Complete John Rigby 275 Renovation

[Red Leg]

Update. Thanks so very much for everyone’s input. Here is what I agreed to today after meeting with the professional who is doing the renovation to my Rigby in 275 Rigby
1. I gave him all diminsions of the Highland Stalker…he will completely match
2. Alkanet root will be used then English Oil hand polish for finish…$3,000 cost additional cost at Rigby shop
3. Completely rebluing all metal
4. Glass bedding of new stock with hand loads guaranteed within 1MOA approaching 1/2 inch at 100 yards
5. Redleg…simple design no frills such as Monte Carlo stock…just simple English stock design identical at 14 1/2 LOP
6. The only splurge I took is to have the bolt which has almost all hot bluing gone to have a juewled finish put on it…that’s it
7. Well one more thing…I went with the highest quality checkering you can get…yes expensive but this is my special gun of a lifetime for me

can’t thank everyone enough for your advice which you can see I have taken…it will be 8 months till I go in for final measurements then another 4 months until final finish which is just in time for my 23 Zim hunt

Jeweled bolt !!!????!!! Are you going to house it in a double wide?

 

[Red Leg]

Jeweled bolt !!!????!!! Are you going to house it in a double wide?

Just saw the other reply. Really good decision. No white line spacers allowed either.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

What about having the odd bits flame blued? Or would that be inaccurate as well?

 

[Rare Breed]

Lol!!! No double wide for this gun. Thanks to everyone’s guidance the finished product should be true to its beginnings

 

[mdwest]

Try to keep the simple, slim English stock layout - ok, so raise the comb a bit to manage the scope better. If you can get the dimensions of a Highland Stalker, it is just about the perfect balance in design and you will be mirroring an actual Rigby. And see if your stocker (you?) knows how to apply alkanet root coloring. It is what gives English guns an rifles that lovely red hue. It also will really accentuate the grain. Otherwise, you run the risk of it simply looking like a tricked out American custom Mauser rather than a special order Rigby with fabulous wood.

Alkanet Root

www.hallowellco.com

Making oils for gun stock finishing

Diggory Hadoke provides recipes and instruction for making gun stock oils.

www.vintageguns.co.uk

Thanks for those links!

For years I used a combination of boiled linseed oil and varnathane natural finishing wax for gun stock refinishes and touch ups.. Its worked really well, is durable, looks great, etc..

Recently (within the last 12 months) I started toying with making fancy cutting boards out of a variety of exotic hardwoods as a hobby.. and discovered "board butter"... which is basically a blend of mineral oil and beeswax... which provides an excellent water resistant protective coat on the cutting board, that is completely clear (brings out the natural colors of the hardwoods and doesnt have the slight "yellow" tint that boiled linseed oil puts on a finished product)...

Ive recently been toying with incorporating mica powders into the "board butter" which allows you to bring in very slight colored hues (reds, browns, etc).. with the intent of trying it on gun stocks, knife handles, etc.. (wouldnt use it on a cutting board.. the intent of "board butter" is to use an oil/wax finish that is 100% "food grade" and not to discolor the wood in any way)...

I might try incorporating some alkanet root powder instead and see how that comes out on a really nice piece of black walnut I have out in the shop.. If I can get the coloration right, I've got a nicely figured walnut stock on my M98 416 Taylor.. and an extremely nicely figured walnut stock on a P1917 Enfield in 300 H&H that may have to get refinished soon...