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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: The New Rigby [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #14318 - 05/05/04 12:42 AM

Some Rigby comments:

1. I do not like the 1970's rigby bolt actions. The bolt handles are too short and the stocks feel cumbersome.

2. I do like the feel of the California Rigby doubles. The stocks fit me great.

3. The CA Rigby doubles are made on a 20 gauge Merkel shotgun frame as I understand. I am concerned whether it will stand up to lots of shooting.

4. The CA Rigby base rifles go for more than double the cost of a rifle from another location in California...

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DUGABOY1
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Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: 500grains]
      #14392 - 06/05/04 12:46 PM

In reply to:

Some Rigby comments:

1. I do not like the 1970's rigby bolt actions. The bolt handles are too short and the stocks feel cumbersome.

2. I do like the feel of the California Rigby doubles. The stocks fit me great.

3. The CA Rigby doubles are made on a 20 gauge Merkel shotgun frame as I understand. I am concerned whether it will stand up to lots of shooting.



500grains, I have seen this posted by you several times, on several web-sites, and my question is, Who told you the CA Rigbys are made on Merkel 20 ga shotgun actions? Your's is the only reference, to this, that I have seen. I'm not saying it isn't true, but I just can find no place where it is stated in print, other than your posts!

The fore-runner to the CA Rigby was the Rogue River double rifle, and it was made on a pure shotgun action, but I don't think it was a Merkel. The barrels were actually glued together, with a space age glue, that was designed, but rejected, to hold the heat tiles on the space capsules for re-entry. The problem was when it set, it couldn't be adjusted for regulation. The Rogue River doubles didn't regulate too well, at least the ones I had any thing to do with, didn't!

I have several Merkel shotguns, and one double rifle, and the actions seem to not be the same as the Rigby, to me. I have heard this said of the Heyms as well, and I can find no conformation of that either, and those actions seem different, as well. The Merkel shotguns are made on Double rifle actions, that way they don't have to make two seperate actions, one of the reasons the prices can be kept within the budget of many who otherwise couldn't afford a double rifle. LIKE ME, most of the time

I guess what I'm asking is, do you have a link to info on this subject, that I can read, and copy?

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: The New Rigby [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #14435 - 07/05/04 03:09 AM


Dugaboy, I do not have a written source for you on the rigby action. The info came from a knowledgeable person at the SCI convention, and I do not think I should post a name on the internet without permission. I suppose one of us could call Rigby to ask if it's as true as I think it is.

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DUGABOY1
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Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: 500grains]
      #14437 - 07/05/04 04:54 AM

500grains, I just got a E-mail from a personal friend , and a person who knows as much, or more, about the currently made double rifles as anyone I know! He agrees with your take on this subject, and says he has personally disassembled the new Rigby, and they are definently Merkel actions! I will not post his name here but everyone who has anything to do with double rifles knows him, or of him! I will send the name to you in an E-mail if you want!

Haveing said all that, I will concede to that informed opinion, as to the origin of the action on the new CA Rigbys. I will say, I do not like the new Rigbys, but that is a personal opinion on my part, and makes no difference, since I can't afford one of them, even if I did like them. However, I fail to see what difference it makes who made the action, as long as it is strong enough for the job! As far as I'm concerened, the action, in this case, is the best part of the rifle! Again, that is only my opinion, and worth only as much as you pay for it!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #14480 - 08/05/04 01:44 AM

Mac, I am interested in independent verification, as you were. Could you email to: dmccart@xmission.com?

Thanks.

I actually quite like the fit and feel of the new Rigby. I am no gunmaking expert, so I cannot say whether the Merkel 20 gauge shotgun action is sufficient for the task, but there have been some raised eyebrows on that point.

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zimhunter
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Reged: 05/02/04
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: 500grains]
      #14574 - 10/05/04 12:20 AM

The article detailing the production of the "NEW" Rigby double using Merkel actions was detailed in the SCI magazine some time ago. The article stated they reshape the rear of the action (the Merkel scallops) and undercut for better stock fit and use none of the Merkel internal parts but use parts of their own manufacture. I also believe reference was also made in The Double Gun Journal to the use of Merkel actions.

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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: The New Rigby [Re: zimhunter]
      #14694 - 13/05/04 03:17 AM

By coincedence I unwrapped my newest issue of SCI Mag and their is an article by Craig Boddington touting Doubles with most of it dealing with the wonderful Rigby now made in California.



--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: mickey]
      #68139 - 27/12/06 11:55 PM

BTTT. Christmas thread "spinner".

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500grains
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Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: mickey]
      #68175 - 28/12/06 02:37 AM

Quote:

By coincedence I unwrapped my newest issue of SCI Mag and their is an article by Craig Boddington touting Doubles with most of it dealing with the wonderful Rigby now made in California.





Wasn't he touting Krieghoffs for a while?

Most recently he seems to be showing with with a vintage British gun.

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DUGABOY1
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: 500grains]
      #68185 - 28/12/06 03:39 AM

Quote:

Quote:

By coincedence I unwrapped my newest issue of SCI Mag and their is an article by Craig Boddington touting Doubles with most of it dealing with the wonderful Rigby now made in California.





