Whitworth

[Widows Son]

you will need a hexagonal wad cutter

If I may intrude, I’ve been having good results using half-inch thick felt wads cut with a 12mm round hole punch. I soak them in my lubricant of choice, and the hexagonal bore forms them into a good seal.

 

[frankie]

If I may intrude, I’ve been having good results using half-inch thick felt wads cut with a 12mm round hole punch. I soak them in my lubricant of choice, and the hexagonal bore forms them into a good seal.

Yes intrude. lol I need all the advice I can get. Thank you.

 

[Widows Son]

I’m happy to help. I have certainly benefitted from those who are more knowledgeable than me. Broadarrow is one of my mentors.

I bought a LEM mould from Blackpool UK. It’s a cylindrical with a cupped base and I’m getting good results with it. His name is Glenn McQuire. His moulds are quality, affordable and beautiful. Tell him Joe from Queensland recommended his moulds.
[email protected]
WHITWORTH BULLET MOULD CYLINDRICAL .441" DIA (NEW SIZE) AIR FREIGHT POSTAGE | eBay

 

[frankie]

I’m happy to help. I have certainly benefitted from those who are more knowledgeable than me. Broadarrow is one of my mentors.

I bought a LEM mould from Blackpool UK. It’s a cylindrical with a cupped base and I’m getting good results with it. His name is Glenn McQuire. His moulds are quality, affordable and beautiful. Tell him Joe from Queensland recommended his moulds.
[email protected]
WHITWORTH BULLET MOULD CYLINDRICAL .441" DIA (NEW SIZE) AIR FREIGHT POSTAGE | eBay

I have a whitworth and a volunteer (both Pedersoli) located but I cant make up my mind which one. If I get the whitworth I will contact your friend. I hope all is going great over there. Thank you for the information.

 

[Widows Son]

I have a whitworth and a volunteer (both Pedersoli) located but I cant make up my mind which one. If I get the whitworth I will contact your friend. I hope all is going great over there. Thank you for the information.

Hi mate,
that mould will work in a volunteer or whitworth, either.

 

[frankie]

Hi frankie, the Whitworth rifles are good shooters all you have to is develop them like you would any other rifle and you will have a fine shooter. Cylindrical bullets work as well as the hexagonal ones, one note you will need a hexagonal wad cutter easily available from several sources. In response to the comment on nipples burning out this is correct the match rifles are harder on their nipples than say a patch round ball rifle but it is no big deal there are platinum lined nipples available from several sources and these last a long time compared to standard "factory" or production ones. Having shot a Whitworth for over fifteen years I would say go for it as I learned a lot developing my Euroarms Whitworth.

Thanks broadarrow I will look these up.

 

[Whitworth]

I’m happy to help. I have certainly benefitted from those who are more knowledgeable than me. Broadarrow is one of my mentors.

I bought a LEM mould from Blackpool UK. It’s a cylindrical with a cupped base and I’m getting good results with it. His name is Glenn McQuire. His moulds are quality, affordable and beautiful. Tell him Joe from Queensland recommended his moulds.
[email protected]
WHITWORTH BULLET MOULD CYLINDRICAL .441" DIA (NEW SIZE) AIR FREIGHT POSTAGE | eBay

I got two of his molds and in recommending them told some folks to tell him Joe from the USA sent you

 

[Whitworth]

Afternoon, Sir. Yup, mine is pretty much one of the early production Whitworths - serial 420 from 1980. It's interesting to read your comments about the method of rifling, although I know that P-H were very proud of their hammer-forged barrels, no hammer-forged barrel could be as inconsistent as mine is unless it was done manually. The variations are not discernible to the eye, just to the caliper, and of course play merry hell with any effort to use anything except an undersized and paper-patched hexagonal bullet. Fortunately, thanks to a kind soul on the WW FB pages, who sent me a selection of hexagonal bullets [obviously rich] I was able to find one that was a loose fit, suitable therefore to be patched. I've got ahold of a Pedersoli mould on that basis, thanks to another shooter in Winnipeg. This is work in process, and right now I'm waiting for a gentleman in Hungary to send me a set of Pedersoli mould handles- not a single one of my seven other brand handles actually fit.

