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HuviusModerator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: z375]
      #230538 - 27/05/13 01:17 AM

Curl, any reports on the Rigby?

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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Huvius]
      #230601 - 28/05/13 11:47 AM

Huvius,

I have been lax in my shooting for the past year. Many reasons, none of which have relevance here.

Believe it or not, I have a double rifle I acquired some months ago that I have yet to take to the range. I have loaded some ammo, but not yet pulled the trigger. Today I intended to shoot it but was unable to carry out that intent.

Hopefully I can do better.

Curl

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YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.



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HuviusModerator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #230610 - 28/05/13 01:13 PM

No problems Curl. I am in the same boat...
Yesterday, planned on casting some 360gr paper patch bullets for the Gibbs and scarcely got the mold up to temp when I was called away to go to a grad party. Not something you try to squeeze in without a proper allotment of time.
Same with reloading and going to the range.
Just too much life to live and so little time to get to it all...

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Aaron_Little
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Huvius]
      #240200 - 05/01/14 02:14 PM

Another lovely single shot. Thats an action I would love to remake. The extractor is sure different, Im guessing they did that to reduce action height. Doing an extractor with the rod directly underneath the bore consequently makes you increase barrel dia to allow for adequate chamber wall thickness; resulting in a taller action.

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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Aaron_Little]
      #240216 - 06/01/14 12:31 AM

Good point about the extractor. Clearly the use of two rods is to make the action shorter and more compact.

One might fear that the use of two rods would give excessive width to the action, but that's not the case here. Without handling the rifle it is impossible to get a feel for how tiny this action really is. To put that statement into perspective I shot this image, using a very familiar object as a comparative prop.



Remarkable, isn't it?

Curl

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bouldersmith
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #240218 - 06/01/14 03:33 AM

a double legged offset extractor stem is actually pretty standard on most break open singles. I have several in the shop like it currently and have seen many others. I can not remember ever seeing one in the center like is typically done on a double. Never say never though. I do like that little rifle curl.
Steve

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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: bouldersmith]
      #240224 - 06/01/14 05:46 AM

That is indeed a lovely rifle Curl! Congratulations on finding it!

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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: AkMike]
      #298759 - 08/04/17 09:17 PM

Recently I posted a couple of photos of this rifle in another thread. That post led to some questions, so I searched out this thread to bring it back to the top for those who haven't seen this little rifle.

Curl

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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #298769 - 09/04/17 01:56 AM

Curly - hope you are not having health problems - we are eagerly awaiting shooting results - when available.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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93x64mm
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: DarylS]
      #298782 - 09/04/17 09:14 AM

Beautiful rifle to say the least Capt!
You certainly scored the whole enchilada there mate.
Glad to see that you found the 'real' cartridge & the process that you followed to get there.
Will be a very pleasing finale for you when you finally do the first real group.
A lesson for us all in patience I guess as well - you've waited this long, so should we!


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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: 93x64mm]
      #298895 - 12/04/17 08:39 AM

93x64,

Thanks for your kind words. It is a splendid rifle. I have shot it several times, but largely it has been neglected in favor of double rifles.

This spring I plan to have a new rear sight filed up for it, because I don't like where it is printing on paper. I am getting good groups, but low to the sights. Someone must have changed the sights years ago for some purpose. The plan is to have newly regulated sights by late June.

The most recent loads I have fired are genuine black powder loads with paper patched bullets. Earlier loads I tried were nitro-for-black. Both do well, but I must say there is a lot of fun in shooting black powder.

Hopefully I will keep my focus and have more to report after a short visit with a very skilled gunmaker.

Best,
Curl

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Wayne59
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #298900 - 12/04/17 11:29 AM

I have been following this thread with great anticipation. That is an awesome gun you have. How low is your gun printing below the sights. I ask this because I had a similar problem with a gun. I solved mine by loading a Duplex load. It was just enough of an increase in velocity to bring it up to the sight. I think it gave it that little extra umph. They say the old Bp was hotter than modern powder. That may be correct. Good luck with your gun.

