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RIGBY's Sporting Best LIGHT WEIGHT Magazine Rifle - London - 416 Rigby - RARE version, 98%
Guns International #: 102385685 Seller's Inventory #: 23-021
Category: Rigby Rifles - Rifles - African Dangerous Game Safari Magazine
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: rcrwin70
Member Since: 9/26/07
First Name: Roger
State: Hawaii
Country: United States
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 1
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
3 days
Payment Types Accepted: cashiers check or money order or pay pal plus 3%
Description:
SOLD ** RIGBY Sporting Best LIGHT WEIGHT Magazine Rifle – LONDON – 416 Rigby – RARE VERSION – 24” Bl – Oberndorf Mauser Action, 1988 Marcus Hunt engraved floorplate – Excellent Plus
John Rigby & Co., 13 Pall Mall, London, W.1 - John Rigby’s Best Quality Magazine Rifle built on an Oberndorf Commercial Mauser Action in Rigby’s proprietary caliber, .416 Rigby. SN 6569 (February, 1988) and proved in London at 19 tons per square inch. Marketed as Rigby’s Sporting Best LIGHT WEIGHT rifle, this is one of the few made in recent times using a big-ring Mauser action instead of a magnum Mauser action, requiring more time and refined skill to alter the rear bridge.
According to the American Rifleman magazine published by the NRA, Joe Coogan wrote in his article, “The 416 Rigby, Just Enough” October 2002.
“The 416 rifles, as built by John Rigby & Co. were initially made up on the magnum Mauser 98 action, although in later years, some were made on standard length actions, a perfect example being the light weight Rigby rifle used by the legendary professional hunter Harry Selby (1925-2018) guiding and hunting career 1949 to 2000. Selby loved the caliber but didn’t enjoy carrying the heavier magnum Mauser version all day long.” This rifle is the exact model that Harry Selby used.
From 1984 to 1997, the maker built a total of 184 rifles in the caliber .416 Rigby and David Marx (Rigby’s Director 1992) told me personally that only 10% of those were made in the Light Weight model, 90% being built on magnum Mauser actions. This rifle is one of those RARE examples.
Like Harry Selby’s, this big-ring Mauser action was built as light weight rifle, with its lighter action and its reduced stock weight – it was built as an open-sights rifle to carry in the bush.
Although built as late as 1988, it is still the real deal, a great example of an original true London-made Rigby 416 when they were virtually handmade, built in the heart of London during the Paul Roberts era, when the actions were so smooth that chambering and cycling rounds had no peer.
Description: It features a 24” round tapered barrel (measured from the face of the receiver) fitted with a barrel front sling eye and Rigby’s popular stippled ramped front sight with an island-mounted Express rear sight with one standing leaf and two folding leaves (marked 50, 100 and 150). Just compare the hand work in the sights, the top of the front ramp and the rear sight base hand-filed serrated to dissipate glare. The front of the hood is knurled for a firm grasp for quick removal. Operation is true controlled-round feed and the bolt operation could not be smoother. The bottom metal is the famous drop box magazine holding four rounds with Rigby floorplate (as coveted by Prechtl and used for their double square bridge magnum Mauser action) which is a hinged straddle floorplate with inside trigger guard bow push button release. The button is serrated so that it is easy located by feel, without looking, a telltale feature of a handmade rifle. The floorplate is engraved with open scroll by Marcus Hunt (the only son of Ken Hunt) surrounding the words, “Rigby’s 416” in gold-filled letters. The bolt handle is straight and its knob is checkered with five bordered teardrop panels surrounding a round end panel. The top of the front ring is marked “RIGBY’S SPECIAL .416 BORE FOR BIG GAME,” and has not been drilled for scope mounting. The serial number is inlaid in gold on the trigger guard, “No. 6569.” The barrel and stock have the correct Rigby serial number. The bolt release and extractor are fire blued. The trigger is honed for a crisp let-off.
The rifle comes with two breech bolt sleeves and safeties that are interchangeable. The original one with the Mauser safety (S inlaid in Gold) and a second backup case-colored breech bolt sleeve with the popular Model 70 safety (using the renown German Rechnagel version with its secondary release lock) for convenience of adding a scope someday if a future owner wishes to sacrifice the light weight for a modern optic.
Other inscriptions: On the left side of the receiver “WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER OBERNDORF” On top of the barrel forward of the rear sight, “J.Rigby & Co. London. England.”