BTW, back in the early 90's, as P-H hit the stops, I went over to Golden Hillock Road and collected ten ready-rifled but unbreeched WW barrels for Alan Monk of the VAA, of which I was at time a member. The VAA and I parted badly - I was a serving field-grade Army officer at that time and I was made very aware of the undercurrent of bad feeling between certain elements of the association and the military, on whose ranges they were paying guests. I left and have never returned.

Anyhoo, this bunch of holes was shot at 100m with the Lyman multi-groove pointy-nosed 535gr bullet. Obviously there is substantial room for improvement there, if I'm spared.....

View attachment 135785

Looking carefully, you can see distinct signs that they were slightly hex, having been bumped up with the help of 80gr of Swiss 3.

Sure, they are healthy misses of the target - the only shot in the target was the first one - but that's why sights are adjustable, right?

That's odd about the mold handles, I use Lyman handles (large) on my Pedersoli mold.

 

[TFoley]

That's odd about the mold handles, I use Lyman handles (large) on my Pedersoli mold.

Mine don't fit....................

 

[Feltwad]

Good old days
Feltwad

 

[frankie]

Good old days
FeltwadView attachment 136546

That is awesome. What a trophy or plaque. Serious shooters!

 

[Whitworth]

Th

Mine don't fit....................

That stinks. Got my large Lyman ones off EBAY, they're old, the box was marked $5.00. I got my mold 2 years ago so maybe they have gone to a proprietary handle size on newer post Covid production.

 

[ResearchPress]

That is awesome. What a trophy or plaque. Serious shooters!

The picture is the Irish Team in 1888, having won the Elcho Shield - shooting was at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. The competition originated in a challenge between English and Scottish Rifle Volunteers and was first competed for in 1862, when the English team used 5 Whitworth and 3 Alex. Henry rifles, while Scotland used 7 Alex. Henry and 1 Crochard rifle. In 1863 all 16 riflemen used Whitworth rifles. Ireland competed with England and Scotland for the first time in 1865. It was not until 1873 that Ireland won the match - that sparked their challenge to the US and the Irish / American rifle match at Creedmoor in 1874.

By 1888 when Feltwad's pictures was published, the match was shot entirely with breech loaders - the pictured team used 5 Gibbs-Farquharson-Metford and 3 Rigby rifles.

The Elcho Shield is still competed for to this day.

David

 

[Widows Son]

The Elcho Shield is still competed for to this day.

That exact same shield in the picture? That’s wonderful continuity of history! Like the Ashes cup.

 

[ResearchPress]

That exact same shield in the picture?

Yes, the same shield. The NRA(UK), whose first Annual Rifle Meeting was held in 1860, have a fabulous collection of trophies.

David

 

[TFoley]

It's of interest to me, as a glasses -wearer, that none of the gentlemen in the photograph are wearing any kind of corrective glass on their faces.

Anyhow, here is a slightly-tweaked version of the photo -

 

[Notchy Bob]

Hi frankie, the Whitworth rifles are good shooters all you have to is develop them like you would any other rifle and you will have a fine shooter. Cylindrical bullets work as well as the hexagonal ones, one note you will need a hexagonal wad cutter easily available from several sources. In response to the comment on nipples burning out this is correct the match rifles are harder on their nipples than say a patch round ball rifle but it is no big deal there are platinum lined nipples available from several sources and these last a long time compared to standard "factory" or production ones. Having shot a Whitworth for over fifteen years I would say go for it as I learned a lot developing my Euroarms Whitworth.

Here in the USA, Buffalo Arms has platinum-lined nipples in every imaginable size. They are not cheap, though.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Feltwad]

To be fare I must enter a image of the English Eight
Feltwad

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Thanks for the Photos FW.( ARE the Seatrout runnig yet??)Seen most before as I visited Bisley often long ago!!!! 1956 (Thanks to N.S.) until 1988 following a Lock Malfunction ?? (LOCK NOW DETENTED) abroard.
The English teams rifles always pointed skywards as against others who appeared to want to shoot other team mamburs. Long ago and far away,"SOME" Errors forgiven.. 1988 NEVER.. O.D.

 

[fleener]

I have a rifle that originally belonged to one of the shooters from the first Irish Eight Elcho Shield team.

Fleener