Whitworth

[John Wasmuth]

Never had one that wouldn’t shoot, strong, reliable and dependable rifles.

 

[MHYOUNG 375]

That's one of the nicest Whitworth I've seen and the package with the scope is perfection for an all-around safari rifle. If it says Birmingham on the barrel, it's worth a little more.

 

[etsonaut]

@Coues106

 

[Stamp Collector]

Sold.

Thank you all for your interest.

 

[gearguywb]

Thank goodness!

 

[Freetrade]

Had that had only been a 458…..sigh

 

[deewayne2003]

Can someone please educate me on Whitworth rifles? I don't know their reputation or really much of anything about them.

Zastava Mausers imported to Birmingham, stocked, finished and sights installed then imported to USA and others.

The owner of Interarms was a master of dodging tariffs and duties and the only flaws in these rifles were the flimsy safety and trigger.

The rifle shown and sold here was a rifle that was much more than the sum of its parts and if I hadn’t just finished a .375H&H BRNO build I’d bought it.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yep, it was a good buy for sure.

 

[Grandpa Moose]

All the bells and whistles ... except only one crossbolt? Whoever buys it should check for a second internal one between box and trigger. If none then one should be added. A very easy fix anyone can do with a Dremel tool, tube of JB Weld, and 1/4" threaded rod. That is too pretty a piece of wood to risk cracking.

It's an unbelievable price. I built my 404 on Czech 98 Mauser with all the same improvements and did most of the work myself. Still had almost $3K into it.

There is an internal reinforcement ahead of the cross bolt in-front of recoil lug Nothing else needed. I have one personally you need to actually investigate

 

[ElevenBravo]

Is this the same Whitworth that made the hexagonal-bored rifles during the Civil War?

 

[farmer_john]

Oh I’m looking at it for sure @Dublinpiper90, thanks for the tag. Out of my budget but the extra work done makes it seem worth it. Decisions decisions….

id say its a hard deal to beat any 375 and up for that price.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

There is an internal reinforcement ahead of the cross bolt in-front of recoil lug Nothing else needed. I have one personally you need to actually investigate

If "nothing else needed" then why does Winchester Model 70 Safari Express and Kimber Caprivi come equipped from the factory with two crossbolts? You will note the rifle had a Timney trigger upgrade and as I'm sure you also know they require removing significant extra wood inside the stock. You have seen my 404 (in person). The fancy stock was secondhand off Gunbroker. It had obviously been outfitted for a large caliber African rifle: the barrel trough was for a heavy caliber and only one sling swivel at butt ( = African barrel band swivel forward). Curiously, no crossbolts. Not so curiously, cracks had started inside the stock both ahead of and rear of magazine box. I bedded it properly fore and aft and added two Winchester crossbolts.

This fella's stock is an even nicer piece of wood than mine. I am surprised a gunsmith would do that much work modifying the gun but apparently did not take preventative measures to keep the stock from cracking (he may have added an internal crossbolt). I advised it and I think it's good advice.

 

[farmer_john]

Is this the same Whitworth that made the hexagonal-bored rifles during the Civil War?

If "nothing else needed" then why does Winchester Model 70 Safari Express and Kimber Caprivi come equipped from the factory with two crossbolts? You will note the rifle had a Timney trigger upgrade and as I'm sure you also know they require removing significant extra wood inside the stock. You have seen my 404 (in person). The fancy stock was secondhand off Gunbroker. It had obviously been outfitted for a large caliber African rifle: the barrel trough was for a heavy caliber and only one sling swivel at butt ( = African barrel band swivel forward). Curiously, no crossbolts. Not so curiously, cracks had started inside the stock both ahead of and rear of magazine box. I bedded it properly fore and aft and added two Winchester crossbolts.

This fella's stock is an even nicer piece of wood than mine. I am surprised a gunsmith would do that much work modifying the gun but apparently did not take preventative measures to keep the stock from cracking (he may have added an internal crossbolt). I advised it and I think it's good advice.

Why are you always so negative.

If "nothing else needed" then why does Winchester Model 70 Safari Express and Kimber Caprivi come equipped from the factory with two crossbolts? You will note the rifle had a Timney trigger upgrade and as I'm sure you also know they require removing significant extra wood inside the stock. You have seen my 404 (in person). The fancy stock was secondhand off Gunbroker. It had obviously been outfitted for a large caliber African rifle: the barrel trough was for a heavy caliber and only one sling swivel at butt ( = African barrel band swivel forward). Curiously, no crossbolts. Not so curiously, cracks had started inside the stock both ahead of and rear of magazine box. I bedded it properly fore and aft and added two Winchester crossbolts.

This fella's stock is an even nicer piece of wood than mine. I am surprised a gunsmith would do that much work modifying the gun but apparently did not take preventative measures to keep the stock from cracking (he may have added an internal crossbolt). I advised it and I think it's good advice.

Why are you always so negative about everything.

 

[Grandpa Moose]

If "nothing else needed" then why does Winchester Model 70 Safari Express and Kimber Caprivi come equipped from the factory with two crossbolts? You will note the rifle had a Timney trigger upgrade and as I'm sure you also know they require removing significant extra wood inside the stock. You have seen my 404 (in person). The fancy stock was secondhand off Gunbroker. It had obviously been outfitted for a large caliber African rifle: the barrel trough was for a heavy caliber and only one sling swivel at butt ( = African barrel band swivel forward). Curiously, no crossbolts. Not so curiously, cracks had started inside the stock both ahead of and rear of magazine box. I bedded it properly fore and aft and added two Winchester crossbolts.

