Rigby 458 Win Mag

[Bullthrower338]

Good afternoon all!
While I was cruising gun shops on my way home from a meeting in South Texas I ran across an interesting rifle. It was a Rigby but built on a Sako action???? I sent pictures to @spike.t and asked if Rigby had in fact built rifles on Sako Actions. Mike contacted Paul Roberts whom confirmed that there were 3 458 Win Mag rifles built on the Sako action and described the Elephant on the floor plate before Mike sent the pictures to him. I was almost certain that this was not a London Gun even though the barrel had all the right markings and the Wood appears to be of exceptional making. There was no recoil pad on the gun, only a chamfered and checkered butt. Maybe Mike and Paul can add more to this story.
Just thought y’all might be interested in seeing this rifle and if anyone has interest in buying it I can certainly give you contact information, it was still there last week. The owner of the store knew very little about the gun other than he had purchased a full estate of 500 guns including many big bore guns.
Cheers,
Cody

 

[CoElkHunter]

Very cool!

 

[Graham Hunter]

What was the price?

 

[Forrest Halley]

I wonder what the recoil is like without a pad. Maybe it's just a long push?

 

[Royal27]

@ActionBob needs that rifle, very badly.....

 

[Bullthrower338]

What was the price?

 

[Bullthrower338]

I wonder what the recoil is like without a pad. Maybe it's just a long push?

@spike.t said that Paul said they were nasty! Lol. I imagine that the only way to make it a little worse would be fashioning a cheese grater to it somehow!

 

[Bullthrower338]

The serial number on the hang tag is the receiver number. The Rigby Trigger guard number. 6266

 

[sierraone]

Have heard of a Sako Rigby, but I believe this is the first time I have seen a pic of one.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Have heard of a Sako Rigby, but I believe this is the first time I have seen a pic of one.

I would have assumed that if a Sako action would have been used by Rigby it would have been in the capacity that the Belgium Browning Safaris were in the smaller calibers

 

[Bullthrower338]

The engraving is very similar to the drawing in John Taylor’s book African Rifles and Cartridges as Paul said.

 

[Forrest Halley]

What is the point then if it is nasty? Looks? It's not that much of a looker.

 

[Major Khan]

You shall not believe the coincidence , Cody . 5 months ago , I personally exchanged correspondence with Spike T ... Asking whether or not John Rigby & Co had ever manufactured any rifles which were chambered in .458 Winchester magnum . Spike T was kind enough to contact Mr. Roberts , who gave me the exact same information which you have acquired . In the early 1970s , John Rigby & Co. had built 3 rifles on Sako actions , which were chambered in .458 Winchester magnum . This was likely due to the shortage of newly manufactured Mauser 98 actions , at the time .

Congratulations , Cody . You have found ... Perhaps the rarest Rigby rifle , of them all .

 

[Major Khan]

I had discussed a little about these 3 rifles , in this previous thread .
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-rarest-john-rigby-co-rifles-in-the-entire-world.55642/

 

[Bullthrower338]

You shall not believe the coincidence , Cody . 5 months ago , I personally exchanged correspondence with Spike T ... Asking whether or not John Rigby & Co had ever manufactured any rifles which were chambered in .458 Winchester magnum . Spike T was kind enough to contact Mr. Roberts , who gave me the exact same information which you have acquired . In the early 1970s , John Rigby & Co. had built 3 rifles on Sako actions , which were chambered in .458 Winchester magnum . This was likely due to the shortage of newly manufactured Mauser 98 actions , at the time .

Congratulations , Cody . You have found ... Perhaps the rarest Rigby rifle , of them all .

Major,
Rare indeed but not one I acquired. I am an accumulator of firearms rather than a collector. This rifle should be in a collection, as for a working rifle I would much prefer a Rigby in 416 as I need another 458 like a dog needs a side saddle! It is cool but in my mind a Rigby is not a Rigby without a Mauser action, this rifle to me would be a novelty that I would much rather use the asking price to hunt Africa, maybe with @spike.t this time and we can talk about rifles, women and drink. The three things that have cost me the most in life!
cheers my friend,
Cody

 

[Bullthrower338]

What is the point then if it is nasty? Looks? It's not that much of a looker.

I agree, a red Silvers Pad or a Scalloped steel with checkering inside would have been much more pleasing, the silvers to the shoulder and the steel to the eye!

 

[CoElkHunter]

What is the point then if it is nasty? Looks? It's not that much of a looker.

Come on Forrest, buy it and put a Limbsaver or Pachmeyer pad on it! I’ll bet then the recoil would be less than your #1 Lott! Ha! Ha!

 

[One Day...]

Typical example of Rigby work using whatever long action they could find during the period from 1939 and 2015 when Mauser did not manufacture magnum length actions.

