I always wanted a Big Bore by Sterling Davenport - a 500 Jeffery custom

[buckstix]

I always wanted a Big Bore by Sterling Davenport - a 500 Jeffery custom

The rifle has been purchased, by its not yet in hand. I can hardly wait. A Sterling Davenport Custom has been on my want-list radar for many, many years. And finding one in classic 500 Jeffery caliber is wonderful. Here's the early specs - more info to follow when I get it in hand. This will be my second 500 Jeffery. You may recall my post earlier this year about my Custom AHR 500 Jeffery.

.500 Jeffery

@CTDolan you describe the situation exactly. I understand it and my rifle was worked on to Improve it... it may not be perfect yet but it is servicable. With brass cases. This is the first I've heard of issues with plated cases (Matt's post regarding his new AHR 505 and they not providing a...

www.africahunting.com

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/sterling-000.jpg

 

[rifletuner]

That is a very nice looking rifle and the build looks very practical. The magazine box seems like it will hold a few rounds. which is often the short coming of large bore bolt action rifles. Not keen on the magnaporting, but I guess I would live with it under the circumstances.

 

[Green Chile]

I sold my Davenport 500J here last year. Great rifle. Here's a little more Davenport history for you...

Sterling Davenport retired from the US Navy after 20 years’ service in 1975 at the age of 40. During his stint in the Navy, he was trained as an aviation metal smith and while stationed at Pearl Harbor, he did light gunsmith work for Honolulu Sporting Guns. Finding his work well accepted, when he retired he attended the 10-month gunsmith program at the Colorado School of Trades for Gunsmiths, graduating with a job as a gunsmith with Harry Lawson Custom Gunmaker in Arizona. During his next 20 years, Sterling showed his own work in shows such as the Safari Club and others where the talents of the American Gunmakers Guild members were displayed. It was at one of these shows that Paul Roberts of Rigby examined Davenport’s work and hired him to build bolt rifles for Rigby under the Rigby name. Sterling said that Roberts would supply the barreled actions and the wood and Davenport would take it from there. His first firearm finished for Rigby had such exquisite and fine checkering, that Roberts complained that it was not of the Rigby style. From then on, Sterling finished the stocks and sent them to London for Rigby’s checkerers to finish, which used smaller patterns with coarser checkering than the work that Davenport did. For Rigby, Sterling used BRNO actions for the magnum action and either FN or Pre-64 Model 70 actions for the standard length cartridges. He said, “The BNRO forged Magnum action was as good as it gets… the more renown Oberndorf Mauser Magnum action is really no better, just more in demand and short in supply.”

Davenport figures he only made about 60 rifles under his own name; this is truly a rare masterpiece in one of the most sought-after calibers for the magnum actions.

 

[baxterb]

I sold my Davenport 500J here last year. Great rifle. Here's a little more Davenport history for you...

Sterling Davenport retired from the US Navy after 20 years’ service in 1975 at the age of 40. During his stint in the Navy, he was trained as an aviation metal smith and while stationed at Pearl Harbor, he did light gunsmith work for Honolulu Sporting Guns. Finding his work well accepted, when he retired he attended the 10-month gunsmith program at the Colorado School of Trades for Gunsmiths, graduating with a job as a gunsmith with Harry Lawson Custom Gunmaker in Arizona. During his next 20 years, Sterling showed his own work in shows such as the Safari Club and others where the talents of the American Gunmakers Guild members were displayed. It was at one of these shows that Paul Roberts of Rigby examined Davenport’s work and hired him to build bolt rifles for Rigby under the Rigby name. Sterling said that Roberts would supply the barreled actions and the wood and Davenport would take it from there. His first firearm finished for Rigby had such exquisite and fine checkering, that Roberts complained that it was not of the Rigby style. From then on, Sterling finished the stocks and sent them to London for Rigby’s checkerers to finish, which used smaller patterns with coarser checkering than the work that Davenport did. For Rigby, Sterling used BRNO actions for the magnum action and either FN or Pre-64 Model 70 actions for the standard length cartridges. He said, “The BNRO forged Magnum action was as good as it gets… the more renown Oberndorf Mauser Magnum action is really no better, just more in demand and short in supply.”

Davenport figures he only made about 60 rifles under his own name; this is truly a rare masterpiece in one of the most sought-after calibers for the magnum actions.

That's really interesting... I bet he made Luke Samaras' 416 Rigby, as it's built on a BRNO