Thread: Help with a shotgun! One for the experts

A friend has a Westley Richards side by side 12g for sale at a reasonable price.

How do I identify the serial number and if it is the real thing?

Lots of numbers under the barrels etc and I don't know if it's the real deal etc.

Please pm and I will email photos.

Cheers.

Dont think you can pm attachments better to put them here

Sorry,

Mean't to say PM your e-maill addy and I can send photos.

I will add some pics tomorrow.

Cheers @Plinky and @Marty Henry

Not an expert on shotguns (horrible things) but did see this hard to read item
https://www.theexplora.com/westley-r...erial-numbers/

As for if it's the real thing - did you highlight the Westley Richards. for the photo? If not this looks to be very "fresh".
If 6984 is a serial number it would put it in the 1882-1891 range which doesn't seem to gel as the gun is both hammerless and nitro proofed.
Solid steel tubes not Damascus.

Someone will be able to interpret all the number just like reading the newspaper.

Bloody Gold inlay can burn your eyes @zimmer!

Originally Posted by Maca49

Bloody Gold inlay can burn your eyes @zimmer!

Never had a gun with gold in it @Maca49. Haven't even got any gold in my teeth.

Ill sell you one?

Originally Posted by Maca49

Ill sell you one?

Good man Maca, you don't need all those gold fillings.

Originally Posted by Maca49

Ill sell you one?

Just mention me and the tooth in your will - that will be sufficient for now.

BTW still looking around for a Weihrauch.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Good man Maca, you don't need all those gold fillings.

Sign of a wealthy man GM? Beautiful smile plus alway smiling even when not happy just to show them off?

Ive been to the camps where Jewish people were stood against a brick wall and their teeth checked, any gold and the signal went to the sod behind the wall who put a pistol up to the missing brick behind their head and pulled the trigger, the gold then removed

Yes unfortunately very somber and true. To lighten it up a bit one of the mines I worked in had an HR manager who was into gold - flash gold watch, flash gold ciggy holder, gold lighter (no gold teeth though). Always made a great show of checking the time, and lighting up a ciggy in the presence of up baggy arses. Pity he had no gold in his heart though as far as our wage negotiations were concerned.

Originally Posted by zimmer

Not an expert on shotguns (horrible things) but did see this hard to read item
https://www.theexplora.com/westley-r...erial-numbers/

As for if it's the real thing - did you highlight the Westley Richards. for the photo? If not this looks to be very "fresh".
If 6984 is a serial number it would put it in the 1882-1891 range which doesn't seem to gel as the gun is both hammerless and nitro proofed.
Solid steel tubes not Damascus.

Someone will be able to interpret all the number just like reading the newspaper.

I didn't think that was the serial number... I though it was 2373 which to the right of the flats and makes it a 1920's gun.

Back on track guys, birmingham proofmarks with nitro proof so after 1880, nice boxlock patented i 1875 the deely patent ejector is later 84 or 85 a shot of under the fore arm should confirm this.
Google westley richards, the company offers a serial no tracking service and you can pay for a gun history if the records are available.