Wesley Richards side-by-side shotgun?

Sparks

Posted for seanybiker:

Friend has a wesley Richards side by side shotgun.
He knows its dated from 1902.
Does anyone know how to get a value or any information on it.
Thanks.

cavan shooter

E mail westley richards with the serial numbers and date etc

www.westleyrichards.com

they maybe able to assist

seanybiker

Cheers cavan shooter.

rowa

Stick up a picture if you have one

deerhunter1

Sparks wrote: »

Posted for seanybiker:

What about Peter J Magee Newport Co. Mayo I think he specialises in english shotguns

098-41247

086-2521974

seanybiker

rowa wrote: »

Stick up a picture if you have one

Ill try get a pic.

fathersymes

If you search the archives of Holts the largest auctioneer of guns in the UK, you should get some idea.

http://auctions.holtsauctioneers.com/asp/archivesearch.asp?t=806682&

Various things will affect value such as:

Sidelock or Boxlock
Is it in proof
Has it been sleeved or new barrels made by a 3rd party supplier
etc etc.

A good condition boxlock of that vintage seems to be worth around £2,500 STG
A Sidelock twice that.

seanybiker

Just talking to him now. He knows the seriel number. Said its nitro proofed whatever that means. As I said only asking for a mate. He said he try get a pic. Domascus barrel on it. Have chaps number to ring thanks to poster above. Cheers for the help lads.

rowa

W.w greener were the last british gunmaker to make and use damascus barrels in 1903 , so the westley richards is definately before that year.

sfakiaman

In light of the following I would get a very competent gunsmith to check out the barrels. Also I think the author meant corrosive primers not non-corrosive. An old gunsmith friend of mine who did a lot of work on old guns was very wary of firing modern ammunition in damascus barrels.

Damascus or twist-steel barrels are made by layering alternate strips of steel and iron then welding them together. The strips are then twisted until they resembled a screw, three of these wound strips are then welded together, wound around a steel mandrel, then welded and hammered into a barrel tube. Laminated steel barrels are a bit different. They start with a ball of steel and iron that is then hammered into long strips and twisted, then, like their Damascus cousin, wound around a mandrel, welded and hammered into a barrel tube. Inherently, these barrels are quite strong, and many best-quality Damascus barrels pass nitro proof. However, because of the iron content and welded manufacture, twist barrels have a propensity for rusting within the barrel material. Added to that is the fact that these guns were primarily used with non-corrosive priming, and are therefore potentially honeycombed with weak spots. While there are first-quality Damascus Parker and Purdey barrels that can be shot with modern ammunition, most if not all are not up to the task. Briley Manufacturing [(800) 331-5718] can either make full-length tubes of a smaller gauge--20 ga., 28 ga. and .410 bore in a 12 ga.; 28 ga. in an existing 16 ga., etc.--or, provided the barrels are good condition, install steel chamber sleeves of one gauge smaller--12 ga. in a 10 bore, etc.--enabling the use of smokeless-powder ammunition. Shooting these old hammer guns is real fun. Organizations like The Vintagers [(413) 339-5347] are devoted to shooting and keeping alive the tradition of these old guns through clay-target competitions. As much fun as shooting these guns is, safety is the prime consideration, and one should never, ever consider shooting a Damascus, twist or laminated-steel barreled shotgun without first having it inspected by a truly competent gunsmith, and, if necessary, altered by an outfit such as Briley.