This fella's stock is an even nicer piece of wood than mine. I am surprised a gunsmith would do that much work modifying the gun but apparently did not take preventative measures to keep the stock from cracking (he may have added an internal crossbolt). I advised it and I think it's good advice.

Untill you actually see the. Whitworth setup you’re constant criticism is mute. Ther have a blind second setup

 

[Buckums]

I have only blocked or ignored one member on this wonderful forum. One guess who it is...

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Why are you always so negative.
Why are you always so negative about everything.

What are you reading? This is an exceptional rifle with exceptional wood (sold for an exceptionally low price). I advised the owner to check and see if it has an internal crossbolt behind the magazine. If not, he should consider adding one, especially as he knows it's had a Timney trigger upgrade which requires removing extra wood in that area. It's possible (likely?) the person who did the upgrades already added a second internal crossbolt which would not be visible without removing the action. Weatherby pioneered this concept. Ever noticed how their fancy shoulder busting magnums have no external crossbolts? If I was the one doing the trigger job on a beautiful gun like this, I would not let it leave the shop without a second crossbolt. Adding a second external crossbolt would be significantly more complicated. First, a crossbolt needs to be found that matches the existing one or the gun will look goofy. Then the stock must be PERFECTLY aligned when the pilot hole for crossbolt is drilled. Then, if a square lug crossbolt is used, a special jig and bit is needed to shape the hole to match the crossbolt. I used round Winchester crossbolts on my project and drilled from both sides of the stock to meet in the middle. This was to prevent bit from wandering. Holes on both sides were started with forster bit the size of crossbolt head and finished with conventional drill the width of crossbolt shaft. The holes were only slightly off when they met in the center and easily aligned with a small rattail file. Installing internal crossbolts would have been much easier but as I stated above, the stock was already starting to crack fore and aft of the magazine box. I just didn't trust internals to hold it together. The first stock for that rifle was only rough partially complete. But it did come with one crossbolt already installed ahead of the box. Finding another to match was too much hassle so I did install an internal one behind the box. Very easy. The second stock had a much thinner wrist which required some mods to receiver screw and slight shortening of mag box walls. I added a steel rod through the stock wrist for added reinforcement. Not a project for the faint of heart but something the owner of this gun should consider given the high quality of the stock. Again, it may have been done. Owner can remove the action and pistol grip cap. Evidence of hole drilled for the rod will be visible at either the end of the tang or the bottom of the pistol grip. Owner should also check to make sure stock is slightly rebated from end of tang to prevent cracking in that area.

This is all helpful advice to ensure this beautiful gun is preserved. It's not "negative." You only think so because you're looking out your rectum while reading. Admittedly, it's a pretty wide field of view.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Untill you actually see the. Whitworth setup you’re constant criticism is mute. Ther have a blind second setup

Again, suggesting that the owner consider adding a second crossbolt IF it doesn't have one is hardly "criticism." It obviously does not have an external one. It may have an internal one. Some 375 rifles have no visible crossbolts and some only have one (e.g. Rigby). And some break the stocks because they don't have enough reinforcement. Military Mausers in much punier calibers had at least one external crossbolt ahead of the box ... but only one. No internal one. And they also did not have voluminous Timney triggers installed.

If the owner's gun wore a more modest piece of wood, I would say "whatever." But he has something special and I think he should consider precautions to ensure it doesn't get damaged. If you think that is criticism ... you need to spend more time in Sunday School.

P.S. Also, this Whitworth originally had a factory side mount trigger blocking safety (you can see the slot for it still in the stock). Those required removing even more wood in the critical area inside the stock than the regular Timney or military Mauser striker safeties, like the ones on both my rifles. But of course you would know trigger block safety eats up more wood ... because you're a retired gunsmith, right?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The weakest part of any rifle stock is the area surrounding the magazine box. That is a given because clearly far and away that is where the wood is thinnest. Therefore, that is where the wood is most likely to flex outward during recoil. The object of one crossbolt ahead of the magazine box is to strengthen the stock immediately behind the recoil lug attached to action where the barrel adjoins. The purpose of two crossbolts is to stabilize, as much as possible, the nearly vacant stock area around the magazine box. Reinforcing only the front of the box simply holds that end together but does nothing to keep the thin walls of stock behind it from flexing outward. If the thin magazine area of stock is allowed to flex outward, a crack can start in the stock at back of the box where flexing is compelled to stop, especially if this area has been weakened by adding a custom adjustable trigger that requires removing extra wood. A second crossbolt simply minimizes flexing in the critical magazine area and allows the energy otherwise lost in flexing to be transferred back to thicker parts of the stock better equipped to handle the stress.

 

[MHYOUNG 375]

Guys,

Whitworths are on the heavy side for 375 thus reducing recoil. I've owned Whitworths and shot buffalo and elephant with them. I don't find the recoil abusive at all. Even though I understand what Ontario Hunter is saying I really don't think the rifle needs extra cross bolts. JMO!

Mark