JPeterson:

It's really a question of intrinsic value. A Merkel is built, of course, on a Merkel action with chopper lump barrels (the most expensive way, and the most desireable), and is well finished. The current Rigby is built on a Merkel action with mono-bloc barrels (although functionally not inferior, the cheapest way and less desireable) and isn't finished as well as the Merkel. The Merkel is the better gun and costs less than half as much. This is why the current incarnation of Rigby hasn't done well and probably won't be around much longer.

Grains & Nitro:

I don't know where the pre-WWI Rising Bite SLE actions came from. Possible Rigby may have made them themselves. The post WWI SLEs were Webley & Rogers Screw Grip models from Webley & Scott. The Webley Screw Grip was a much more positive top fastener system than the Bissell ever was.

There are a lot of abused guns out there that have ended up in such condition, or worse. The Bissell's have had 90+ years to suffer every indignity in the book. Some have been well cared for, and some haven't. It isn't fair to judge them by their walking wounded.
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