I have been a 404 fan since I was a very young man.

I borrowed one for about 8 months when I was a young man and I thought the world of it. It was an original Jeffery, sold to a game department "way back when" (I believe it was Norther Rhodesia at that time)and was silver worn with some substantial throat erosion, but it still shot fine and it killed everything I ever put in front of it.

Just last month I finished making a 404 for myself. I made a promise to myself to make one because I liked that old rifles so much, but never seemed to get around to it. Until January.

Last winter I decided I'd do it. The old Jeffery was made on a single square bridge action. My new one is made on a GEW length Mauser that I opened up to work with the 404 cartridge. I added a drop mag and it feeds wonderfully now that I opened it up just a bit. The mag is an old London Guns mag that was made for the 375H&H, but with a bit of work the 404 is right at home.

The old rifle had a delightful rear sight. In those days I had exceptionally good vision and that sight was all I could have asked for. It had a standing sight with 3 or 4 folding leafs and then a ladder that calibrated to some ridiculously long range. I never shot anything with any sight other then the standing sight, but I used to toy with that ladder and those folders. The quality was 1st rate and I was just amazed at the quality. I thought it was super cool. I have never found another one like it.
The new rifle I made is stocked for a scope. I no longer have the super good eyes I had all those years ago and I can't shoot well in dim light with irons anymore, so I made a concision to my advancing age and scoped the rifle with a 2.5 power scope, and made the stock with less drop than the old one had. Overall it is still a cool gun and it brings back a lot of memories. Not identical to the old rifle, but pretty close. I have a hand made rear base for the set of Express sights, but this set is 3 folders with no standing sight. I did copy the barrel band swivel stud as closely as I could from memory, and I used a NECG front sight for the classic English look. The sights require me to force my cheek into the comb a bit to use them, but with my old eyes they are now only a back up sight set, so I will probably not ever hunt over them. I did zero them at 100, 200 and 300 so they are 100 functional, but I will rely on the scope for any hunting I do.

The barrel blank I got was one that had not been lapped and the lands were a bit rough. I lapped it a bit and tried it at 100 yards with Woodleigh bullet WOW! It shoots REALLY well. 4 shots touching. Can't ask for any better then that from a 404.

As of right now it has never been aimed at an animal. I hope it will be used before I am too old to use it anymore, but I am hopeful. A lot can happen in the next 2-20 years and so far I am feeling the age a little, but thankfully only a little.
Even if I never get that chance, I am delighted with the rifle, and from those memories of all those years ago, I am 100% sure it is all I could ever ask of a big game rifle.