Ron Thomson's 458 Win Mag FN Rifle Auction

[saswart]

With permission from and thanks to Jerome I am posting this.

On behalf of the Big Bore Association of Southern Africa (BASA), I'm pleased to announce that the iconic, Ron Thomson's, 458 Win Mag, FN rifle, is up for sale through auction.

As the current Chairman of BASA, I am pleased to announce that this once in lifetime rifle can be bought by any person and it is exportable. BASA is a member association to CHASA and SUCO-SA. I am aware neither BASA nor myself are well known on this forum and this may be met with some trepidation, therefor anyone is free to contact PHASA/CHASA/Suco-SA etc. to confirm authenticity for both BASA or myself.

No introduction is needed for Ron Thomson nor would a brief summary do him justice (please search him online - e.g., https://www.mahohboh.org/the-team/), but briefly, he was a game warden for Hwange (Rhodesia/Zim), field ecologist as well as know author of multiple books etc.

To assist Ron with finances for all his endeavors, BASA willingly agreed that we would auction his rifle on his behalf. Note, all funds will go to Ron Thomson directly. His wish is that someone who will appreciate the rifle, its history and the "African 'ness" of it, will acquire it. BASA felt we wanted to keep it within SA/Zim, however we also acknowledge that there are people in other countries that share the same views, thus the auction is open to all.

The rifle is a 458 Win Mag, FN manufactured. See below pictures of the Rifle, as well as photo of Ron and his good friend and CEO of CHASA and Vice president of SUCO-SA, Stephen Palos.

There will be an online auction, with a physical auction on Saturday 25 Sept. Ron will be present and will take pictures with winning bidder (off course this will not be possible if it is an international buyer). Ron has agreed to give some additional memorabilia, such as a signed book, letter confirming provenance of the rifle etc.

The auction is currently live on our BASA website - https://bigboresa.org/ron-thomson-rifle-aution/

The full rules can be viewed on the link, however just briefly:
1. The auction will be online until 10am 25 September 2025 SA Time (which I believe is 8am GMT / 4 am New York time)
2. Then on Saturday 13:30 SA time an physical auction will commence (11:30 GMT / 07:30 NY), with the starting bid being the highest bid received online
3. All people can join a whatsapp group (we are seeing if we can also do a MS Teams), and a BASA representative will post on the group the starting bid and/or bid amounts as received.
4. People can then bid on the group as well and the bid will be conveyed to the auctioneer
5. The winning price will be for the rifle, excluded are any additional costs, which all be for the purchaser. These may be transport, licensing etc.
6. Again, no fee/commission will be paid to BASA, all proceeds go to Ron.
7. The same terms and conditions apply to the online bids as it would for the physical.
8. If there are no higher bids on the day of the physical auction, the highest online bid will be the winning bid.
9 The auction is in South African Rands (ZAR)

If you wish, you can contact me and I can put you also into contact with the company that will do the shipping, MRS Techniques, to confirm that the rifle can be in fact be exported to the country/state you may reside in prior to making a bid.

If there are any queries, please drop me a message, or send me WA to +27 83 282 6166.

Many thanks
Stephen Swart

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Fabrique Nationale Series 400. Last of the control round feed Belgian Brownings; discontinued in 1965. I can see the screw being used to pin the floor plate shut. Ted Ottie (the best gunsmith in Rhodesia back in those days) did that on Mr. Thompson’s request after the floor plate began to frequently pop open after firing the rifle due to recoil (as great rifles as the Series 400s were, they really needed a stronger coil spring).

This rifle is truly one of those belonging to a living legend. And whoever gets to own it, will definitely have a great piece of history for sure.

 

[VertigoBE]

If that rifle could tell stories, I'm sure it would have a thing or two to say!

@saswart: am I not mistaken that the proceeds go directly to Mr. Thomson, who has been suffering financially in his retirement?

 

[saswart]

If that rifle could tell stories, I'm sure it would have a thing or two to say!

@saswart: am I not mistaken that the proceeds go directly to Mr. Thomson, who has been suffering financially in his retirement?

Yes that is correct - full purchase price goes to Ron

 

[Frederik]

2 More days to go.

 

[spike.t]

I wish.....got all his books...2 sets of the limited signed and numbered ones..for me and one for my son....spoken to Ron 2 or 3 times on the phone quite a few years ago when I was in process of buying them.....that would be a great rifle to own.....

 

[spike.t]

What's the high bid so far?

 

[deewayne2003]

What's the high bid so far?

As of 10am central US time it was sitting at 29,500R/$1,694USD

 

[Wheels]

Fabrique Nationale Series 400. Last of the control round feed Belgian Brownings; discontinued in 1965. I can see the screw being used to pin the floor plate shut. Ted Ottie (the best gunsmith in Rhodesia back in those days) did that on Mr. Thompson’s request after the floor plate began to frequently pop open after firing the rifle due to recoil (as great rifles as the Series 400s were, they really needed a stronger coil spring).

This rifle is truly one of those belonging to a living legend. And whoever gets to own it, will definitely have a great piece of history for sure.

Habib, I appreciate your knowledge on older rifles and have a question.

My father had an FN made browning in 458. Pretty sure it was a 1963 model. It had the browning slide safety. Did FN continue making rifles with the Mauser safety and bolt release after contracting with Browning around 1960? I seem to recall seeing FN branded rifles using the slide safety after the partnership. Since this rifle has the Mauser safety does that mean it would have been made prior to the Browning contract or am I confused.

Also do you know if the action came predrilled from FN?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Desperatezulu]

I wonder if a bit more info on the gun to add colour wouldn't help generate more bidding interest?
Info such as how long Ron has owned the rifle? How many elephant were hunted with it approximately? What other DG was hunted with it?