Wasn't he touting Krieghoffs for a while?

Most recently he seems to be showing with with a vintage British gun.




Boddington has had a C.W. Andrews 470NE double rifle for years, and he also has a new CA Rigby that he used in his "BODDINGTON ON CAPE BUFFALO" film with PH Andrew Dawson in Zimbabwe!

By the way, Dan, I just noticed your request for the name of mu source to be E-mailed to you in this old thread! Did I ever E-mail it to you? If not I will now, in a PM!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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Dave_Hall
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Reged: 09/12/06
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Loc: PA. ,U.S.A.
Re: The New Rigby [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #68216 - 28/12/06 11:54 AM

I think the older 470 is in Craig's African Experience DVD.Where he is talking in his den talking about cal's one of the only good parts of the vid.I have a question about Rigby why did they sell out to start with?Wasn't the name and rifles doing well?As for the looks of the Doubles I like simple it makes them look more rock soild.Like most of your working P.H. rifles.You can put to much ingraving on stuff.It has to have a Great piece of wood on it no matter what.Dave

--------------------
The Great .458
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45-120 Sharps
450 Nitro Express
2011 Ruger SP-101 4.2" 357 MAG.

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400NitroExpress
.400 member


Reged: 26/11/03
Posts: 1154
Loc: Lone Star State
Re: The New Rigby [Re: Dave_Hall]
      #68233 - 28/12/06 03:34 PM

Quote:

I have a question about Rigby why did they sell out to start with?



Rigby was owned by J. Roberts & Son. Paul Roberts ran the company and, yes, it was doing fine. Paul didn't have any real interest in selling the company, but an American made a perfectly stupid offer and Paul simply couldn't say no, so he sold it in 1997. They thought they could make a lot of money just trading on the name, and have pretty much trashed it.

J. Roberts & Son acquired the rights to the W. J. Jeffery name in 2000, and is now making guns and rifles under that name.

--------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

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new_guy
Sponsor


Reged: 10/08/04
Posts: 581
Loc: Texas
Re: The New Rigby [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #68234 - 28/12/06 03:59 PM

Quote:

Some Rigby comments:
500grains, I have seen this posted by you several times, on several web-sites, and my question is, Who told you the CA Rigbys are made on Merkel 20 ga shotgun actions? Your's is the only reference, to this, that I have seen. I'm not saying it isn't true, but I just can find no place where it is stated in print, other than your posts!



It’s true. In 2003 I spent a couple of months talking to GSI about importing some 470 barreled actions in the white from Merkel. We never got from "here to there," but the fact that GSI imported 20ga shotguns for Rigby in California (as the basis for their DRs) came up in our discussions.

As to the other often reported rumor that Merkels are built on their 20ga shotgun actions - I visited the Merkel factory last October and they are the same receiver. In fact if you pull the stock off of a big-bore Merkel DR, there is a "20" cast into the back of the action forging.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with either, just verifying Dan's previous statement and noting what I saw and discussed at Merkel.



The other rumor often reported is that the Merkel is made with Chopper-Lump (Demi-Bloc) barrels. Either way it doesn't really matter, but - for the record - they are not Chopper-Lump.

As can be seen from the photo below, they are shoe-lump.

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Ndumo
.300 member


Reged: 21/12/03
Posts: 230
Loc: Namibia
Re: The New Rigby [Re: new_guy]
      #68248 - 28/12/06 09:43 PM

Here's a pic of a .577 NE, not finished yet, but already downed some ele cows. It belongs to a client of Gavin Rourke, who shared lunch with me and a client in one of Russ Broom's camps in end September this year. As I recall, he had some connection with Rigby, and were a real gun entusiast. (Had something like 30 doubles if I remember correctly...) We had lunch and a involved conversation about guns in general, and he showed me this rifle after lunch, as well as a magazine .416 Rigby. At least I had my .450 Rigby magazine rifle to show as well...



--------------------
Karl Stumpfe
Ndumo Hunting Safaris (Pty) Ltd.
karl@huntingsafaris.net
www.huntingsafaris.net
+264 811 285 416

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DUGABOY1
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Reged: 02/02/03
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Re: The New Rigby [Re: new_guy]
      #68277 - 29/12/06 12:00 PM

NEW_GUY, thanks for the clarification on the Rigby's use of the Merkel action, and the excellent pictures! The other thing on the DIMI-BLOCK not being a chopper lump, but a shoelump like the Heym, is finally clarified as well! I saved your post, and the pictures for my files as well.

I was told by a well known person who has disasembled one of the new Rigbys and he also said it was pure Merkel in the action. He said the only difference was they squared off the back of the action's scallops to make it easier to fit the wood, and did a little polishing of parts.
I have a couple of Merkel double rifles, but haven't disassembled them to look inside. The only problem I've had with one of the Merkels is, the trigger for the right barrel on my 14E 9.3X74R has suddenly become very hard to pull. Since that trigger is a set trigger, I'm at a loss to think what could have gone wrong! I've had this rifle for five years, and no problem till this. I guess I better look inside!

Has anyone here opened one of the Merkel double rifles? If so, should the action be un-cocked before opening, or left cocked? I would assume it would be un-cocked!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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