.425 Westley Richards

The round was the first in Great Britain (and the first major in the world) to have a rebated rim, one that is smaller in diameter than the case body, an invention which Taylor patented in 1908. This allowed it to be used in converted G98 rifles with standard bolt faces and not have them weakened by widening. However, it complicated the magazine design: when the cartridge is pushed forward and the bullet rides up the feed ramp, smaller diameter rim dives down and tends to slip under the bolt face (especially in absence of special measures to ensure reliable feeding), which may cause a serious jam. To solve this problem, Taylor developed (and patented in 1909) a proprietary single-stack magazine akin to Belgian Mauser, which similarly extended below the stock. However, many rifles were and are nevertheless produced with standard G98-type flush double stack, double feed magazine, which works quite well as long as the spring remains strong enough. The rebated rim also allows government game officers and authorized hunters to use standard stripper clips for rapid reloads when culling rogue animals.

• Name —.425 Westley Richards • Origin — England • Type — Rifle • Designer — Westley Richards • Design Date — 1908 • Case Type — Rebated-rim, straight walled bottleneck • Bullet —.435 • Neck —.456 • Shoulder —.540 • Base —.543 • Rim Dia —.467 • Case Length — 2.64 • Length — 3.30 • Bw1 — 410 • Btype1 — SP • Vel1 — 2350 • En1 — 5010 • Balsrc — "Cartridges of the World"