W.J.JEFFERY & CO. Hand Crafted Big Game Rifles

[geoff rath]

My first year were under the brutality of an old bitch who taught my father; year two I had a lovely Lady who encouraged me; then she became pregnant, left teaching, and I got the old bitch back. Dad fronted her in class and really dressed her down, in front of the principal. It left me traumatised for years ...

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen In my Standard Four year—now Year 6–our teacher dragged out the ink wells that our desks were made to accommodate. We used reservoir pens, typically Osmiroid. I currently have a couple of basic Lamy pens and a 2000? with the Makrolon body—Makrolon being a brand of ABS, used extensively by Steyr Mannlicher e.g. on the SSG69.
A good thing about those inkwells, which I immediately realised, was that we would not have any morons starting fights in the classroom, due to the inevitable spillage!
P.S. I bet your mum gave you a good serve, every time you pulled that hair trick!

@ZG47
Oh yeah I got in the shit for dunking Margret Bradshaw's hair in the ink well, but nan it was fun while it lasted.
Bob

 

[W.J.JEFFERY & CO.]

William Jackman Jeffery started his business W.J. Jeffery and Company at King Street, St James in London in 1891 and quickly established himself as a leading supplier of guns and rifles to discerning sportsmen and explorers throughout the Empire and beyond

His name is synonymous with the largest Nitro Express calibres, built for the ultimate stopping power for those pursuing dangerous game. He created a variety of proprietary cartridges, including the mighty .600 ne, the .500 Jeffery and the .404 Jeffery, all of which are still regarded as the best in their field.

Many of the early 20th century’s greatest sportsmen relied on their Jeffery rifles to make their mark and keep them safe. The famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett used his Jeffery double rifle to kill man-eating tigers and leopards in India, whilst ivory hunter C. Fletcher Jamieson used his special build .500 Jeffery to make a living hunting elephant in Africa. The famous English explorer Major Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton used a .450-400 and a .600; both rifles by Jeffery, noting in correspondence:

“In answer to your inquiry as to how I like the rifles you made for me for my recent expedition in Equatorial Africa, I am pleased to say that they gave me every satisfaction.”

For 2023 W.J. Jeffery are pleased to reintroduce a short run of Magnum Mauser .500 Jeffery and .404 Jeffery rifles. Modelled after two classic rifles from the Jeffery collection, both rifles are a faithful reinterpretation of Jefferys’ original Magnum Mauser action rifles of the 1930’s, in two of his iconic cartridges and are offered in either No.1 or No.2 ‘Best’ Grade. And once again, just like the original rifles, they are made by Best Gunmakers in Birmingham, England.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Well ... it has landed,

WJ JEFFERY MAGAZINE RIFLE .500 CAL - 40061 for sale

WJ JEFFERY MAGAZINE RIFLE .500 CAL - 40061 for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

 

[BeeMaa]

Let me get my check book. They take checks right?

 

[Forrest Halley]

Every time I'm on this page, I'm constantly surrounded by ..

View attachment 547007

And here I thought it was Just My Imagination....

 

[Nevada Mike]

Well ... it has landed,

WJ JEFFERY MAGAZINE RIFLE .500 CAL - 40061 for sale

WJ JEFFERY MAGAZINE RIFLE .500 CAL - 40061 for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

Holy F**k!! $88K for a Mauser? Only 4X+ what I paid for my 404J rifle by a top maker.

 

[Daniel Cary]

And here I thought it was Just My Imagination....

good one

 

[FlowHamed18]

Holy F**k!! $88K for a Mauser? Only 4X+ what I paid for my 404J rifle by a top maker.

Not cheap, but hey at least you get a top notch canvas case too for the money ...

I have seen H&Hs for over 200.000$ without any case included...

 

[Nevada Mike]

For the $65K difference I could buy a 21 day deluxe hunt in TZ. A guy has to have some priorities, right?

 

[ChrisG]

For the $65K difference I could buy a 21 day deluxe hunt in TZ. A guy has to have some priorities, right?

There's no way this rifle costs more than the other custom makers to make. You're paying $10,000 for the rifle and $78K for it to say W.J. Jeffrey in bank note engraving on the side. I guess to some people that's important. A historic piece that has some provenance, sure. But a brand new rifle... nope. It's never going to be worth that much.

 

[steve white]

You really think it costs them 10K to build that rifle? I am not exactly an old curmudgeon but I am flabbergasted by bolt action prices. I remember Mausers, especially 8mm in original condition going for about 150-250 dollars. I was shocked ten years ago to see Mausers, with finish refreshed going for 5-7K in uppety shops. Now look at the prices. How are they really justified? I guess I think of bolt actions as mechanical tools--put together precisely, but not smoke fitted like a fine English double. They don't often have engraving, and even they do, there is not the suitable area as there is with a side lock. Just mind-boggling.

