RIGBY 470- SIDELOCK EJECT- OWNED & USED by PROFESSIONAL HUNTER DAVID OMMANNEY for 34 YEARS- EXC. BORES
Guns International #: 100443607 Seller's Inventory #: y505
Category: Double Rifles -
Seller's Information
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Seller: Champlin
Company: Champlin Firearms Inc.
Member Since: 11/19/07
First Name: George
Last Name: Caswell
State: Oklahoma
Zip: 73702
Country: United States
Phone: (580) 237-7388
Platinum Seller
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
5 Plus Days
Payment Types Accepted:
Description:
#17772, John Rigby & Co., 32 King St., London S. W.: A London Pre-War Rigby Sidelock Ejector Delivered by Rigby December 23, 1912 to Lord Altamont and then into the hands of A. E. Hughes in August of 1913. Then in March of 1959 the Famous Professional Hunter Mr. David Ommanney purchased it from Shaw & Hunter in Nairobi, Kenya. David Ommanney used it extensively until 1978 and parted ways with it in 1993. It was made with 28" barrels in 1912 but had the barrels cut off to 24" before Ommanney bought it. He lost a wounded 120 Lb., his estimate, Elephant in Masailand, Tanganyika and then discovered before he bought it that during a Buffalo control hunt someone in the rear had shot and hit the end of the 28" barrels. They were cut off but never re-regulated. He then sent it back to Rigby in London in 1960 and had a new set of 24" Ejector Chopper Lump barrels installed and they are London proved at 14 tons. It has a 1/4 rib with 1 standing & 2 folding rear sights, Dolls head extension with third bite, Bushed strikers, Double triggers, Standard swing lever forend. After Ommanney departed with the gun in 1993 the new owner sent it back to Rigby in London in February of 1994 for a new stock as the original stock at one time was cut short and it had been lengthened for Ommanney at the time the new barrels were installed. It to this day has this pistol grip stock with a shadow line cheekpiece at 15 3/8” L.O.P. over a 3/4" Silvers pad, Horn grip cap, Sling eyes, Gold oval without initials, 10 lbs. 1 oz. While at Rigby the new owner had it cased in a Rigby pattern Willesden canvas trunk with leather trimmings and brass corners plus an entire set of accessories including a spare set of strikers. To this day it stands as follows; it has 94% coverage of period scroll engraving done by Mr. Miller in 1912. The bar action locks made by E. Chilton & Son. Now the really good news; the bores are as new as the day this gun left Rigby in 1960. 55% original barrel blue left from the hands of David Ommanney since 1960, No case colors remain but it has an attractive patina which tells the history of this gun, The 1994 stock remains at 92%, The checkering at 97%, The striker bushings still remain with 95% bright & vivid heat blue colors since 1960. The 1994 case complete with a spanner wrench, snap caps, metal oil bottles, leather sling, cleaning tools, special cleaning fluid, a container with spare strikers and turn screws. This gun has a strong upside anywhere on planet earth that pre-war guns are understood and judged with a very interesting provenance to go with it. /////////////////////////// Some notes from David Ommanney relative Rigby #17772; for 20 years this gun was used by him in Kenya, Tanganyika, Sudan, and Zambia and on Mount Kenya. It was carried by him on Safari with Roone Arledge of ABC Sports, General & Governor Joe Foss and Robert Stack. He collected about 20 Rhino with the Rigby, used it on wounded Leopard as he preferred it over a shotgun, it was with him when his client took a 123 x 124 pound Elephant in Kenya. He referred to it as his pet Rigby. For many years and many types of firearms David was Winchesters "man in Africa" and he was included in a lot of their ads in the mid to late 1960's run in nearly all of the sporting magazines of that time. He tried and used quite an extensive battery of Winchester rifles and shotguns in Tanganyika.
SOLD
Curio/Relic: Yes