Value of .416 John Rigby 1924 Model

[Dewald]

Sounds like good ole Mr Quigley is describing this particular fine example of a pre-war rifle:

 

[JvW]

Yip, meet Rigby No 4953 in the flesh. The real one. The rifle happens to be in a friend's collection along with lots of other nice English rifles. I took this photograph of it some years ago.

Sounds like good ole Mr Quigley is describing this particular fine example of a pre-war rifle:

View attachment 553873

 

[baxterb]

I believe Luke Samaras used a BRNO-actioned Rigby.

For the record Harry Selby told me if he were to build a 416 from scratch he would start with a 602.

 

[Dewald]

For the record Harry Selby told me if he were to build a 416 from scratch he would start with a 602.

I think many of us are in agreement with that, purely for the fact that it is a very affordable true magnum length Mauser CRF action. For a lot of people , and certainly so for most PHs Brevex, Prechtl, Mauser, Vector, and GMA actions are cost prohibitive.

I think what most of us on the post are trying to warn the OP against, is to have someone sell him a knockoff as a 1924 vintage Rigby, or at best a rather scruffy looking Rigby from the worst time in the company’s history, for a substantial sum of money.

 

[318AE]

I wonder if the guys that built 4953 had any idea we’d be having this conversation 99 years later. I doubt that will be the case with 99+% of what is being built today.

 

[DrBob]

Definitely looks like a brno action and possibly from early 1970s. Still a very nice rifle indeed.

The lettering is not Rigby for receiver.

 

[erf046]

Wow thank you everyone for the contribution, it seems as if, I have been taken for a sweet ride, with this.

 

[spike.t]

Also came across this. Thank you for the valuable input, this is really interesting to see the wealth of knowledge.
View attachment 553853

That's from when Paul owned it...was in that shop plenty from 1989 onwards till he sold the name...had I think 4 different ones of those 416s ..very nice rifles..and @Dewald during pauls ownership the rifles were well made...yes on brno actions but that is what was mostly available at a sensible price ...he would build you one on a Magnum mauser action if you wanted to pay a lot more...as said I had around 4 different ones on brno actions and wish I had kept one...Paul hunted all over and he knew what was needed in a big game rifle ...I know some people look down on the brno action rigbys but nothing wrong with them at all....the period you mention as the worst time in the companies history was prior to him getting ownership...he had to sort a few rifles built during the period prior to him taking control, and told me some of the screw ups that had been built during that bad era....so I owned rigbys from the brno actioned 416s...to the top end in a sidelock 470 double he built for me, and in between those calibres the last 350 rigby he made built on a mauser action...and the last 275 he ever built ,as it was the last serial number left he had been given to use ,as he was given a series of serial numbers as a run out to use when he sold the name...that 275 is a copy of one of bells rifles using the information from the ledgers as Paul has copies of the originals...so it's same as he was sold down to his initials engraved in same place and the same type of gun box with his initials on WDMB...neat little rifle ...swopped my 350 and a 1949 275 rigby for it...he only brought the bell rifle out to ask my thoughts on it....as soon as I picked it up and put it to my shoulder I was ..ohhh shit I want it...rest is history as they say...photos of it on a thread here somewhere

 

[GuttormG]

2 things wrong with the 602-actions, the way the trigger is installed (never heard of one failing but I still do not like it!), and they didnt make a left-hand one.

 

[spike.t]

2 things wrong with the 602-actions, the way the trigger is installed (never heard of one failing but I still do not like it!), and they didnt make a left-hand one.

On the rigbys the trigger was replaced

 

[AZDAVE]

Everyone's comments are spot on. If it was a pre war Rigby it would be worth a lot of money.

Yours is a very well done 416 on a BRNO action that is a great hunting rifle that will give you a lifetime of service. To have one built similar to yours currently it would cost in the 5-9 thousand range is my best guess.

Not to mention some shooters a 100 years from now will most likely be having the same conversation

 

[John Telford]

I believe Luke Samaras used a BRNO-actioned Rigby.

For the record Harry Selby told me if he were to build a 416 from scratch he would start with a 602.

Harry had a post ww2 Rigby which I thought was built on either the Brevex or zkk 602 action…

 

[John Telford]

Sounds like good ole Mr Quigley is describing this particular fine example of a pre-war rifle:

View attachment 553873

Is this one of HM’s rifles? Or do I even need to ask since it’s case is refinished?

 

[baxterb]

Harry had a post ww2 Rigby which I thought was built on either the Brevex or zkk 602 action…

No. Harry’s 416 was built on a standard length Mauser action.

 

[John Telford]

No. Harry’s 416 was built on a standard length Mauser action.

Interesting- Never seen one on a standard action .

 

[baxterb]

Interesting- Never seen one on a standard action .

That's one reason Harry's is so famous. The funny thing about Harry's 416 is that he bought it used (it was originally owned by Don Bousfield, but he didn't take to it), and that after he got it, he took to it with a file to make the stock how he liked it. Harry's 416 bore no resemblance to what we think of as a classic Rigby 416. In point of fact the rifle had no checkering for a long time - until it was rebarreled.

 

[Mort Hill]

Awesome discourse here fellas. Thanks for sharing your passion.

 

[R eight]

2 things wrong with the 602-actions, the way the trigger is installed (never heard of one failing but I still do not like it!), and they didnt make a left-hand one.

I use to own 2 Brno 602’s . One in 375 and one in 458. Both were absolute tack drivers straight out of the box. The 375 functioned flawlessly for the first 20 years and then had a trigger failure ‍ the 458 would not feed soft points reliably. Would often get a hang up when feeding a round from the right side of the magazine. Never an issue with solids.

I really liked my 602 in 375 H&H

 

[Wheels]

I am late to this conversation and have a question for all of you that are so knowledgeable. I always thought the BRNO 602 had a double square bridge. Evidently I am wrong. Late 60's forward, the 602 had the double square bridge until the change to CZ as I understand. When did BRNO start making the single square bridge 602?

 

[R eight]

I am late to this conversation and have a question for all of you that are so knowledgeable. I always thought the BRNO 602 had a double square bridge. Evidently I am wrong. Late 60's forward, the 602 had the double square bridge until the change to CZ as I understand. When did BRNO start making the single square bridge 602?

I’ve only ever seen DSB 602’s . I’m guessing that the rifle this post refers to started life as a stock standard BRNO 602 DSB…..and was then modified to a SSB by the gunsmith.