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DarylS
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Wayne59]
      #298906 - 12/04/17 12:17 PM

Cpt. C.- iirc, a favourite weight for the .40 calibre Sharps rounds was a 370gr. PP. That bullet would strike higher on the paper due to barrel time & may be what the rifle was sighted for - or even a 400gr. I actually have a hundred or so of these, picked up somewhere- came in a box of junk, probably. Plain base 400gr. .408's, groove lubricated though.

Seems to me, when Mike Venturino went to Africa with a Shiloh .40/70, he took ammo loaded with 400gr. as well.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: DarylS]
      #298929 - 12/04/17 09:04 PM

Wayne59 and Daryl,

Yeah I have given thought to the matters you mention.

I started out with 330 grain PP bullets. They shot low. I figured the easy fix was a 370 grain PP bullet to bring it up. They still shot low. These were with nitro-for-black loads.

My next thought was to try bp loads, thinking the extra recoil and ejected mass of the bp load would bring the muzzle up. That has not worked, either. It may be for the reason stated by Wayne - inferior modern bp. I don't know.

I'm getting good accuracy, just low shot placement. I'm going to have Mike Rowe make a new rear sight. There will be no alteration to the rifle whatsoever, and I will retain the original rear sight. For me, that is the simplest and best solution. I'm going to have Mike regulate the new rear sight for a load of 70 grains Olde Eynsford 2f with a 330 grain PP bullet. The load shoots well and will be dandy in this little rifle.

It will be a little money spent, but the problem will go away without any damage or alteration to the rifle. Problem solved!

I realize there has been quite a time lag from acquiring this rifle until present. Life has been busy. There have been quite a few "new" double rifles drifting into my life during that time period. The little Rigby has languished in the gun safe unattended, but not for lack of love. You folks just don't know how serious my disease is.

Last October I got involved in a really nice single shot stalking rifle competition. I mentioned it here: Stalking Rifle Shoot That event got me interested in single shot rifles once more, and I resolved to hammer out the issues with this little Rigby. So now, six months later, I'm moving forward. Sometimes it takes a "happening" to make something happen.

To put it in perspective, if you think my neglect of this Rigby is deplorable, just consider that I have shot my Fraser .303 only on a few occasions. Fraser .303 That rifle is really dynamite!

Alas, double rifles seem to grab all my time. Yesterday afternoon was spent putting together black powder loads for my H&H .450 hammer double. I haven't even posted a thread about that double rifle, but that's the one I've been shooting lately. I plan to shoot it in the BP cartridge double rifle competition at Friendship, Indiana in June. And then there's the Dickson Round Action .500 3-1/4" BPE. I don't think I've even mentioned that beauty. Too much stimulation!

Curl

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YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.



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Wayne59
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #298958 - 13/04/17 07:12 AM

I have been to Friendship several times in the past. Had a great time. Some friends of mine sent me a pound of Old Eynsford to try. I loaded it in three different cartridge guns. It did not shoot well in any of my guns. The rest of it is lying around here some where.

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DarylS
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Wayne59]
      #298969 - 13/04/17 09:41 AM

I have read of others getting good accuracy from that powder. as well as with Swiss, the standard now for silhouette shooters.

My own Sharps doesn't care between Swiss or GOEX, however I haven't rung her out to 1,000 meters yet, but will later on this summer.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Wayne59
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: DarylS]
      #298973 - 13/04/17 11:35 AM

I havn't been able to get my hands on any Swiss so have been using Goex. My guns will shoot exceptable with the Goex even though both Goex and Old Enysford are made buy the same company.

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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Wayne59]
      #311412 - 01/02/18 02:59 AM

It's past time for an update on this wonderful rifle.

As mentioned above, the rifle shot low with everything I could feed it. Somebody had monkeyed with the rear sight, leaving it filed too low. The existing front sight is so low to the barrel that a new front bead was not an option.

Fortunately we have Mike Rowe. It would be impossible to exaggerate his skills. Mike and I talked about my problem, and he agreed to make a new rear sight. The plan was to drop the rifle off with Mike at the Friendship, Indiana shoot last June and to have it back in time to do some shooting with it and be ready for the stalking rifle shoot in October.

Mike gave me a homework assignment: Load plenty of ammo and fabricate a rear sight blade out of beer can aluminum super-glued to the existing sight. Trim the beer can sight until I get the right elevation on target, and deliver the rifle to him with the beer can sight still glued on. That would give him a benchmark to work from and make his job much faster and easier. I was also told to fire the rifle at 50, 100, and 200 yards so we could know how the bullet flies. This would help with the 200 yard leaf.

