Whitworth and Volunteer rifles making a comeback?

[Ithaca Gunner]

In this issue of The American Rifleman there's an article indicating Navy arms bringing back the Parker Hale Whitworth and Volunteer rifles! I had missed out on a Whitworth years ago, but did manage to snag a Volunteer, which shot like a .30-06, but the Whitworth was the one I really wanted, looks like I may get a second chance now.

[fgd135]

Navy Arms is selling the Pedersoli Whitworth. Don't think any other US distributors have it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyM8BWERmGc

[Ithaca Gunner]

The Navy Arms is stamped PH on the lock. I do like the Pedersoli with Whitworth on the lock though.

[scattershot]

If they are the same quality as the old, beautiful PH rifles, it's good news.

[dromia]

I still prefer my old Parker Hales to the new Pedersolis for shooting, I just think the barrels are better and I get better results on the target with the PH not that the Pedersolis are bad shooters at all.

If you are looking for a more ACW correct rifle then the Pedersolis have been made more with this in in mind than the Parker Hales were.

[Ithaca Gunner]

DGW has the PH Whitworth listed in their on line catalog, $1500.00. Now from what I remember of DGW, their prices are often above suggested retail.

Back to the article in The American Rifleman, bone charcoal case hardening on the lock plate, an even better finish than the original PH guns, and I believe American Walnut stocks. Just one thing more I would ask for, the barrels be made at the factory several inches longer, cut at the muzzle and a mold made from the stub mated to the particular rifle.

Also the article states that their Smith Carbine has been upgraded with a barrel made here in the USA and also stocks made from American Walnut. I've handled the Pietta made Smith Carbines and they were indeed very nice guns. Now they've been upgraded!

[fgd135]

Navy Arms list for the WW and Volunteer is $1499, thru Old Western Scrounger. I don't know if the listing at DGW is current, they are famous for listing discontinued items.
http://www.ows-ammo.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=127&products_id=1167&zenid=d658261995248dd23037cf2e7c8b922f

[dromia]

PH Whitworths haven't been made for decades, Euroarms ended up with the tooling and they made a batch of Enfields and Volunteers from left over PH parts they were know as second generation Parker Hales, they then took to manufacturing them and selling tyhem under the PH name but they couldn't match the quality of the original PHs.

The new Pedersolis are a far better gun than the Euroarms "Parker Hales".

[fgd135]

I own an English-made PH Volunteer, which is a very accurate and incredibly well made firearm, and a Pedersoli P53 made in 2013, which is a tack driver of a rifle musket, so I expect that the Pedersoli WW and Vol will be great shooting rifles.

[heelerau]

I am currently working up on old first generation Parker Hale Volunteer .451 with Rigby rifling. They are a lovely rifle to use, the patent breech can be a bit tricky for getting your first shot away. Quite a long flash channel. I am starting to shoot 9 ring groups at 200m off the bench.

[Whitesmoke]

I may have a chance on a PH Whitworth 451 with the octagonal bullet rifling. The fellow wants $900 for the rifle.

Theres a downside and that is there is no octagonal bullet mould and I am a advised that a suitable mould from England will be very expensive.

Some say there is a .530 grain bullet for the 45/70 can be utilised as that is what the Pedersoli uses- no octagonal bullet mould made for them.

Are such octagonal moulds available from the US? I guess my question is "What are Whitworth owners on your side of the pond using ?"

Also I need to find a set of long range peep sites for it. Any advice there.

Thanks
Bluesmoke

[ResearchPress]

The most successful Whitworth rifle shooter I know (competition winning scores) uses a paper patched cylindrical bullet with a deep base cavity. You don't need hexagonal bullets to shoot the Whitworth and much of the shooting in the 19thC was done with cylindrical bullets.

Whitworth's own "Instructions for Loading & Cleaning The Whitworth Patent Military Rifle (http://gunmakerhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/loading-whitworth-patent-rifle.html)" note: "The cylindrical form of projectile is the best for general use."

David

[Tatume]

This mold
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/506017/lyman-1-cavity-bullet-mold-457121ph-45-caliber-457-diameter-475-grain-whitworth

was designed expressly for the Parker-Hale Whitworth.

[Hickok]

Just me, but I have always thought that the 45/70 with a 500 gr boolit was fairly similar in ballistics to the Whitworth.

[Good Cheer]

Yeah it is.
My TC New Englander is refit to .458 heptagon bore to shoot out the shelf .45 rifle molds.
It's about like a 45-70 rolling block carbine but without the limitation on powder space imposed by brass.