Rigby Double Rifle

[AZDAVE]

With the contrast it now seem more to be a NE gun. I would send it to JJ and have him do an inspection and confirm first that it is a Nitro Express, then is it on face and safe to shoot. Is the stock sound and safe to shoot. Then you can start working on a load that will shoot to regulation of the rifle.

 

[rookhawk]

With the contrast it now seem more to be a NE gun. I would send it to JJ and have him do an inspection and confirm first that it is a Nitro Express, then is it on face and safe to shoot. Is the stock sound and safe to shoot. Then you can start working on a load that will shoot to regulation of the rifle.

I got to look at the Rigby ledger sheet from the OP. It is a Nitro Express gun made by W&C Scott for Rigby. It calls for cordite and a 480gr load, so its likely that it is 450 Nitro Express 3.25".

I asked the OP to measure length of pull (to see if the sights are going to line-up to original) and to verify the tubes are still 28" (so that it can regulate with a cordite-copy load using cup and core bullets).

If all that checks out, I recommended he do a $3k resto on it, then get Ken Owen to build him some loads provided he can find Woodleigh softs and solids that are cup and core.

 

[VertigoBE]

I got to look at the Rigby ledger sheet from the OP. It is a Nitro Express gun made by W&C Scott for Rigby. It calls for cordite and a 480gr load, so its likely that it is 450 Nitro Express 3.25".

I asked the OP to measure length of pull (to see if the sights are going to line-up to original) and to verify the tubes are still 28" (so that it can regulate with a cordite-copy load using cup and core bullets).

If all that checks out, I recommended he do a $3k resto on it, then get Ken Owen to build him some loads provided he can find Woodleigh softs and solids that are cup and core.

Looks like this was a great find. An original 450NE from Rigby, if in good working order, will be a rifle to be jealous off.

 

[baxterb]

I got to look at the Rigby ledger sheet from the OP. It is a Nitro Express gun made by W&C Scott for Rigby. It calls for cordite and a 480gr load, so its likely that it is 450 Nitro Express 3.25".

I asked the OP to measure length of pull (to see if the sights are going to line-up to original) and to verify the tubes are still 28" (so that it can regulate with a cordite-copy load using cup and core bullets).

If all that checks out, I recommended he do a $3k resto on it, then get Ken Owen to build him some loads provided he can find Woodleigh softs and solids that are cup and core.

That’s very cool. I know a guy who has a 1904 Army Navy 450 NE that was made by W&C Scott.

 

[pilar]

Uhgg! This post is very educational, yet embarrassing because I have never given shooting one of my friends double a second thought when I am offered the chance
Lots of good stuff to think about here , on safety and proofing, ect

 

[Franco]

Wow, interesting and informative - would any of you entertain the idea of expounding on cordite/blackpowder vs modern rifles?
I have a First Model Colt Dragoon, a Navy Colt, and a couple Sharps, but have never considered shooting them.

 

[rookhawk]

Wow, interesting and informative - would any of you entertain the idea of expounding on cordite/blackpowder vs modern rifles?
I have a First Model Colt Dragoon, a Navy Colt, and a couple Sharps, but have never considered shooting them.

Sure. Curtiss & Harvey was the major maker of black powder. If a gun was made for black powder, it will have BP proof marks only and will call for that. It’s smelly and dirty, so occasionally you’ll find black-powder equivelant pressure loads that use nitro powders. These require great expertise to make within stress levels of the original gun.

Cordite, special cordite, and stranded cordite were the first Nitro Cellulous powders. They are no longer made, but there are powders that have formulas to get you to equivelant pressures and burn rates. The most famous alternative is IMR3031.

No idea what is meant by modern rifles though. If in good condition, I have just as much confidence in the older guns calling for black or nitro powders than I do in something made in the past 20 years.