Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Howdah you like this Double Rifle? A rare Westley Richards w/ 16" Factory Barrels

Howdah you like this Double Rifle? A rare Westley Richards w/ 16" Factory Barrels

Hello All,

Some of you may have seen the Guns International listing back in 2013, about a Westley Richards .375 x 2½" Nitro Express Double Rifle with 16" barrels. I was hoping these were Original 16" Factory Barrels and not just cut-down from some longer length. I took a chance, and soon the rifle came to resides with me. I crossed my fingers and wrote Westley Richards to request a Factory Letter of Authenticity.

What a fun little Double Rifle. It tips the scales at a stout 8 pounds 10 ounces, and has an overall length of 32-7/8". That's 1-3/8" shorter than a Winchester Model 92 Trapper model with the same 16" barrel length.



The large Butt Plate and stock with a 14-1/2" LOP, means it wasn't meant for a kid. Rather, this was a compact, fast swinging "Howdah Rifle". A Howdah is a small hunting platform on top of an elephant, used for hunting Tigers.



This rifle has many very interesting features: Horn Forearm Tip, Horn Grip Cap, and Horn Butt Plate with the Westley Richards Logo. Super condition wood. Sling Eyes. One standing and 4 folding leaf rear sight, 50/100/150/200/300. Lots of original Case Color in protected areas, and a Bore as sharp and bright as any I've seen. Overall finish of the metal is a superb original "purplish-brown" that shows its character from use years ago. Nice overall Engraving with a "Buck Deer" on the bottom of the action, a "Crouching Tiger" on the bottom of the trigger guard, and a "Saber-Tooth Deer" on the back of the Lever. Yes, a "Saber-Tooth Deer".

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Westley Richards Factory Letter arrived. It indicated that this rifle was ordered by M. Saleh & Co. in Bombay, India, and "yes" the original ledger indicated it was ordered with 16" barrels. M. Saleh is still in operation today by Saleh's Great Grandson. I telephoned him and he indicated that this rifle was special ordered by his Great Grand Father in 1927. He wanted a compact Double Rifle for Tiger hunting from the close quarters of the Howdah. Hooray!

This is my Favorite Little Tiger Rifle!

Wow what a find! It is very interesting with such short barrels. It is a wonderful functional work of art. Too bad you would not be able to actually use it on a tiger. Thanks for sharing

Since you have a Crouching Tiger on the trigger guard may i be so cheeky as to suggest you call this your Hidden Dragon rifle.

I can only imagine that the recoil would be a little stout but since this was meant as a close quarter battle rifle i am curious as to the accuracy that you are getting. I would love to know how long it took the factory to regulate this little beauty.



Thank you for sharing.

Got a little muzzle jump?

Really, have you shot it? i imagine it balances beautifully.

I believe Ross Seyfried did article on one these years ago in Guns and Ammo. I do not remember the year but he did load and fire it.

Thanks

358win

Ross did an article on a Howdah pistol. He may have done one about a rifle also, but I don't remember it.



Thank you for sharing buckstix, enjoyable thread & images. Yes, I'm envious.

Great find and a wonderful bit of history to go along with it. To a collector provenance information is invaluable. Congratulations!

What a work of art. A far cry from the guns I've seen and used in my lifetime. Functional art. I am curious how difficult it is to find or produce ammo for such a piece. Thanks for posting!

Wow, a double barrel carbine...

It is good to have the provenance. How does it shoot? Rusty

Here is a link to some pictures of fanged deer, it does seem that they were/are native to the mountains of India so perhaps the engraving is appropriate.

https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/musk-deer-with-fangs

drover

Wow if that rifle could talk! Wonder how many tigers it has dispatched?

That would make a very handy rifle for close range pigs and deer, in the absence of opportunities to hunt tiger. The weight should make it a pussycat to shoot too, given the modest ballistics of the cartridge for which it is chambered - have you tried it?

I wonder what the original barrels were?

Hello Azshooter,

Thanks for the reply.
Its my responsibility to keep the Tiger population under control here in Wisconsin, So far I've been doing a great job.


Hello krupp,

Thanks for the reply.

The rifle weighs nearly 9 pounds loaded so recoil is not a factor at all. I have a load with a 300g bullet at 1800 fps that shoots under 1-1/2" at 50 yards. I'm sure the folks at Westley Richards had no more difficulty regulating the rifle than any other double rifle.


Hello hatari,

Thanks for the reply.

It balances perfectly at the hinge, and yes, I've shot it - over 225 times since I've owned it.

You've shot it 225 times, so how many tigers is that?

You’ve come up with some really neat and historical guns over the years.

To me this one takes the cake.

Thanks for sharing.

DF

NICE! I'd have to load some 270gr Woodleigh round nosed weldcores to regulation spec and whack some game animals with that rig, CONGRATS!

Who is doing the FDE Cerakote and what colors and percentages did you order the new McM for it in?



Very nice rifle.

Wow what a nice rifle. A WR Coach gun. I find it a little humorous that the bottom engraving is a Roe Buck, I think it would kill a Roe Buck just fine.

Hello John_Havard, Thanks for the reply.



Hello HuntnShoot, Thanks for the reply.



Hello shrapnel, Thanks for the reply.



Hello rustyzipper, Thanks for the reply. It shoots great - under 1-1/2" groups at 50 yards.