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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39896
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Rigby London Best Commemorative .416
#368306 - 14/08/22 03:16 AM

John Rigby & Co

Here is a stunning example of a Rigby London Best bolt rifle. This rifle was built and ordered as the sister rifle to our Corbett commemorative which was auctioned for charity for a record breaking $250k. It is chambered in .416 Rigby, features grade 11 Turkish walnut and will be used in the field. The engravings were completed by our in-house engraver Geoffrey Lignon. Like the Corbett rifle, the engravings are based around the life and hunting stories of a legendary Rigby owner, J.A. Hunter and feature big game animals and the hunter’s portrait surrounded by ornament. #RIGBY #GUNMAKING #JAHUNTER #LONDONBEST

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3595
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Londn Best Commemorative .416 [Re: NitroX]
#368320 - 14/08/22 08:06 AM

Very nice.
Hope the new owner's eyesight is better than mine:- that close rear sight would just be a blur to pretty-much anyone on the wrinkly side of ~50.

Certainly there is no more reason to refrain from taking beautiful rifles into the hunting field, than there was a century ago. Superb big game hunting caliber.

Unfortunately the business of clearing rhinos from large tracts of African bush is no longer viable...

I wish we could look forward to seeing what she looks like a hundred years from now!

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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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metal
.275 member

Reged: 30/04/13
Posts: 70
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Londn Best Commemorative .416 [Re: Marrakai]
#368321 - 14/08/22 09:28 AM

Really nice rifle, a work of art thats for sure.
I hope my eyes are deceiving me, but I can see big problems with the rear tang and how it has been lowered for a more pleasing top line of the wrist.
If you are going to make this mod then the slot has to be flared out considerably to prevent the cocking piece riding up the tang and jamming.
You simply cannot have this situation on a DG rifle.
Most Mauser smiths have gone right away from filing down the rear tang, preferring to leave it as original.

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prairie_ghost
.300 member

Reged: 19/07/08
Posts: 130
Loc: casper, wy

Re: Rigby Londn Best Commemorative .416 [Re: metal]
#368324 - 14/08/22 10:57 AM

Good observation Metal, should of left a little meat to keep it between the curbs.

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metal
.275 member

Reged: 30/04/13
Posts: 70
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Londn Best Commemorative .416 [Re: prairie_ghost]
#368326 - 14/08/22 01:32 PM

I will add that possibly they have chamfered the front sear of the cocking piece to avoid the problem.
If so I will eat humble pie and shut up.

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3595
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Londn Best Commemorative .416 [Re: metal]
#368327 - 14/08/22 02:14 PM

Quote:

You simply cannot have this situation on a DG rifle.

Never seemed to cause a problem on the many thousands of Commercial Oberndorf Mauser sporters made from 1898 to the 1940s.
They filed the hell out of the rear tangs, to produce arguably the best factory sporting rifles ever made.

Perhaps most "modern Mauser smiths", as you call them metal, struggle with the concepts of elegant austerity, preferring to make rifles that a ham-fisted customer can't bring back broken through the wrist for a warranty claim!

Check out some of Joel's work on these forums for what can still be achieved today with Mauser actions by the cognoscent gunmaker.

And not armchair speculation here, having put an awfull lot of rounds through commercial Oberndorf sporters both on the range and in the hunting field, and the first time I've ever even heard of a cocking-piece riding up the tang and jamming is in the post above!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39896
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: Marrakai]
#368334 - 14/08/22 03:50 PM

Thanks Marrakai. I'm still waiting to be able to display the creations of the naysayers.

I do like the lion and elephant engravings. The rhino less so. JA Hunter is well displayed in the portrait.

Rigby's marketing is so innovative and well thought out. Corbett, Bell and Hunter commemorated. Who will be next?

Will they have a Marrakai if Hahn rifle in a hundred years time?! Ah no!

. Going to have to shoot a hell of a lot more "rabbits" for that to happen.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5284
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: NitroX]
#368380 - 15/08/22 07:36 PM

That's a fantastic piece of functional art.

Stylistically, I could do without the portrait on the rear bridge, and I certainly would not want to substitute my own mug! Just a matter of taste.

Like Marrakai, I would want the rear sight pushed a few inches forward. I'm on the wrinkly side of 50 too.

To take it one step further: I think if I were the customer, the rear express sight would disappear, and the rifle would be equipped with a cocking piece aperture. That would be a perfect piece of Rigby equipment.

Does anybody know who commissioned the rifle and what the cost was???

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39896
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: CptCurl]
#368385 - 15/08/22 08:30 PM

Quote:

Does anybody know who commissioned the rifle and what the cost was???

Curl

Old fellow on the wrong side of 50!

You need to read the comments with the photo.

Auctioned for $250,000. I am guessing an internal Rigby creation. Though maybe SCI or wherever it was auctioned had some input?

Just joking, but its all there.

Cost? All that engraving wouldn't be cheap. Might have added a digit to the cost.

Portraits on rifles aren't hunting either.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5284
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: NitroX]
#368386 - 15/08/22 08:35 PM

John, they said its sister rifle auctioned for $250k. Not this rifle. As I read it, this one was bespoke.

Maybe the person who commissioned this rifle paid $250k also. We are not told.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39896
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: CptCurl]
#368387 - 15/08/22 08:38 PM

Ok I'm over 50 too.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5284
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: CptCurl]
#368388 - 15/08/22 08:41 PM

And by the way, if 50 is the crossing point, you are on the far side of the hill with me. Maybe I'm a bit lower on the other side than you, with a closer view of the River Styx down in the valley, but I'm still on this side of the river with you.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

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bwanabobftw
.375 member

Reged: 29/12/04
Posts: 678
Loc: Texas

Re: Rigby London Best Commemorative .416 [Re: CptCurl]
#368407 - 16/08/22 12:49 PM

Beautiful rifle !!!!!!! Hope the new owner uses it and it doesn’t become a “safe queen”.
Thanks for posting,
Robert

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