"It has long been claimed by some writers that the .425 WR was conceived with a single-stack magazine, with one round placed directly under the other, rather than adopting the familiar staggered-feed of Mauser 98-action rifles.
"Discussing this 'single-stack magazine' concept with the gunmakers at Westley Richards, not one recalled ever having seen an example of a rifle with one fitted. Every vintage example of the .425 WR in the vault here (we have four) has the conventional staggered-feed magazine.
"To set the record straight, we are confident in stating that no such ‘straight feed magazine’ ever existed as a feature of rifles built for the .425 Westley Richards. It may be that the writers of these articles, looking at old catalogue illustrations, with five cartridges shown, held as a straight stack in a stripper clip, mistakenly assumed they loaded into the magazine that way. They don't.
"To ensure the rebated-rim cartridge channels correctly, as it is fed from the magazine, Leslie Taylor incorporated (spring-loaded) twin guides either side of the action. This distinctive feature of the .425 Westley Richards was a clever solution to the issue of making an unconventional cartridge feed reliably."
"These guides can be seen when viewed from above. They edge inwards under spring action, to stop the cartridge slipping clear as it travels upwards. When the bolt is pushed forward, the guides are forced out of the way, where they sit until needed to guide the next cartridge. Not all .425 WR rifles had this pair of guides fitted but the better quality ones certainly did.
"Experience showed the .425 WR (and the rifles built to shoot it) to be very capable. The fast-reloading of the five-round magazine by means of stripper-clip was a boon to high-volume culling operators in British colonies and the combination proved to deliver relatively soft recoil, as well as boasting excellent accuracy and knock-down power."
While the .470 NE sits as comfortably in the breech of a Purdey as it does in a Joseph Lang (the first company to market it) and a .375 H&H Magnum is as desirable with Rigby on the rib as it is with Holland & Holland, some chamberings are now rarely produced by firms other than the one most...
www.westleyrichards.com
Oops, just read above.
I am now disabused of countless gunrag writings about the .425 WR.
There was no straight line feeding from the top of the .425 WR magazine,
whether it had protruding WR magazine at belly or the usual-type flush floor plate.
There was some stagger in the stack, either way.
There was some tail wagging with the slightly fatter .425 WR cartridge also.
Spring-loaded side "lips" at top of magazine at rear of feed rails
allow the rebated rim to ride high enough to not be over ridden by the bolt face.
Combined with proper follower, rails and feed ramp shapes and proper fitting of all:
FAULTLESS FEEDING.
Finn's wagging .458 WIN MAG cartridges were just a little more angulated than the
wagging of the .425 WR cartridges going up the feed ramp.
Faultless feeding with either.
www.riflemagazine.com