I did what I was told, and delivered the rifle to Mike at Friendship along with 40 rounds of ammunition.

My load is:
* 70 gr. of Olde Eynsford 2F, the powder compressed just below the base of the neck;
* a beeswax foundation wad set on the powder;
* a 3/16" thick grease cookie;
* 330 gr. swaged .399" paper patched bullet;
* WLR primer;
* 2.925" OAL.

This load is accurate and does not foul the barrel. It chronographs at 1521 fps.

Here's what they look like:





Actually, the beer can rear sight was much easier to make than I expected. With little effort I sighted the rifle in as I was told to do. I did everything else and carted the rifle to Friendship last June.

Did I mention Mike has one hell of a pair of hands? It wasn't too long before Mike let me know the job was complete. He sent me an email with some photos of the completed rear sight and a 100 yard target.





The sights and 100 yard target looked fine to me!






"Load - Whatever Roscoe had managed to cobble together." Isn't Mike a complementary little Kiwi? - I'll say!

On the phone Mike started instructing me on how he wanted me to fine tune the sights by filing, if necessary. My response, "What if I drive out to Arkansas to pick up the rifle and we shoot it there?" Mike thought a visit would be fun.

Early last August Watson577 and I saddled up and rode to Arkansas for several days of shooting, telling stories, and drinking IPAs in the evenings. The little Rigby was splendid. The 100 yard leaf was perfect. Mike did a little filing on the 200 yard leaf to make it perfect. We had a great time shooting the Rigby and several other rifles every morning.

Here are a few photos from the visit:



Mike at his bench cobbling something together.







At the range shooting his glorious .450 Fraser single shot.





And finally, with an IPA at hand, Mike demonstrates his sure-fire Arkansas method of picking up pussy:






It was a fantastic visit!

When I got home I loaded another big batch of ammo to do some practice and to take to the October match. Here's a 100 yard target I shot last September:




When October rolled around I had a grand time at our Stalking Rifle Match shooting the little Rigby. I didn't set any records, but I had great satisfaction shooting this marvelous little single shot rifle.

Life is good!

Mike, any comments or observations?

Curl

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MikeRowe
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #311446 - 01/02/18 12:33 PM

Thank you for posting pictures of your visit to Arkansas, Roscoe.
I had a wonderful time with you and Jim visiting, shooting some very special rifles. We are indeed fortunate fellows. The Rigby is a gorgeous rifle!

I must have been fiddling around with something unimportant at the vise. I use a hammer on the good stuff!

The big Fraser has been busy this past hunting season. She bagged one deer with the .450 No.1 barrel, and one of watson577's lovely 270 grain copper tubed bullets (propelled by black powder, of course);
and a second deer with the 400/360 barrel and a Fraser's Oblique Ratchet Bullet (which worked with smashing effect).

I showed the cat his pictures, and pointed out the fact that millions of people will be able to see his butt. The look he gave me indicated to me that he could not care less. He is a cat, after all.


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DarylS
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: MikeRowe]
      #311460 - 01/02/18 03:55 PM

Good thread from the GET-GO.

Curly, is that low shot always the same # in a 3-shot group?

I'm not sure of the significance of that, just curious - maybe.

Well done with the Frazer, Mike!

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Rothhammer1
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: MikeRowe]
      #311471 - 01/02/18 10:01 PM

Quote:


I showed the cat his pictures, and pointed out the fact that millions of people will be able to see his butt. The look he gave me indicated to me that he could not care less. He is a cat, after all.







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CptCurlAdministrator
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: Rothhammer1]
      #311488 - 02/02/18 01:41 AM

Cats aside, my Rigby is up and running with a splendid new rear sight by a master.

Thanks Mike!

Curl

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RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.



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tinker
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Re: John Rigby & Co. 40-70 Bottle Neck Single Shot Rifle #15130 [Re: CptCurl]
      #311489 - 02/02/18 02:58 AM

Great looking rifle!

Really nice work from Mike there too.
The cat? My hound would like a date with the cat in the woods...

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