buckstix
(.400 member)
27/07/17 06:27 AM
Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Hello All,

I wanted to take a moment to share with you my excitement about my most recent acquisition - an Original John Rigby Rifle in 275 HV caliber. (7x57mm)

I always wanted an original Rigby rifle in 275 caliber, and I am so very pleased to have finally found one, and this one is a Take-Down model.

The rifle was built using an Oberndorf Mauser Action with its original serial number indicating it was manufactured in early 1924. The action is an "Intermediate Action" that Mauser made specifically for their 7x57mm cartridge. This action is also a very unique one because it has a "single square bridge" at the rear of the receiver, a feature I've not yet found on any other .275 Rigby rifle. The rifle is topped with a 4x scope with a cross hair/post reticle in a German Akah lever-detachable side mount. (similar to a G&H side mount)









I contacted John Rigby & Co. in England and obtained a Factory Letter. It confirms my rifle was a .275 cal Mauser Sporting Rifle - High Velocity Take Down - 24" Barrel - weighing 7-1/4 pounds - a 14-1/8" LOP - Sold to: T.P Dunhill - Sept. 12, 1924.






The Take-Down function is simple and slick. While holding the rifle "belly-up" under your left arm, you lift the Deeley Locking Lever that is on the bottom of the forend. (this retracts the lock-pin that extends into the front of the stock) Then you twist the forend / barrel counter-clock-wise, and unscrew the barrel. To reinstall the barrel, you simply screw it back into the action. The Deeley Locking Lever automatically lifts open, and then snaps shut when the barrel is fully seated, thereby locking it back in place with the forend lock-pin.






In researching T.P. Dunhill, the purchaser of this rifle, I was very surprised to find that he was a famous Surgeon who served during WWI, and then later became the Surgeon to the Royal Family in London, England, and in 1933 he was "Knighted" by King George V.

................


In addition, on June 11, 1947, in a small private nursing home on Berwick Street, London, "Sir Thomas Peel Dunhill" performed a hernia operation on none other than the 73-year-old Winston Churchill. How cool is that!




I especially like the fact that when discussing John Rigby .275 cal. rifles, names of Famous Hunters are sure to come into the conversation. Names like WD Bell, aka "Karamojo" Bell, (he also owned a take-down model) who killed over 1,000 elephants with his 275 Rigby. And, Jim Corbett, another hunter of fame, who used his 275 Rigby to kill over a dozen Man-Eating Tigers and Leopards that had killed over 1,200 people in India.

............... W D Bell ............... Jim Corbett
.
.

The Rigby is now cased and ready for the hunt, albeit not likely for Elephants, or Leopards, or Tigers, Oh My!



kuduae
(.400 member)
27/07/17 07:10 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

A very nice find, Waidmannsheil! Scope and mount were certainly fitted post-WW2. May I draw your attention to a sentence in Rigby's catalog description of their "Take-Down" Mechanism: " We do not recommend this if our telescope sight is required." So you have to try out if the rifle holds zero after dis- and reassembling barrel and scope.
Well, I've got the same mount and a vintage Zeiss "Zielvier" scope on my 1905 made G.Gibbs Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 in .256 Rimless Gibbs aka 6.5x54 M-S. But the take-down feature was blocked solid when I had to rebarrel it. The original barrel was beyond any hope, bullets keyholing at 30 paces.



93x64mm
(.416 member)
27/07/17 07:40 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Thanks Buckstix - a bit of Aussie history there too!

FrankFarmer
(.300 member)
27/07/17 07:44 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Absolutely Fabulous! I'm Speechless! Congratulations!

buckstix
(.400 member)
27/07/17 07:59 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Hello Kuduae,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I did see that statement in the original Rigby Ad.

For that reason, I tested the rifle with 6 shots by removing the scope, breaking down the rifle and putting it back in the case, between each of the 6 shots.



It was not easy to aim "precisely" because the scope is only 4X with post/crosshair. I'm sure with a higher power scope there would be less verticle stringing. However, the total spread at 100 yards was 2.8" with the mean distance from center being only 1.2" for the 6 shots. I would feel comfortable using the rifle up to 300 yards on deer size or larger game. If farther distances were to be expected, I would check the zero after assembly, and not disassemble the rifle until the hunt was over.

Also, I did not let the barrel cool down completely for this test, and will redo the same test again over several days by starting with an ambient temperature rifle each time a shot is fired.


Rule303
(.416 member)
27/07/17 08:24 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Congratulations on a superb pick up. What tales that rifle could tell.

