Weatherby Hunting Rifles
The history of Weatherby rifles began in the late 1940′s, when a young “wildcatter” named Roy Weatherby set out to change the world of firearm performance. While conventional thoughts centered upon the idea of pushing large bullets at relatively slow speeds, Roy Weatherby began experimenting with lighter weight bullets traveling at extremely high velocities. It was his belief that this combination was ideal for the flat-shooting, hard-hitting power needed to create enough hydrostatic shock to kill animals quickly and humanely.
Roy’s initial work began with developing his high-powered, magnum cartridges, including the .220 Rocket (based on the .220 Swift), and the first Weatherby Magnums .257, .270 and .300 (based on the .300 H&H Mag.). Roy would also begin to build his own rifles on virtually any actions he could obtain (FN Mauser, Schultz & Larson, Mathieus to name a few), as well as offering to re-chamber existing rifles to the new Weatherby calibers. From these beginnings, a small, one-man operation in South Gate, California, would serve as the beginning of Weatherby as we know it today.
By the mid- to late-1950s, Weatherby had expanded his line of magnum cartridges to include the .378 Weatherby Magnum (which superceded the .375 Weatherby Magnum) and the .460 (the world’s most powerful production cartridge, delivering nearly four tons of muzzle energy). At that time, he was producing his rifles on FN Mauser and French Brevex Magnum Mauser actions. In 1957, Roy would again catch the attention of the shooting and hunting world, with a proprietary action that is today recognized around the world as the Mark V Magnum Action.
The foundation for the Mark V was the need for a stronger, safer action, able to withstand tremendous pressure (up to 200,000 copper units of pressure – nearly three times that of other popular actions), and the possibility of blown primers and ruptured caseheads (due to the unpredictability of early handloaded and wildcat cartridges). As Roy worked to create the Mark V, he developed a recessed bolt face and a counterbored barrel breech which, when combined with the front receiver ring, delivers three rings of steel surrounding the cartridge. He added three gas ports in the body of the bolt so that gases could escape laterally, should the primer be pierced. And, he developed the enclosed bolt sleeve to redirect remaining gases away from the shooter’s face and downward through the rear of the action.
Finally, Roy added nine locking lugs which were the same diameter as the bolt body itself. Compared to a two-lug design, the nine-lug Mark V action was exceptionally smooth, non-binding, and superior in terms of overall strength and structural integrity. The nine-lug design also delivered a 54-degree bolt lift – virtually unheard of in the firearms industry – which allowed for faster chambering on follow-up shots and a greater bolt-to-scope clearance for fewer battered knuckles. Today, the Mark V action is billed as “the world’s strongest bolt action,” and continues to be the cornerstone of all Weatherby rifles.