Mentioned I had something interesting on the way, maybe...

[sestoppelman]

More info to follow...

 

[mdwest]

TEASE!!!!!!

 

[sestoppelman]

Well the nice barrel markings sort of give it away, but the story is as follows and pics will be loaded as I go. I saw this on Gunbroker, the most dangerous website of them all!
Mind you I was not looking for another Whitworth being quite happy with my old .375, but being a militant gun looker, this caught my eye.
Reading the seller description and viewing the pics convinced me that I was looking at an early first year Whitworth Express rifle in .458 Win. Again, no use for the rifle or the round but...

So I got the date code from the seller and its 1974, first year the Whitworth was offered according to several sources. SN is in the very low 100000 range, like possibly number 24! Things I have read from other sources say that the 100K range is the earliest, B prefix like most I have seen regardless the vintage. My .375 is B2704** for example from 1983.

This .458 also has features from the early rifles. One just sold here the other day that was from 1975 and but for the fact it had been heavily 'smithed is the same as this one, but a later SN. Dont recall what number it started with, but it was a B prefix IIRC. Other shared features from early on are the different sights front and rear, different style sling studs and barrel band, and of course markings which seem to vary weekly in production!
This rifle has as shown barrel markings that I have not seen on any other Whitworth rifle, almost Bond St style. Not that this a Bond St rifle, it aint, more on that.

Anyway I was intrigued enough to post a minimum bid of $995 fully expecting, almost hoping to be outbid, nope, I won the bid.

It arrived at my dealer day before yesterday, too late to fetch it so went out yesterday to have a glance. Despite seller stating AS IS no dissassembly inspection, I popped it apart carefully to look at the stock inside, this being a .458. Predictably almost I found issues common to Mauser sporters. What surprised me was a lack of any bedding anywhere! My .375 is bedded at two points, main receiver lug and an extra steel lug screwed to the bottom of the barrel and bedded to the barrel channel. This is apparently a later product improvement feature, one badly needed I suspect. All it has is a single steel crossbolt of the 98 military style that the receiver lug butts up to, inadequate at best.

So it was cracked behind the steel crossbolt and as is normal cracked in the thin web of wood at the front of the trigger well, an easy fix, but more on that later.

Now I actually left my dealer yesterday and went home without the rifle. I thought well Hell, too much money for a project rifle. I had taken several pictures to email the seller and with these I explained the issues and asked for a return and refund. He readily agreed to this, good seller that I have worked with before. But as the evening wore on I got thinking maybe I should ask for a partial refund and keep the dang thing. He also readily agreed to this and is refunding me $300 and I went out today and bought it home.

I have already started in on repairs and its going well so far. The repair will include reinforcing the cracked areas with epoxy and wood inserts and overlays to beef up areas in need, and eventual glass bedding of the main recoil lug area and first couple inches of barrel channel.

I actually like doing this work and have done many, but for a K I didnt think I should have to but for $700 with a rarish rifle I think I can live with it.

Will post as it progresses.

 

[Alistair]

I know a guy at my local range who apprenticed with Whitworth in Manchester in the late 1960's / early '70's.

If it breaks, it's probably his fault, but I'm sure he'll be pleased to see this live on.

This'll be on a fettled Yugoslavian mauser action I reckon, which should be reliable, if not refined.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yeah as far as I know all these Mark X's and Whitworths use the Yugo Mark X action which is a good one generally. My other Whitworth has never given me a moments trouble. This particular receiver is not marked Zastava or Yugo anywhere that I can find. Only Interarms marking is on the right side of the receiver front ring where the SN usually is, which is on the other side on this rifle.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Nice! Can’t wait to see the rifle. I love my two Whitworths.

 

[sestoppelman]

Here is a couple pics of progress. I filled the floorplate hinge gap as its excessive and I wanted to stabilize the thin part of the wood above it. It was epoxied in.
Glued a piece of oak over the thin cracked piece in the trigger well. It wont ever crack again!
Here is the crossbolt with cracked wood behind it. There was a void inside the crack that I found while poking around. This will probably be completely removed and another piece that spans the whole width put in its place to back up the bolt. There is no evidence on the outside of any shifting of the bolt, but the wood there is very weak due to it being a knot!
It will then be bedded all around the bolt and recoil lug area.
More tomorrow!

And yes I know I will have to carve wood out of that thing so the hinge can clear, but the factory cutout is way huge for the job.

 

[Shootist43]

Looks like "you've been down this road before." When you are all done this will make a fine working rifle, and cheap to boot!!

 

[mdwest]

This thread reminded me I've got a couple of stocks I want/need to do some work on..

Just ordered the 16oz acraglass kit from Brownells... Merry Christmas to me!

 

[sestoppelman]

A bit of progress made...

Next up, bedding the recoil lug area.

 

[Randy F]

Thanks for showing your progress. Interesting to see.

 

[nztimb]

Some good fixes there. Nothing like having a bit of hands on and personal in your rifles
Did you orient the grain of the two blocks behind the cross bolt to lie flat and add any glue/epoxy between them? Nice keying grooves in the barrel channel - will you make do roughing or holes to add to the key?

 

[PARA45]

Interesting, and thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see the final product.

 

[sestoppelman]

Some good fixes there. Nothing like having a bit of hands on and personal in your rifles
Did you orient the grain of the two blocks behind the cross bolt to lie flat and add any glue/epoxy between them? Nice keying grooves in the barrel channel - will you make do roughing or holes to add to the key?

Blocks are opposing grain to the rifle and roughed up and glued between and to the cross bolt, this with JB Weld Steel putty. I use it in place of Acra Glas often, works well. Bedded the lug area today, probably pop it out tomorrow. Meantime here is a pic from the 1974 Interarms catalog of the first year offering of the Whitworth rifle.
I have another catalog from 1986 that makes no mention of the Mark X series so by then the Whitworth was being used in all their bolt action rifles apparently.

 

[Deleted member 53080]

Blocks are opposing grain to the rifle and roughed up and glued between and to the cross bolt, this with JB Weld Steel putty. I use it in place of Acra Glas often, works well. Bedded the lug area today, probably pop it out tomorrow. Meantime here is a pic from the 1974 Interarms catalog of the first year offering of the Whitworth rifle.
I have another catalog from 1986 that makes no mention of the Mark X series so by then the Whitworth was being used in all their bolt action rifles apparently.
View attachment 381320

Man I’ve got to get an early catalog now that I have one. Off to GB and GI I go

 

[sestoppelman]

Got mine off ebay, not cheap but its kind of neat.
Here is pics of my bedding job, just popped it out an hour ago, cleaned up the release agent as much as possible. I am pleased with the job, didnt get it all over the cross bolt face, nice clean job.

 

[sestoppelman]

Here is the rifle. Still in need of some tinkering but coming along.

 

[degoins]

Nice!!