............One of my daughter's co-workers (she describes as an 'oldster') has a 340 Weatherby built on a P17 Eddystone action. It's scoped so only part of the markings were visible but it's an Eddystone for sure. She called me at work and said this guy wanted me to check it out, as a friend of his had given it to him and he didn't want to blow his head off . Well! That's just great, let my dad have it so he can blow HIS head off with it. I can hear her now.
The barrel is like a truck axle and appears ot be about 26" long. All the metal work is 1st class. The barrel is very proffessionally stamped .340 Wthby Mag, and then the gunsmith's name, which seems familiar somehow. Not a recently done rifle. The stock is a real nice piece of walnut, but the forend appears to have been originally for a barrel a bit smaller around. The forend kind of slopes down a bit as it goes down the barrel's length. The underside of the forend is normally shaped but that mild downslope along the barrel just makes it seem a bit 'un-right' looking. At the forend tip it's about as wide as the barrel.
Christian (my daughter) had told me at first that she was told it was a Springfield action, and I just couldn't figure out how they'd get a 340 Weatherby to load and feed. Plus I have my own feelings about a suitable cartridge for a Springfield, and the 340 Weatherby isn't one of'em.
So as mentioned it's an Eddystone Enfield and not a Springfield. I don't have magnaflux gear so all I can do is the gasoline test, and a rudimentary headspace check. The barrel has some visible copper fouling so it's been shot, and I have to assume with 340 Weatherby ammo . All in all it appears to be 1st class work (other then the forend) and the gunsmith was proud enough to put his name on it.
I've never shot a 340 Weatherby, but I do have a lasting impression of a 460 Weatherby I did shoot ........... once, and I'll most likely never shoot a 340 again! The rifle has a cheap Bushnell scope on it that looks new. I told Christian to tell her co-worker I am NOT responsible for the condition the scope is returned in, as it may rattle a bit.
...............Buckshot