Westley Richards .700/.577 Droplock
Westley Richards & Co. · Rifle · In Production · 2005
Also known as: .700/.577 Hand Detachable Lock Double Rifle, Westley Richards .700/.577
Overview
The Westley Richards .700/.577 Droplock is a best-quality British side-by-side double rifle built on Leslie B. Taylor's hand-detachable-lock (droplock) action, chambered for the proprietary .700/.577 Nitro Express cartridge formed by necking the .700 Nitro Express case down to .577 calibre and driving a 950-grain bullet. Billed by the maker as its largest droplock double rifle to date, it was conceived purely as a dangerous-game elephant rifle and produced only as a tiny handful of bespoke, lavishly engraved and cased examples.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 7965 g (281.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1054 mm (41.50") |
| Barrel Length | 635 mm (25.00") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 670 m/s (2198 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 13817 J (10191 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Turkish Walnut |
| Finish | Colour Case Hardened Action With Hand-Rust Blued Barrels |
Calibers
- .700/.577 Nitro Express · primary — also known as .700/.577, .700-.577 Westley Richards
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Safety mechanisms: Top Lever Safety, Hand Detachable Locks
- Features: Hand Detachable Droplocks, Side By Side Barrels, Double Trigger, Ejectors, Express Sights, Hand Engraved
Production
Estimated total produced: 3 · Production years: 2005-present
Only a small number of complete .700/.577 droplock double rifles have been built as bespoke commissions.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Westley Richards & Co. (droplock action by Leslie B. Taylor)
Notes
The .700/.577 is a proprietary Westley Richards wildcat; only a few complete rifles are known to have been built, each an individually commissioned and heavily engraved best gun. Weight of a known example is about 17 lb 9 oz.
Background
Created as Westley Richards' answer to the giant Holland & Holland .600 and .700 Nitro Express rifles, the .700/.577 was designed strictly for elephant; the firm has remarked that with a rifle of this power there is little else on earth worth hunting with it.