The smell of rich leather and gun oil greeted every customer stepping into Weatherby’s Sporting Goods in California, where the legend began. It wasn’t a big store, just 25′ x 70′, but it promised the beginning of something huge. With a mind as fast as the cartridges he designed, Roy Weatherby relied on his trusty dictating machine (pictured) to document his rapid-pace innovations. He was a stickler for detail with all of his notes, memos, ballistic data and photographs. Roy destroyed a lot of things when testing his magnum cartridges, from watersoaked Los Angeles telephone books to bullet-proof glass – which his ammunition penetrated, by the way. Wanting a rifle that was a true extension of the shooter, Roy identified shortcomings in other bolt-action stocks. So he designed his own for exceptional fit, balance and identifiable style. With Weatherby’s hot cartridges, there came a need for a bolt-action capable of handling the magnum power. Behold, the Mark V action. With up to nine locking lugs and “overbuilt” craftsmanship, the Mark V design remains the strongest bolt-action rifle today.
