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Westley Richards & Co. 12g Highest Quality hammerless shotgun with Westley’s patented hand detachable locks.

Westley Richards 12g Highest Quality Hand Detachable Lock Shotgun completed in 1929. Westley's Best quality guns with game scene engraving were listed in the 1912 catalog as the Model De Luxe but by the 1928 catalog it is labeled the "Highest" Quality. This gun was completed in 1929 and it features Westley Richards' patent hand detachable locks, ejectors, and Westley’s famous Patent One Trigger.  

As was popular during the time, the gun is also fitted with a "cross bolt and tang lever" noted in the same 1928 Westley Richards catalog as a "quadruple" grip. Consistent with that type of bolting system, the action has a square back shape and raised side panels with clipped fences.

Classic Westley Richards deluxe game scene engraving on the action sides featuring pheasants and partridge and the cover plate is neatly engraved “Westley Richards Patent One Trigger” over the profile of an English pointer and all of this surrounded by a traditional scroll pattern. The 26” dovetail lump "WR Special Steel" barrels have engraved wedges at the muzzles, a raised matted rib and are choked .008” and .033” with 2 3/4” chambers, however the gun was originally proved for 2 5/8" chambers and a  1 1/8 oz. load.

Stock and forend are nicely figured and wonderfully checkered in a very fine, flat top pattern with fancy and pointed borders, traditional drop points and checkered side panels. The stock features a very elegant "Woodward" style grip with a trigger tang extending to the angled, horn grip cap. All original, the LOP is 13 5/8" and measures over a thin checkered horn butt plate that could easily be replaced with a pad to offer a longer length of pull. The splinter forend is equally well carved and checkered, has a Deeley latch and a horn forend tip. 

The gun is in remarkable original condition and appears virtually unfired still featuring almost all of its original oil finish on the stock, original black on the barrels, cover plate, trigger bow and top lever and almost 99% of the original bright, vivid color hardening. The gun was acquired from only its second owner in its 89 year history and has been in this family since the 1960's. This is truly a time capsule and a wonderful example of what a new gun from Westley Richards looked like in 1929.

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