This is another absolutely fabulous extremely rare, factory engraved Westley Richards double rifle that we have offered for sale in this auction. This beautiful rifle would be a great addition and would complement any of the three Holland & Holland double rifles we also have for sale in this auction. An absolutely fabulous grouping. The Westley Richards Company is one of the world's renowned true English "Master" Rifle and Shotgun Manufacturers and has been in continuous operation since its 1812 founding by William Westley Richards producing a full complement of firearms. The consignor states this gun was made for Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League. This beautiful rifle has exquisite, very fine hand cut English scroll engraving on the complete action, trigger guard bow, rear tang, the color casehardened steel pistol grip cap, on top of the barrel rib and behind the front sight, also on the rib. The left and right sides of the receiver have been engraved with a banner intermixed with the receiver engraving with "WESTLEY RICHARDS" and has been filled in with Gold wire. The top of the receiver in front of the barrel release lever is also been engraved "WESTLEY RICHARDS" and "PATENT ONE TRIGGER" both are also filled in with Gold wire. The barrels are 26 inches in length and are fitted with a 1/3 length raised sighting rib with a ramp type front sight. The rear rib is fitted with a "three-leaf" rear sight; one standing and two folding. Each one is calibrated/marked, 50, 100 and 150 yards and each has a single gold sighting line on the back of the leaf. The front sight is a removable brass bead with a small flip up "ivory" bead which is mounted directly behind the sight which folds down into the front sight base. Additionally, the front sight base has an integral, low profile, hinged sight cover. These are only a few examples of the extremely high quality features of this rifle. The top of the rear barrel rib is engraved and the center of the rib is engraved "WESTLEY RICHARDS 23 CONDUIT St. LONDON". As mentioned previously, this rifle is chambered in the very powerful "500/465" cartridge as developed by Holland & Holland in 1905/06. This cartridge is an excellent, all-around African cartridge, that was still listed in the Kynoch and H&H catalogs as late as the mid-1960s. The underside of the breech area of the barrels are marked with a "Double Crown/BP proof 500/465 3.250/Crown/NP (for NITRO proofing) CORDITE 73 GRS ---- 480 BULLET/GRS". The underside of the barrels are marked "18880 Y.P." (with the corresponding serial number "18880" stamped on the water table of the receiver; attaching iron of the forearm, trigger guard and action cover plate on the underside of the receiver). This exceptional rifle is fitted with an exceptionally nice, highly figured dark English Walnut stock and forearm set. Each piece has been meticulously hand checkered in an extremely fine pattern on the sides and under side of the forearm and on the pistol grip. Additionally the stock has a small almost early European right hand cheekpiece with a small shadow line and it has an old English leather covered recoil pad. The pistol grip has an engraved and color casehardened grip cap with a compartment in the center for a spare front sight, where a small brass identification plate is inlayed into the underside of the lower stock that is engraved with "J.J.K.". This exceptional Big-Game African style double rifle is stored in a 12 X 32 inch Westley Richards marked, oak storage/shipping trunk that has a maroon felt lining, with 10 compartments with a full complement of accessories as follows; 1) a small leather bound storage box that holds a spare set of numbered and matching "extra locks" for the rifle, all hand fitted and hand jeweled; 2) a silver-plated bore cleaning funnel; 3) a silver-plated set of snap caps; 4) a set of ebony handled screw drivers; 5) a leather sling and cleaning rod; 6) a Westley Richards Company marked soft cloth to wipe down the rifle, 7) a small silver-plated case that houses a spare set of sights, an extra front sight and a very desirable spare express rear sight; 8) a small ivory case with a spare set of firing pins; 9) a small leather case that contains a pull-through, cleaning tip and string, and a set of bore brushes and jag; 10) four separate small, silver-plated round fluid bottles to maintain the rifle while in the field. Each one is marked "Westley Richards Ltd. London" on the cap with each one engraved on the body with "SOLVENT, LUBRICANT, PRESERVATIVE and LINSEED". The entire oak case is leather bound with heavy brass reinforcing plates on the corners, brass hinges and a brass lock on the front with a leather handle secured to the case also with brass plates. This case has two large outer leather straps to secure the case closed and it has a heavy canvas outer cover to protect the case, which also has three out leather straps to secure the cover. Length of pull: 14 inches, drop at comb: 1 7/16 inches, drop at heel: 2 3/16 inches, cast-off: 3/16 inches, weight: 10lbs 6oz.