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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Single Shots & Combination Guns
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TH44
.375 member


Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 734
Loc: West UK
Gibbs/Jefferys
      #158141 - 03/04/10 06:48 AM

After Huvius' stick last week here is my Farquharson [H-I considered your comments a gentle prod in the best taste and interest!]
After some of the superb rifles here I do not wish to push, although the porn one seems to have attracted much attention!

I bought this as a W J Jeffery at a Holts auction in London
Looking at Winfer's books, it is a very early George Gibbs MBL as on page 72
Action patent number 146 puts it at 1874/5 [No. 212 is 1876]
It was used as a target / match rifle as there is a metal plug where the long range sight [for prone, feet to the target] at the rear of the stock as well as the cranked operating lever. Calibre would have been .461 Gibbs

At some time before 1904 it was rebarrelled or rebored by W J Jeffery, the first set of proof marks being 48 bore - .459 [the original Gibbs???] Or is this the original barrel cut down, now 28 inches?

After that again before 1904 [proof marks used between 1855-1904] it was rebored for .500 express, a calibre I particularly like, although I rang Mark Crudgington on the thousand to one chance he had a .461 barrel - no luck!

I do not know whether to be disappointed that it is a mixture or pleased that it is a Gibbs, as almost all the other makers used Belgian actions later

Anyway, it is what it is and it would be nice if it could tell us its history




There is some case hardening colour, it shows better in sunlight!




Barrel is quite good


Typical Jeffery fore end


Note lever to quickly drop action plate/breechblock


Usual leaf sights


Plug of original long range sight


Jeffery took this address 1887


Two sets of proof marks, one for 48 bore and one for later 500 express
I have not shot it yet

Comments?

TH44

Edited by TH44 (03/04/10 06:52 AM)

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500Nitro
.450 member


Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia
Re: Gibbs/Jefferys [Re: TH44]
      #158144 - 03/04/10 08:43 AM


Very nice indeed.

Thanks for posting.

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HuviusModerator
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3555
Loc: Colorado
Re: Gibbs/Jefferys [Re: TH44]
      #158153 - 03/04/10 12:44 PM

Very interesting.

I couldn't think of being disappointed with this gun at all if bought within reason.
Actually, I linked to this gun as an example of a sporterised MBL in another thread - http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=146215&an=0&page=1#Post146215

I imagine that the barrel could be original and subsequently rebored to 500ex.
If it was originally chambered in 461 No.1 Gibbs, it would have been rifled in the metford system and so marked on the barrel with a patent use number. Obviously, the original rifling is long gone but the "48" bore marking could indicate that this was originally chambered in something other than a proprietary Gibbs cartridge. The sporting rifles were advertised as being available in .450cal so I suppose a MBL could have been ordered this way as well. This could explain the lack of a Metford number - Winfer claims that only the Gibbs chamberings had Metford rifling.
Now, would Jeffery roll their name and address onto a barrel which they simply rebored? I dunno...

The forend is a bit Webley looking. The classic Jeffery style is upswept as finished by Turner although if you had a gun "sporterised" in period, I bet you could specify whatever forend you liked. The checkering looks to be more coarse on the forend than the grip area and I don't know if running the checkering all the way back to the action was done by any maker in particular.

As I said, very interesting rifle.
IMO, since George Gibbs Farquharsons in absolute original condition are so damn rare, it is still a treat indeed to own a genuine Gibbs Farq of any configuration, no matter how mysterious.

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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