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Westley Richards .318 Accelerated Express Best Quality Magazine Rifle with Patent Detachable Barrel. 

Factory ledgers say the Westley Richards .318 Accelerated Express Best Quality Magazine Rifle was shipped January 11, 1916. The rifle has all the features of that era’s Best Quality rifle with a RH beaded cheekpiece, full pistol grip with trap, finely checkered hand and forend with Mullered borders, flat checkered steel butt plate with trap, silver stock oval, sling eye, and horn forend tip. The rifle was made with Westley’s Patent Detachable Barrel. The barrel is fitted with Westley’s pattern island rear sight with 1 standing and 7 spring loaded, "platina" lined leaves sighted to 800 yards, by customer’s specifications, and combination bead and folding moon-sight with Westley’s registered sight hood and a barrel mounted sling eye. The floor plate, trigger guard bow and grip cap are engraved in a house style scroll and the barrel is engraved “W.R. Patent Detachable Barrel” and “Westley Richards & Co., London”.

The rifle is based a commercial K98 Mauser action with Westley’s over sized front action ring to accommodate the patented detachable barrel and locking lugs with ball & détente lever fastener on the forend. The action has a flag safety, a hinged floor plate with lever release and Westley’s pattern horn bolt knob with flat checkered bottom.

The rifle weighs 8 lbs. 11.5 oz. and the LOP measures 14 5/8” to center.

The rifle remains in remarkably high, original condition retaining nearly all of its original black, oil finish on the stock and colors on the grip cap with strong traces of the fire blue on the bolt release. The barrel has Metford rifling (a standard feature on WR rifles from this era) and remains as new. The stock shows the handling marks that only confirm its originality and the original stock oval remains blank. Also, hidden in the trap grip are the original spare foresight blades wrapped in a cotton patch, further evidence of the rifles uneventful history.

The rifle is complete in its original Best oak & leather case for take-down rifle with brass corners and original care instructions and trade label on the inside of the case lid.

This is, without doubt, the highest condition WR rifle I have ever encountered from this era and probably one the highest condition I have ever encountered on a rifle that is over 100 years old.

A very fine and complete example of one of the most iconic English bolt action rifles ever made.  

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