 

[ChrisG]

You really think it costs them 10K to build that rifle? I am not exactly an old curmudgeon but I am flabbergasted by bolt action prices. I remember Mausers, especially 8mm in original condition going for about 150-250 dollars. I was shocked ten years ago to see Mausers, with finish refreshed going for 5-7K in uppety shops. Now look at the prices. How are they really justified? I guess I think of bolt actions as mechanical tools--put together precisely, but not smoke fitted like a fine English double. They don't often have engraving, and even they do, there is not the suitable area as there is with a side lock. Just mind-boggling.

If they truly are "hand crafting" their stocks, hand polishing the metal and rust bluing the whole thing... I could see the rifle being between $6K and $10K. But as I alluded to in another thread. There isn't some old-world master craftsman whittling these actions out of chunks of meteorite. $88K is an absolute joke for a boltgun, but then again, they must have people that buy them, or they wouldn't make them and price them like that. As my wife always says, when looking at the garish mansions near us... "having money doesnt necessarily mean someone has taste or brains."

 

[W.J.JEFFERY & CO.]

I understand that many will think the rifles are over priced, but they are priced competitively with other English hand made rifles. The prices reflect the cost of the components and the time of the craftsmen to build the rifles. They are limited production and are for a small market who want the best of British gunmaking.

 

[Flewis]

I understand that many will think the rifles are over priced, but they are priced competitively with other English hand made rifles. The prices reflect the cost of the components and the time of the craftsmen to build the rifles. They are limited production and are for a small market who want the best of British gunmaking.

I have to say I totally agree with you.

 

[Flewis]

I know it’s the price of a pickup built Mexico that you hope will last 10 years but the will last several lifetimes.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

If they truly are "hand crafting" their stocks, hand polishing the metal and rust bluing the whole thing... I could see the rifle being between $6K and $10K. But as I alluded to in another thread. There isn't some old-world master craftsman whittling these actions out of chunks of meteorite. $88K is an absolute joke for a boltgun, but then again, they must have people that buy them, or they wouldn't make them and price them like that. As my wife always says, when looking at the garish mansions near us... "having money doesnt necessarily mean someone has taste or brains."

Those actions in the white are around $5k. Based on that fact alone the $6-$10k you think they should be is just absurd (I’m sure you jest). The best makers in the US wouldn’t even build anything close to comparable for any less than $15-$20k minimum. You should do some research on the top makers here in the US and the Best makers in the UK because throwing about $6-$10k is asinine (I hope you jest)..

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Those actions in the white are around $5k. Based on that fact alone the $6-$10k you think they should be is just absurd (I’m sure you jest). The best makers in the US wouldn’t even build anything close to comparable for any less than $15-$20k minimum. You should do some research on the top makers here in the US and the Best makers in the UK because throwing about $6-$10k is asinine (I hope you jest)..

The stock alone would probably be around $8-$10k

 

[ChrisG]

Those actions in the white are around $5k. Based on that fact alone the $6-$10k you think they should be is just absurd (I’m sure you jest). The best makers in the US wouldn’t even build anything close to comparable for any less than $15-$20k minimum. You should do some research on the top makers here in the US and the Best makers in the UK because throwing about $6-$10k is asinine (I hope you jest)..

Ok, fair enough. That was a very lowball estimate. But $20-$25K is still a far sight from nearly $90K. For a bolt gun! That was my point. You're getting every bit of the quality of a Jeffrey rifle. It's just that the magnum mauser action is a $4500 Granite Mountain and doesn't have Jeffrey written on the barrel. I retract my previous estimate, but my point remains.

But as I noted in my previous post. They must sell them at that price, which means people are willing to pay for them, and I guess that is the ultimate metric. What someone is willing to pay for something is what it is actually worth.

But for me... a new rifle is just a sum of its parts. An antique rifle with history is a different story entirely. Don't get me wrong, they are a beautiful rifle... I just personally dont think they are $90K beautiful.

 

[Nevada Mike]

British gun making has become the realm of luxury goods. While I am sure that these rifles are fine indeed, they are luxury goods and priced accordingly.

I do not believe that UK rifle makers have any special magic... many American makers are just as good. In fact. I believe that the top rifle builders in the US are as good as (or better) than any rifle builders in the world - excepting, perhaps, Hartman & Weiss, maybe.

I am unwilling to buy goods, especially 'luxury' goods at inflated prices, when i can buy as fine a rifle for 1/3 or 1/4 of the price. Sorry.