 

[Wheels]

I wonder if a bit more info on the gun to add colour wouldn't help generate more bidding interest?
Info such as how long Ron has owned the rifle? How many elephant were hunted with it approximately? What other DG was hunted with it?

I agree. Thompson spent a few years culling elephant in Rhodesia but I don’t know if that was a game department rifle or this rifle.

 

[VertigoBE]

I wish.....got all his books...2 sets of the limited signed and numbered ones..for me and one for my son....spoken to Ron 2 or 3 times on the phone quite a few years ago when I was in process of buying them.....that would be a great rifle to own.....

I wish I could buy all his books too. I tried to reach out to him via email and his website, but was not successful. Probably the last remaining big elephant cull professional alive.
His expertise is likely to never be reproduced

 

[saswart]

I wonder if a bit more info on the gun to add colour wouldn't help generate more bidding interest?
Info such as how long Ron has owned the rifle? How many elephant were hunted with it approximately? What other DG was hunted with it?

I agree. Thompson spent a few years culling elephant in Rhodesia but I don’t know if that was a game department rifle or this rifle.

Great questions gents. Yes we do have more information and luckily we can still get it from Rom himself. As mentioned he indicated he will in all likely hood give a letter with information etc.

To answer a portion of question in the meantime…

He mostly culled with an FN in 7,62×51 (308Win) but the story of how he got this is good.
His folks were visiting him while he was a junior in the game department and his dad joined him to go shoot the weekly ration buffalo for staff food. The hunt went slightly wrong resulting in a bit of a hair raising charge. His dad realised the department issue rifle was inadequate and when he went back home that day mentioned it all to Ron's mom.

They bought him this 458 WM immediately, as a slightly early 21st birthday present. Which means it was 65 years ago, around 1960. That should also give some idea of the model date approximately.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Thanks

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Habib, I appreciate your knowledge on older rifles and have a question.

My father had an FN made browning in 458. Pretty sure it was a 1963 model. It had the browning slide safety. Did FN continue making rifles with the Mauser safety and bolt release after contracting with Browning around 1960? I seem to recall seeing FN branded rifles using the slide safety after the partnership. Since this rifle has the Mauser safety does that mean it would have been made prior to the Browning contract or am I confused.

Also do you know if the action came predrilled from FN?

Thanks for the help.

Hi, Wheels.

The actions in most of the chamberings all came pre-drilled from FN. However, FN only offered the .458 Winchester Magnum with open iron sights from the factory (intended for close quarters shooting). Did your father's FN Mauser feature a military style magazine floor plate release like this ?

Or like the hinged floor plate release on Mr. Thompson's rifles ?

You tell me that, and I will do the rest.

 

[Wheels]

Hi, Wheels.

The actions in most of the chamberings all came pre-drilled from FN. However, FN only offered the .458 Winchester Magnum with open iron sights from the factory (intended for close quarters shooting). Did your father's FN Mauser feature a military style magazine floor plate release like this ?
View attachment 715966
Or like the hinged floor plate release on Mr. Thompson's rifles ?

You tell me that, and I will do the rest.

Thanks for the information.

My fathers browning had the hinged floor plate, slide safety and the browning bolt release. I can not recall if the action was drilled. My father never scoped the rifle however. Again, I am pretty sure his was made in 1963.

Not a good photo and this is not my father but this is the rifle.

 

[Wheels]

Great questions gents. Yes we do have more information and luckily we can still get it from Rom himself. As mentioned he indicated he will in all likely hood give a letter with information etc.

To answer a portion of question in the meantime…

He mostly culled with an FN in 7,62×51 (308Win) but the story of how he got this is good.
His folks were visiting him while he was a junior in the game department and his dad joined him to go shoot the weekly ration buffalo for staff food. The hunt went slightly wrong resulting in a bit of a hair raising charge. His dad realised the department issue rifle was inadequate and when he went back home that day mentioned it all to Ron's mom.

They bought him this 458 WM immediately, as a slightly early 21st birthday present. Which means it was 65 years ago, around 1960. That should also give some idea of the model date approximately.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Thanks

Interesting information. Thanks for the history.

It looks like there is a crack behind the crossbolt and some work on both sides of the stock towards the front of the action. Can you give us any more details about this?

 

[spike.t]

As of 10am central US time it was sitting at 29,500R/$1,694USD

Cheap me thinks.....was thinking would be bit more....so got bit excited then the sensible monkey smacked me back of the head big time..........in my previous life I would be going big time on it...but that price isn't big at all ...shame.....

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Thanks for the information.

My fathers browning had the hinged floor plate, slide safety and the browning bolt release. I can not recall if the action was drilled. My father never scoped the rifle however. Again, I am pretty sure his was made in 1963.

Not a good photo and this is not my father but this is the rifle.

View attachment 715981

This is a Series 400 made after Ron Thompson's Series 400. If it had the military style floor plate release, then it would have been the earlier Series 300 (offered in .458 Winchester Magnum only from 1957-1958).

All the FN Mauser .458 Winchester Magnum rifles imported into Rhodesia, were brought into the country by BGS (Bulawayo General Supplies) back in those days.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

For everybody's perusal.

 

[Wheels]

This is a Series 400 made after Ron Thompson's Series 400. If it had the military style floor plate release, then it would have been the earlier Series 300 (offered in .458 Winchester Magnum only from 1957-1958).

All the FN Mauser .458 Winchester Magnum rifles imported into Rhodesia, were brought into the country by BGS (Bulawayo General Supplies) back in those days.

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!