John Telford
AH fanatic
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
- Messages
- 621
- Reaction score
- 1,140
- Location
- Pretoria/Maun/Sacramento
- Media
- 17
- Member of
- Phasa ,SA Wingshooters, Botswana Tourism (HATAB), Pretoria Arms and Ammunition Association PAAA.
- Hunted
- South Africa , Botswana,
Said rifle is now safely in the USA…They only sold a total of 24 rifles in .500 Jeffery between 1927 and 1940, and of these 24, 21 were made by Henry Leonard in Birmingham, while the other three were completed by George Gibbs of Bristol, maker of the famous .505 Gibbs. Not to be outdone, Westley Richards completed a lone double in .500 Jeffery in 1937 as well.
Original .500 Jeffery rifles are extremely rare. They tend to end up in collections, never to reappear again, and are highly treasured. They also have a strange effect on some people. No names will be uttered here, but in one instance, a certain “collector” borrowed an original Jeffery .500 from its owner “just to take photographs” and replaced the action with another Magnum M98 action from a .404 that he had specially engraved for the purpose. The switch was discovered by a sharp-eyed gunsmith who alerted the rifle’s owner. Murder and carnage were avoided, albeit only just. Such depravity borders on the insane, it must be said.
Again, a 2002 .. Just curious how many rifles were built under the "W. J. Jeffery" name 1940-2023? If I'm wording this correct.
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