doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Is this a genuine Westley Richards magazine rifle?

Westley Richards inscription is not shown in any of the pictures.
Both barrel and action have German & British proofs.
Looks like someone poorly bedded the metal.
Per Jon Speed's s/n list, if this is an Oberndorf commercial action it would have been produced in 1913, which doesn't match either date on the action. (??)
There were no pictures of the bottom metal.

If you right click and open the pic in another tab you can then zoom for a closer look.

This is the auction house description.

If this is a commercial Mauser action, it should have the Mauser serial number on the bottom of the action near the recoil lug and on the back of the magazine box. It would be good to check if they match the visible numbers and if not, check that number against the Speed list. If they don't match, that means the visible number is the Westly Richards number.
Mike

Why do you think it is a WR rifle? The action is marked, the stock checkering isn't correct, and the sling eye or stock oval near the stock butt isn't correct.

Ken

Also, question mark in the subject line indicate a question, not a statement.

It is not the original stock to that rifle, look at the loading port cut out. Nothing on the gun looks Westley to me, none of the signature features Westley used.

Agreed. Likely why the poor bedding job.
The metal is what I am most hopeful for.

That said, no picture of the barrel inscription is a concern.
If it is done with "Engraving Pen", my question will be answered.

If that is the case, then I will likely part it out.

Looks like an intermediate action with commercial proofs, always appealing and not that easy to find.

I ended up converting an intermediate length Rigby pattern stock to standard length recently, I had a nice standard length action on hand and did not have the urge to hunt up an intermediate.

It strikes me as just a neat hunting rifle. If it started life as a WR, it has lost many of its salient WR features and gained four extra d/t'ed holes in the receiver, an aftermarket re-stocking (with attendant poorly inletted sight base), and what is to me suspect bottom metal. Did WR utilize military trigger guards with the alternate sling hole in the front of the bow, without re-contouring same?

If I'm not mistaken, Pacific sight products didn't appear until well after WR would have purportedly built it.

If bore condition were pristine I could be interested in it as a shooter/hunter if it were cheap enough to at least edge out a Remington 700 or something of that ilk. First stop, replace the ventilated pad with a solid one, then take to the woods with it.

Hopefully no one thought I believed I found some wonderful jewel of a WR.

Have bought and sold hundreds of Mauser sporting rifles. From basic Bubba built rifles to some really nice customs, even a few by "names" in the field.
Also disassembled and parted out dozens of others.
Have also built a few of my own.

Along the way I have become attuned to the history and when something like this pops up for a "reasonable" price I'll pick it up.
Pull them apart, examine the quality of the work then decide what to do.

Things like the trigger guard don't bother me. Easily replaced or an hours work(not including blacking) will have it looking very "Oberndorf".
The stock is a mess and unattractive to my eye. I have many on hand to replace it, though none of what would be the proper design for an English rifle of this era.

Missed this earlier.
When I clicked in it took me to the post after yours.

Intermediate would be nice!
FN 1924 Mexican actions bring good money.
An clean, unpitted Oberndorf intermediate would bring excellent money.