To LRF: Thanks for your comment about my book, glad it was useful.
One point that is worth mentioning about these old rifles for anybody who is intending to shoot them. I found and purchased my Gibbs-Farquharson-Metford best quality match rifle in the UK quite a few years ago now. It was in excellent condition but had seen quite a bit of use, and the Metford barrel was clearly a later replacement by Gibbs, and not the original fit. When I took it to pieces all seemed to be well, but being cautious, and having access to a Non-Destructive Testing Lab. I had the action and breechblock magnafluxed. This immediately identified that the breechblock had two radial cracks running out of the firing pin hole. With access to an approved aircraft welder these were soon heliarced, and after being fully dressed and refitted, another magnuflux confirmed that both cracks were now sound. I than took the breechblock to the local Rolls Royce
Aeroengine lab., who heat treated the breechblock to some astronomical tensile strength, giving it a black finish, and I never had any further problems, even tho' I put a few thousand rounds through the rifle in matches, including 5% smokeless duplex loads, which were then allowed, without ever having any signs of excess pressure.
It does pay to be cautious with these old rifles.
Jonathan Kirton