The actions Rigby used at the time were:

1- the stock of Mauser actions they had in house at the beginning of WW II (this apparently kept them busy for a few decades up to the 1970's or early 1980's);
2- Mauser actions salvaged from used rifles of lesser commission specifically purchased by Rigby or clients as action donors (this was an option all the way into the 2000's);
3- CZ ZKK 602 actions (this was apparently the most common solution starting in the 1980's);
4- Sako long actions (very few since they miss the "magical" CRF function);
5- a sprinkling of other actions (p14 Enfield being a classic among others, whether being modified to cock on opening or not).​

I for one would be fascinated to know how many rifles Rigby built from 1945 to 2015 (hint: probably nowhere near as many as some would think), and how many were built on which actions (hint: I would think that most people who wanted a Rigby wanted it on a Mauser action, regardless of how much it cost to get one)...

Valuation of non-Mauser Rigby's is quite an interesting exercise, as a Rigby on anything else than a Mauser, or at least a Mauser-type magnum length action, seems sort of a belle without some of the expected physical attributes.

If you could not afford a $10,000 Rigby/Mauser (new or vintage), would you rather own a $9,000 Dakota 76, or a $6,000 Sako Rigby, or a $3,000 to 5,000 AHR CZ 550 (upgrade #1 to #3), or a $3,000 Kimber Caprivi, or a $1,500 Winchester 70 Safari, etc.

My own take on all of this is that if I were buying a Rigby DG rifle it would be an emotional purchase of a nostalgic and romantic symbol. It could only be a Rigby of London ... on a Mauser magnum length action ... and chambered in .416 Rigby. I would have ZERO interest in a California Rigby, or a Sako Rigby, or even a CZ Rigby (from me that is saying a lot LOL), or even a Mauser Rigby in .458... It is either the real stuff... or it is not...

 

[CoElkHunter]

Typical example of Rigby work using whatever long action they could find during the period from 1939 and 2015 when Mauser did not manufacture magnum length actions.

The actions Rigby used at the time were:

1- the stock of Mauser actions they had in house by the beginning of WW II (this apparently kept them busy for a few decades up to the 1970's or early 1980's);
2- Mauser actions salvaged from used rifles of lesser commission specifically purchased by Rigby or clients as action donors (this was an option all the way into the 2000's);
3- CZ ZKK 602 actions (this was apparently the most common solution starting in the 1980's);
4- Sako long actions (very few since they miss the "magical" CRF function);
5- a sprinkling of other actions (p14 Enfield being a classic among others, whether being modified to cock on opening or not).​

I for one would be fascinated to know how many rifles Rigby built from 1945 to 2015 (hint: probably nowhere near as much as some would think), and how many were built on which actions (hint: I would think that most people who wanted a Rigby wanted it on a Mauser action, regardless of how much it cost to get one)...

Valuation of non-Mauser Rigby's is quite an interesting exercise, as a Rigby on anything else than a Mauser, or at least a Mauser-type magnum length action seems sort of a belle without some of the expected physical attributes.

If you could not afford a $10,000 Rigby/Mauser (new or vintage), would you rather own a $6,000 Rigby/Sako, or a $5,000 AHR/CZ, or a $3,000 Kimber Caprivi, etc.

I want a Rigby built on a CZ action for the price of a CZ 550! I’m sure somebody here has one in their gun safe that they haven’t looked at for years!

 

[Bullthrower338]

Typical example of Rigby work using whatever long action they could find during the period from 1939 and 2015 when Mauser did not manufacture magnum length actions.

The actions Rigby used at the time were:

1- the stock of Mauser actions they had in house at the beginning of WW II (this apparently kept them busy for a few decades up to the 1970's or early 1980's);
2- Mauser actions salvaged from used rifles of lesser commission specifically purchased by Rigby or clients as action donors (this was an option all the way into the 2000's);
3- CZ ZKK 602 actions (this was apparently the most common solution starting in the 1980's);
4- Sako long actions (very few since they miss the "magical" CRF function);
5- a sprinkling of other actions (p14 Enfield being a classic among others, whether being modified to cock on opening or not).​

I for one would be fascinated to know how many rifles Rigby built from 1945 to 2015 (hint: probably nowhere near as much as some would think), and how many were built on which actions (hint: I would think that most people who wanted a Rigby wanted it on a Mauser action, regardless of how much it cost to get one)...

Valuation of non-Mauser Rigby's is quite an interesting exercise, as a Rigby on anything else than a Mauser, or at least a Mauser-type magnum length action seems sort of a belle without some of the expected physical attributes.

If you could not afford a $10,000 Rigby/Mauser (new or vintage), would you rather own a $9,000 Dakota 79, or a $6,000 Rigby/Sako, or a $3,000 to 5,000 AHR/CZ 550 (upgrade #1 to #3), or a $3,000 Kimber Caprivi, or a $1,500 Winchester 70 Safari, etc.

Nice post Pascal! I think your last question is what I was getting at replying to @Major Khan
As a non collector of firearms and not really giving a damn if I can show my friends a Rigby, I would personally take the Dakota, AHR or the Caprivi as I prefer all the of actions to the Sako(not hating on Sako) but if I had more disposable income sitting around, this rifle would have came home with me just for the hell of it. Like @tarbe always tells me, “You can’t have them all buddy”