The grouping after removal of the scope and barrel is very good.


Viking338
(.333 member)
27/07/17 09:10 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

That is a wonderful find mate, very cool history too. You have got to be happy with that, although I am a little jealous haha.
My 7x57 has only taken pigs and goats nothing exotic so can't be called a 275 . It is a lovely round to use though which does punch above its weight in my opinion.

Kind regards

Steve


paradox_
(.375 member)
27/07/17 10:07 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Wonderful rifle , note the 7x57 cartridge designation, possible rebarrel??

Best
Eric


buckstix
(.400 member)
27/07/17 12:33 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Quote:

Wonderful rifle , note the 7x57 cartridge designation, possible rebarrel??
Best
Eric




Hello Paradox_,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I believe so. It has the London Nitro Proof above the 7X57 with an 18.5 TONS designation below the wood line.


justcurious
(.333 member)
27/07/17 08:40 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Quote:

A very nice find, Waidmannsheil! Scope and mount were certainly fitted post-WW2. May I draw your attention to a sentence in Rigby's catalog description of their "Take-Down" Mechanism: " We do not recommend this if our telescope sight is required." So you have to try out if the rifle holds zero after dis- and reassembling barrel and scope.
....................




To get things clear :..not recommended if our ( Rigby´s !!) telescope sight is required.

Rigby´s scope mounting technique used to fix the front ring base on the barrel.
The side mount avoids the problems arising when bridging the action and barrel with the scope.

Return to zero after dis-and reassembling the takedown maybe or may not be a problem , independent from the mounted scope.


Waidmannsheil
(.400 member)
27/07/17 09:29 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

What a great find and a lovely rifle, and a take-down none the less. Really well done.

When Rigby fitted telescopic sight to their take-down rifles one method they used was to reverse their bases, as in they used a double spaced hook at the receiver end and the post & cam at the bridge end.

Waidmannsheil.


buckstix
(.400 member)
27/07/17 10:13 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Quote:

To get things clear :..not recommended if our ( Rigby´s !!) telescope sight is required.

Rigby´s scope mounting technique used to fix the front ring base on the barrel.
The side mount avoids the problems arising when bridging the action and barrel with the scope.

Return to zero after dis-and reassembling the takedown maybe or may not be a problem , independent from the mounted scope.




Hello justcurious,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, now I better understand Rigby's comment. It does say "our" telescope sight. And if Rigby's typical mounting as you say, was to bridge from the receiver to the barrel, the take-down feature may have adversely affected repeatable zero. In my case I agree with you, the "side mounting" to the receiver doesn't have this problem.



Waidmannsheil
(.400 member)
28/07/17 07:03 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Here is a picture of the bases as mounted to a Take-Down Rigby using original Rigby bases.



As one can see there were factory options for telescopic sights other than just side mounts when fitted to a take-down model.

Waidmannsheil.


Homer
(.416 member)
28/07/17 09:53 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

G'Day Fella's,

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Donuts!
Homer


Rigby350
(.300 member)
28/07/17 08:38 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Very very nice take down Rigby, I have a similar take down In 350 Rigby from 1933.

Bidgee
(.375 member)
29/07/17 01:22 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Wow, great purchase! That is lovely.

Good research and post! Top read.


Branxhunter
(.224 member)
03/08/17 07:18 PM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Great rifle.

I have wondered how these types of takedown rifles work, thanks for the great description and photos,

Marcus


buckstix
(.400 member)
07/08/17 08:18 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Hello,

Well, over the last 4 days I conducted a shooting test of the Rigby rifle to determine the repeatability of the rifle's take-down feature.

The rifle was removed from the case - assembled - scope attached - and fired "one time" with my 140g load. It was then disassembled, scope removed, and returned to the case.

I repeated this over the next 4 days - one shot per day. Each time starting from a cold disassembled rifle.

I am pleased to say that I would not hesitate to assembly the rifle, attach the scope, and go hunting, (without further sighting) knowing with confidence that I could make kills out to 300 yards.

Although the Rigby catalog of 1924 lists 3000 fps for their 140g High Velocity ammo, it must have been fired from a test barrel over 30" long. The MAX load listed is only 2825 fps in my 24" barrel and is a VERY HOT load - and may not be safe in other rifles.



Ripp
(.577 member)
07/08/17 11:38 AM
Re: Original John Rigby 275 Take-Down - a recent acquisition

Thats an incredible find and seems to be an incredible rifle..congrats..

Ripp



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