Whitaker Special

Whitaker Special No 73 Built on a No4T, We have a few of these, one of the others we pulled out of the armoury is built on a Savage No4 Mk1*T

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Mmmmmmm. A textbook example of how to make a sows ear out of a silk purse. Just an opinion of course

Its just a shame a No4T met this fate...

Some background to the rifle & the man:

http://www.whitaker-special.co.uk/

Geoff Hart also used to do this to good rifles. Back in about 1992 when he was about to pack up I got a call from him to go over for a 'chat'. He produced a bag which contained four 4T bodies complete with pads, one of which was a 1931 trials action. He let me have them at a reasonable price as he'd decided to retire & so wouldn't be needing them. A couple of years ago, for one of the forummers here, I refitted a set of pads to a genuine 4T that had had the butt socket brazed back on to it. Someone had made a nice job of it, although it was a Faz socket on a BSA Shirley action!

Have got both, except the Whitaker Special is just a body (standard No4) which was part of a job lot at an auction no use to me due to but socket missing (if anyone is looking for one PM me), The Hart rifle was a T, one day plan on turning it back.....to its former glory but in .22.

Like turning a lovely '72 'jeans' VW Beetle into a beach buggy. The irony was that the culprit was my friends son called....... Wayne Whittaker!

I also took in the weekend a Geoff Hart target rifle, fortunately built on a non modified action, but still sing shot.

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Shame that one isn't built on a T as it would be well worth converting it back.....

Regarding the body I mentioned in post #5, as it was a Whitaker Special I contacted " Strangely Brown" to give him the serial Number for his register of Whitaker and Hart rifles.... Mick emailed me back with some info...... Am sure he will take the lead from here.

I have emailed him, just need to give him the serial numbers as we have 10 or so that are behind around 200+ rifles in the armoury that need to be moved to get at them

I have heard of these Hart and Whitaker conversions, but I'm not overly familiar with them. Do they command good prices in the UK, and how do they compare with summat like an Envoy or L39? What barrels do they use, and were any made as repeaters?

Harry, All built as single shot (maybe a few variations, IE customer preference etc) barrels I've seen were Schultz & Larsen. Price wise can vary from peanuts to something that won't sell..........

They are a steal to anyone starting off in Target shooting, same as the P14 / P17 conversions....... problem is folk starting off are give wrong advice and go for something with all the bells and whistles plus an expensive scope. Is a shame as a lot of old target rifles will still do the job but just not wanted.

Agree with everything Geoff says with the addition that if you get a bog standard L39/Envoy you might pay more but you'll get your money back plus some, it's an officially recognised member of the family as opposed to a bitzer and they're a bit more versatile to boot.

I have heard that their accuracy is, well....., anything from '....better' than a No4T to something out of this world! But I wonder how they'd fare in a just-short-of-a-laboratory sort of test. You know, Enfield rest to eliminate the human factor, same ammo, etc etc

Firstly sincere apologies for my absence over the last year or so; I had a spinal fusion three years ago which was followed by a knee reconstruction last year, after which I guess I just wandered off and didn’t visit the forum.
I have however been fairly busy on the research front regarding Whitaker’s & Hart’s.

Simon’s Hart rifle is an interesting one with a past; it was sold to Geoff Hart by Christopher Whitaker (Bert’s son) as a No.4 action along with two others in April 1978.
Christopher also sold six rifles which were a mix of .303 & 7.62mm No.4’s along with a P17 in 7.62mm.
This information makes Simon’s Hart one of the very first produced by Geoff who mainly specialised in making target rifles with Shilen actions.

We forget that these rifles (Whitaker’s) were all produced between 1973 and 1976, and in Geoff Hart’s case between 1978 and the early 1980’s. Between them Bert & Geoff produced no more than 150 No.4 conversions, which coincidently were not all based on No.4T actions.
Prices and demand for No.4’s and T’s was not great during this period; my brother was forced by Sussex Police to put his rifles up for auction because he was working in Africa at about the same time. His No.4 which was stamped RHKDF (Royal Hong Kong Defence Force) went for £17!

The last offerings from Geoff Hart had seen the No.4 action taken as far as current technology will allow with additions like a Brindles trigger and Shultz and Larsen barrel.
Given the low numbers produced and the quality of work, especially in Geoff Harts case these are rarer than most other Enfield’s, sadly though there is little appetite in the world of collecting for what are regarded as modernish target rifles.
However in the world of target rifle development they will eventually see the accord they deserve along with the men who had the vision to do the conversions. Who both incidentally were both winners of the NRA Grand Aggregate in their time.

Just an opinion of course……..

It was about 1992/93 that I drove down to see Geoff & when he sold me the last four 4T actions he had, so if he stopped setting up rifles in the early 1980's they must have been lying around for a while.

I am sure that eventually these rifles will be more generally appreciated & this will be reflected in their monetary value - their time just hasn't quite arrived yet......

So maybe now is the time to buy one.

ATB.

P.S. Hope you're now firing on all four cylinders again Strangely.:thup:

Sad to think of the information that must have died with that gent!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...image003-1.jpg