Verified by Rigby’s Gunroom Manager, David Miles, this Rigby’s Best Light Weight 416 serial number 6569 was built on a 98 Mauser action in February 1988.
The Light Weight Stock: The English walnut stock of this Sporting Best Light Weight is warm brown with a reddish tint, with grain selected for strength of recoil, shaped narrower for weight reduction than that of the standard weight version for the magnum Mauser action. It has a classic comb and for a right hand shooter, a sculptured cheekpiece with a scalloped edge and shadow line, a subdued chin strap, an open pistol grip that is capped with genuine buffalo horn, an engraved recoil crossbolt, an inlaid monogram nickel-silver oval with the initials RCR (for Roger C Rule, author of The Rifleman’s Rifle), and full wrap-around classic point pattern hand-checkering on the forearm (22 lpi) with a best over the wrist design executed with a combination of single and mullered borders. Length of pull is 14 3/8” over a 7/8” red Silvers rubber recoil pad. Weight is 10 lbs, 2 oz.
The internal inletting is excellent, London best quality. The barrel shows both London and German nitro proof marks and the caliber marking shows: .416 “2.85” 19 TONS on the right under side of the chamber.
This is Rigby’s top-drawer London Sporter Light Weight intended for the gentleman hunter but built to handle the most dangerous game, the rigors of an African safari, and designed to be carried all day.
Condition: This rifle is all original, barely used and well cared for. Cartridge feed is excellent, chamber and bore are excellent and shiny, no pits, no fogging, rifling is sharp and clean. It has remained well oiled. Blue remains at 99%. Wood: If it weren’t for some very light impressed vertical lines on the left profile under the bolt release, the stock would be 100%. Stock finish remains at 99%, checkering is at 100%. Intended for iron sights, both receiver rings have not been drilled; also includes leather trunk case and accessories.
Here is a solid classic Rigby best magazine rifle in Rigby’s most popular proprietary caliber, in its rarest version (Light Weight model), a configuration most desired by the Safari Professional Hunters. It remains in high demand today for modern Africa or anywhere on Earth where a big-bore rifle is needed.
Price: This is a collector piece, as made in London when Rigby was as renowned as Holland & Holland, made mostly by hand in a time that has passed, owned by the seller (author) for his go-to bush gun and priced accordingly at $28,750.00 shipping $85 to any of the lower 48 states.
Buyer must furnish current FFL copy for shipping. Buyer has 3-day full refund non-firing return privilege. Seller is the author of The Rifleman’s Rifle (Winchester pre-64 Model 70s) and will furnish a Letter of Provenance that this rifle is from his collection. Feedback can be checked on ebay under seller’s login rcrwin70roger. If buyer wishes to have the initials removed, this can be easily done.
About Rigby: According to Geoffrey Boothroyd, Rigby was founded in 1735 and “flourished in Dublin. The maker opened their London shop at 72 St.James’s Street in 1866 under the management of John Rigby.”
From the original Rigby ownership in Dublin and London, of the numbers of .416 Rifles that were made: 169 from 1912 to 1939; 180 from 1939-1984; and 184 from 1984 to 1997 for a total of 533 rifles by the time the original company was sold.
George Caswell of Champlin Firearms gives a brief history:
“Rigby was at 72 St. James's St from 1866 to 1907 and then at 43 Sackville St. from 1908 to 1955 and then on to 32 King Street, St James's. In 1963 the shop moved to 28 Sackville Street and in 1969 to 13 Pall Mall. In 1984 J Roberts & Son (Gunmakers) Ltd bought the company and in 1985 moved it their premises to 5 King Street, Covent Garden. In 1987 the factory and shop moved to 66-68 Great Suffolk Street, Southwark (where this rifle was made). In 1997 the goodwill and rights to the Rigby name were bought by Rogue River Rifle Works and a new company, John Rigby & Co Inc. was formed at 1317 Spring Street, Paso Robles, California. On about March 1, 2013 John Rigby & Co. was acquired by Blaser of Germany. All connections with the unbelievable and indescribable mess in California have been severed, and the current Rigby Company moved back to London and is run by Marc Newton and Patricia Pugh. I wish them well, Long live the King!”
SOLD
Rifle Caliber: .416 Rigby
Manufacturer: Rigby (London)
Model: Magazine Light Weight
Barrel Length: 24
Bore: new
Condition: 98%
Butt Pad: Original Silvers Red rubber
LOP: 14 3/8
Weight: 10 lb 2 oz
Sights: Express
Manufacture Date: 1987
Engraving: Rigby's