[Starting an active retirement home for abused and neglected old double shotguns.]

11 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

Above is my latest rescue project.  It's a Stevens Riverside model 215.  The odd feature is the triggers set one behind the other. I already know it has wood missing from the buttstock meets the receiver and one hammer spring plunger may be bad. I won't know what else until I get it.  Money was put in snail mail on Monday and FFL has been sent electronically.  

See this post for more details

 

[Nicest People]

"An armed society is a polite society."

Science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, quoting ...uh, some French philosophe.

[Colbert Shoots Double Barrel]

Libtard late night talk show host just closed a two row and fake fired it 5 times without re-loading. Argh

Borrowed it from Elmer Fudd.

[Bruce Derns question]

I'd rather see Bruce Dern's daughter.

'Long as I'm posting IMDB links for pretty girls......

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000368/bio

[Bruce Derns question]

.......................Or the cute girl in El Dorado?

Michelle Carey :wub:

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137004/

[Starting an active retirement home for abused and neglected old double shotguns.]

Mary and I went on an adventure looking for parts for three old shotguns and ended up rescuing yet another old shotgun. I shot from the hip on this one. It was a gun I'd only seen pictures of and definitely wasn't American made. It was marked W Richards. I could only hope it was a real Westley Richards. I did look at proof marks and to best memory and limited experience, it was an English made gun - not Belgin. I got it for a price that it didn't matter if it wasn't a Westley Richards.

 

Both side plates are marked W Richards. The top rib in marked W Richards London Laminated Steel. In my limited research there were several English gun makers using the name of W Richards. There were also Belgin made knockoffs. The gun is proofed with Birmingham proof marks but those too have been faked.

 

The gun has light engraving on all parts - even the screw heads under the forend. What I feared was some brazing in front of the hinge is actually some gilding of somekind. The wood is solid and the gun is 99% complete and everything functions as it should. The only thing missing is an inlay in the tip of the forend.

 

One thing you notice right off is that it's a side lever action. 12 gauge.

 

All it needs is a good cleaning and a little tightening at hinge.

Hate to burst your bubble, but what you have is, indeed, a Belgian knock-off. Westley Richards guns are always signed just that way, "Westley Richards", in full, no "W." It has English proofs because it was sold in England. If no Belgian proofs, probably imported as parts and assembled in "Old Blighty".

Pics of proof marks?