Double Rifles 577

Typical British Custom Made Box Lock Double Barreled Rifle. These are custom built to any caliber and to customer's specifications. Externally and internally they closely follow the shotgun design of the individual manufacturer.

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Rigby: Both side plate and box lock actions. Customary calibers: .275 Magnum, .350 and .470. Made in other calibers to order.

Westley Richards: Standard W-R actions with simple firing mechanism consisting of only 7 pieces. Made as a "miniature" weighing 7.25 pounds in Caliber .300 Sherwood for small game; and in standard models weighing about 10.75 lbs. A common caliber is the .450-400 Magnum.

Woodward: Standard pattern with side plate locks. Made in any caliber from .303 up. Under lever operation.

Pre-World War II Boh Action Magazine Rifles

These are all based on Enfield, Mauser, Mannlicher or Ross actions. The following are typical models:

B.S.A.: Sporting rifles on Enfield actions, usually in .303 or .315 calibers.

Gibbs: Mauser actions. The Calibers .30-06 U.S. and .505 Gibbs are best known.

Greener: Mauser actions. Calibers .30-06 U. S. and .318 Nitro Express are best known.

Jeffery: Mauser actions. Calibers are customarily: .333 Jeffery, .375 Magnum, .404 Jeffery and .500 Jeffery. Modified magazine. Note: Jeffery has also built rifles on Mannlicher actions.

Holland & Holland: Mauser actions. Calibers: .240 Apex, .300 Magnum and .375 Magnum.

Rigby: Mauser actions. Calibers: .275, .350 and .416.

Westley Richards: Mauser actions, modified magazines, (a) Flush magazine in caliber .242 Vickcrs Super Express and .318 (b) Projecting magazine in caliber .425 Magnum Express,

Semiauto and Slide Actions

B. S. A. manufactured an ingenious but expensive .22 semiauto "Ralock" rifle.

This B.S.A. "Ralock" derives its name from the fact that the bolt moves radially and does not reciprocate. The design is fully enclosed. This is a "slam fire" design, the rifle firing as the bolt turns up against the breech face. Empty cases are held in a well inside the rifle instead of being expelled from the breech as fired. When the triggerguard is pulled down, it spills out any empties and cocks the action. Magazine tube is in butt.

Current British Sporting Rifles

After the close of World War II, it took the British small-arms manufacturers a long time to get into production on high-powered rifles. Until the '50's the only high-powered magazine rifles available were those converted from P-14 and Model 1917 Enfield rifles. B.S.A., Cogswell and Harrison, and Parker-Hale made up a number of .303 and .30 caliber rifles using these actions. Using the same action, Jeffery made .333, .375, and .404 rifles.

In the early '50's Jeffery and Cogswell and Harrison began importing Mauser actions and making up rifles on these actions. At about the same time B.S.A. began making their "Hunter" rifle. This rifle used the first British-made modified Mauser action and was made originally in .222 Remington and .22 Hornet calibers. Currently B.S.A. is making a series of bolt action rifles using short, long, and medium modified Mauser actions of their manufacture. The

U.S.A. 30 06 Majestic Sporting Rifle.

A postwar Purdey double ripe. This rifle weighs about 12.75 lbs. in ..577 Express caliber.

Top to bottom: 9S Mauser, P-14 Enfield and No. 4 converted to 7.62mm NATO, fitted with RSAF 7.62mm NATO conversion kits. The No. 4 conversion resembles the Rifle 139Al.

Enfield 7.62mm NATO "Envoy" rifle.

B.S.A. DeLuxe Majestic rifle is made in .222 Remington, .243 Winchester, and .308 Winchester in the medium-length action and .270, .30-06, and the .458 Winchester in the long action. Weights run from 6.25 pounds in the lighter calibers to 8.75 pounds in .458 Winchester. This rifle has a built-in muzzle brake called a BESA rccoil rcducer. The standard weight B.S.A. bolt action rifles are made in .22 Hornet and 7x57mm in addition to the calibers given above.

Latest models of the Monarch DeLuxe do not have the built-in muzzle brake.

It is now made in .222 Rem.; .243 Win.; Win. and .30-06. A heavy barreled—1.25 and .243 Win. Mauser-actioned riHes arc and Harrison, Jeffery and Purdey.

.308 Win.; 7mm Rem. Magnum; .270 pound barrel—is made in .222 Rem. also made by Parker-Hale, Crogswell

U.S.A. Heavy'barrel Monarch Rifle.

In .22 caliber rifles B.S.A. is the only current maker. The Supersport Five made by that firm is a conventional box magazine fed bolt action. The Martini International Mark III Match rifle is B.S.A.'s finest .22. This 14.25 pound rifle has a 6-pound, 29-inch barrel. It uses a Martini action, which has been a longtime favorite in British .22 caliber match rifles. B.S.A. has brought out a slightly modified version of the Mark III called the l.S.U.

BS.A. Supersport Five 22 Bolt-action Sporting Rifle.

BJSA. Martini International Mark HI .22 Match Rifle.

The Royal Small Arms Factory—RSAF—at Enfield Lock, has produced a series of conversion kits to convert the No. 4 Enfield, the P-14 (No. 3 Mark 1#) and the 98 Mauser to 7.62mm target rifles. These conversion kits are sold to accrcditcd firearms dealers.

RSAF is also producing a 7.62mm NATO target rifle called the "Envoy" which is based on the No. 4 rifle action. The "Envoy" has a heavy, swaged, free floating barrel, a new fore-end and butt stock with full pistol grip. It has a tunnel-type front sight and a micrometer rear. The "Envoy" is 46.7 inches long and weighs 10.5 pounds. The barrel is 27.5 inches long. Overseas distribution of the "Envoy is being handled by Firearms Co. Lt. Bridgcwater, Somerset, England.

Continue reading here: Model Mannlicher Schoenauer Rifle Cal mm

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