Hale (front) sights. FWIW, I am now building a BP match rifle on one of these actions - they are the culminating point in Martini development. Congrats on a nice find - maybe you want to sell it??

I think the date in the triangle is probably the original build date, as Westley's used that triangle marking on the monkey-tail series as their symbol. The marking on the foresight that is partly obscured should be A.G.P. in a triangle formation, so its pre mid-1930's when the company split to become Parker-Hale and A.J. Parker.

Have you got any other proof marks other than the ones on the top of the barrel (the ones in your photo are the original .577/.450 ones), you might find a later set lower down or under the woodwork which might give a date, particuarly if Birmingham did the reproof

Very nice rifle

Nick

Yes the Triangle date is the original build date.

If in the original configuration as a 577/450 ZAR the rifle would be worth somewhere inthe range of $1750 to $2000 USD.

The standard Martini Henry's converted to the .22 go for $350 to $500.

This rifle with this action should be worth at least $750. If the receiver wasn't cut and my .401K was still worth something I would have offered up to $1000 for this rifle

Back when this rifle was converted the idea that this rifle might gain such a collectors value probably was not even considered.

Thanks for the extra info Gents, thats given me a good incentive to find out more about this piece.

Sorry Belgmart, i dont want to sell it

KCLRPC, I will check the proof marks later this week.

Joe

A couple of better pics of the proof marks, no date on the nitro proof.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209023.jpg[/pic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209024.jpg[/pic]

Cocking indicator cut off as part of the .22 conversion?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209025.jpg[/pic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209022.jpg[/pic]

Forend damage.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209026.jpg[/pic]

Forgot to mention the spare sight inserts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... 209027.jpg[/pic]

For a photo of the the rifle in military spec go here..

http://www.militaryrifles.com/SoAfrica/WestRich.htm

and on the the same site pics of the action removed from the receiver...

http://www.militaryrifles.com/SoAfrica/MoreWR.htm