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LOT 3401
Fine & Very Rare Engraved Westley Richards .22 (Hi-Power)
Double Barrel Boxlock Rifle - Serial no. T8887, 22 Hi Power cal., 26 inch solid rib bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. The .22 Savage Hi-Power cartridge was a popular chambering for hunting rifles in the 1920s and
1930s and found advocates around the world
including the Reverend H.R. Caldwell who shot
tigers in China and the famed elephant hunter
W.D.M. (Karamojo) Bell who hunted Cape Buffalo in West Africa with this round. While mostly associated with Savage-made lever rifles, some
British gunmakers made lightweight double rifles chambered for this high velocity cartridge. These are seldom
encountered making this rifle a rarity amongst classic British double rifles. Manufactured in circa 1925, this rifle
features blued barrels with concave rib signed “WESTLEY RICHARDS & CO. LONDON”, the left tube engraved “FOR .22 HI-POWER CARTRIDGE”
towards the breech, each tube engraved with a band of stylized foliage at the breech end, and a single extractor. Sighting comprising a
ramp mounted bead front sight and matted quarter rib with express sight of one standing notch sight and four folding leaves each with
platinum inlaid center line and graduated to 500 yards. The underside of the rib is import marked under the forearm. The casehardened
treble grip action is signed “WESTLEY RICHARDS & CO.” on each side and has removable firing pin bushings, blued toplever, automatic safety, and blued floorplate and trigger guard. The whole is lightly
engraved with classic English border and scrollwork. The underside of the barrels and water table are struck with Birmingham nitro proof marks. The figured walnut pistol grip stock has panels of multipoint
checkering on the grip and forearm, and the latter has a Deeley and Edge fastener and dark horn tip. The butt has a checkered dark horn buttplate with roundel signed “WESTLEY RICHARDS & CO.” and dark horn pistol grip cap. The underside of the butt is numbered “135” and has a blank silver oval initial escutcheon and blued sling eye, and the corresponding sling eye is fitted beneath the barrel. 14 3/8 inch length of pull. Weight 8 lbs. 4 oz.
CONDITION: Fine. There is clear engraving throughout. The barrels retain 90% coverage of an older reblued finish which is thinning and turning to a plum color. The action retains 60% original casehardened finish with some rubbing and fading from handling. The action floorplate has 95% original blued finish, and the trigger guard has nearly all of the reblued finish. The stock has an older reoiled finish, well-defined checkering, a slight chip at the right rear of the forend, and some scattered storage and handling marks throughout. The horn buttplate has some damage to edges, and the horn pistol grip cap cracked and repaired. Mechanically excellent.
single extractor; matted sunken concave rib with matted ramp mounted bead front sight and matted
quarter rib with express sight of one standing notch sight and four folding leaves each with platinum inlaid center line and graduated to 500 yards; and blued treble grip action signed “W.J. JEFFERY & CO.” on each side with blued removable firing pin bushings, blued toplever, manual safety with gold inlaid “SAFE”, blued
floorplate and blued trigger guard with engraved borders of beadwork and the sides of the action each engraved with tigers in a jungle
setting. The underside of the barrels and water table are struck with Birmingham nitro proof marks, and it is import marked under the forearm.
The figured walnut pistol grip stock and forearm have panels of multipoint checkering to the grip and forearm, an Anson push button release, dark horn pistol grip cap, blued forearm iron and furniture, and blank silver oval initial escutcheon and blued sling eye under the butt. The corresponding sling eye is fitted beneath the barrel. 14 1/4 inch length of pull. Weight 10 lbs. 3 oz. CONDITION: Fine as refurbished. Retaining nearly all of the reblued finish to the barrels, action and furniture. The barrel signatures and action game scenes are softened. The refinished stock has some scattered age related storage and handling marks throughout, well-defined checkering, and some age related wear on the pistol grip cap. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection.
Estimate: 5,000 - 8,000
Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection.
Estimate: 7,000 - 11,000
LOT 3402
Fine Indian Game Scene Engraved W.J. Jeffery .450/.400 (Nitro Express) Double Barrel Boxlock Rifle - Serial no. 22274, 400 express gauge, 24 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in
circa 1911, this rifle features blued chopperlump Krupp steel barrels respectively signed “W.J. JEFFERY & CO. LTD. 13 KING STREET. ST. JAMES ST.
LONDON” and “MADE EXPRESSLY FOR LYON & LYON.
CALCUTTA” towards the breech, each tube engraved
with a band of beadwork at the breech end, and a
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