Whitworth .375 H&H Magnum - What makes the various versions?

JDP · December 11, 2023, 05:56 PM

I have a Whitworth .375 H&H Magnum rifle, and I have been searching the Internet to find out more about it. I have run onto words like Express, Safari Express, Mark X, Alaskan Magnum. Can anyone tell me what distinguishes a Whitworth .375 Magnum rifle as any of these? Also, any idea how to determine year of production? The serial number is B279---.

jmr40 · December 11, 2023, 06:09 PM

Mechanically all of those are basically the same rifle IIRC. They have been sold under many different names over the years, but each seller requested somewhat different specs such as stocks, finish, barrel length etc. Remington sold them for about 2 years as the 798.

At one time they sold a lot of actions and barreled actions to be used as the basis for custom rifles. I picked up a used one in 338/06 years ago that someone built off an action. The metal had been parkerized and it was in a Brown Precision stock.

I may be mis-remembering, but I believe the Whitworth rifles were imported in Britan and were some of the better finished and fancy versions. Many of them were a little rough and sold as budget guns but not the Whitworth's. They have a reputation as a durable, rugged CRF rifle.

JDP · December 12, 2023, 10:39 AM

jmr40,
Thanks for the reply.
How do I know if I have a Whitworth Express, a Safari Express, a Mark X, and/or an Alaskan Magnum?

What exactly is an Alaskan Magnum?

Any idea about date of manufacture?

Jerry

Paul B. · December 12, 2023, 03:14 PM

I had an Alaskan when they first came out but didn't keep it very long. beautiful rifle, quite accurate but had one fault that made me decide it was going away. It would gouge deep scratched in my brass due to the fact the the edge of the slot that takes the lower locking lug had an edge like the teeth in the jaws of a Great White shark. Some of the scratched that ran the length of the case were deep enough that I was concerned about the integrity of the brass.

These days, if I look at any Mauser made by Zastafa, I stick my finger into the breech as fell the offending area. I've checked out a few .375s that way and found "dental" work in every one. Are they all like that or was I just unlucky? I had one of their rifles in .300 Win. Mag. that I really liked and no problems with its "dental" work.
Paul B.

bobn · December 12, 2023, 07:51 PM

Interarms was the importer. 80s/90s era. along with the others there was a model called the American. Basically commercial mauser actions with various sight options, stock design and finish /bluing with corresponding to the model name.
...pricing was from low 200 to the 400 area which was what rugers, rems and win sold for. (fwiw i worked in a popular gun store in that time frame. we sold nearly a 100 guns a day mostly rifles to mostly boomers who finally started to make some dough) bobn

December 11, 2023, 05:56 PM	#1
JDP Member Join Date: June 16, 2012 Posts: 18	Whitworth .375 H&H Magnum - What makes the various versions? I have a Whitworth .375 H&H Magnum rifle, and I have been searching the Internet to find out more about it. I have run onto words like Express, Safari Express, Mark X, Alaskan Magnum. Can anyone tell me what distinguishes a Whitworth .375 Magnum rifle as any of these? Also, any idea how to determine year of production? The serial number is B279---.

December 11, 2023, 06:09 PM	#2
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,976	Mechanically all of those are basically the same rifle IIRC. They have been sold under many different names over the years, but each seller requested somewhat different specs such as stocks, finish, barrel length etc. Remington sold them for about 2 years as the 798. At one time they sold a lot of actions and barreled actions to be used as the basis for custom rifles. I picked up a used one in 338/06 years ago that someone built off an action. The metal had been parkerized and it was in a Brown Precision stock. I may be mis-remembering, but I believe the Whitworth rifles were imported in Britan and were some of the better finished and fancy versions. Many of them were a little rough and sold as budget guns but not the Whitworth's. They have a reputation as a durable, rugged CRF rifle. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

December 12, 2023, 10:39 AM	#3
JDP Member Join Date: June 16, 2012 Posts: 18	Whitworth .375 H&H Magnum - What makes the various versions? jmr40, Thanks for the reply. How do I know if I have a Whitworth Express, a Safari Express, a Mark X, and/or an Alaskan Magnum? What exactly is an Alaskan Magnum? Any idea about date of manufacture? Jerry

December 12, 2023, 03:14 PM	#4
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,936	I had an Alaskan when they first came out but didn't keep it very long. beautiful rifle, quite accurate but had one fault that made me decide it was going away. It would gouge deep scratched in my brass due to the fact the the edge of the slot that takes the lower locking lug had an edge like the teeth in the jaws of a Great White shark. Some of the scratched that ran the length of the case were deep enough that I was concerned about the integrity of the brass. These days, if I look at any Mauser made by Zastafa, I stick my finger into the breech as fell the offending area. I've checked out a few .375s that way and found "dental" work in every one. Are they all like that or was I just unlucky? I had one of their rifles in .300 Win. Mag. that I really liked and no problems with its "dental" work. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

December 12, 2023, 07:51 PM	#5
bobn Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2006 Location: midwest Posts: 1,120	Interarms was the importer. 80s/90s era. along with the others there was a model called the American. Basically commercial mauser actions with various sight options, stock design and finish /bluing with corresponding to the model name. ...pricing was from low 200 to the 400 area which was what rugers, rems and win sold for. (fwiw i worked in a popular gun store in that time frame. we sold nearly a 100 guns a day mostly rifles to mostly boomers who finally started to make some dough) bobn