Yellowstone prequel 1923 double rifle

[chashardy]

I admit I got hooked on the Yellowstone TV show and it's spinoffs. The prequel 1923 has a character--Spencer Dutton--who is introduced while hunting in Africa. He dispatches a couple of problem leopards with his double rifle, which to me looks like a 375H&H. In a later episode in Season 2, he is asked if his rifle is a 375 and he replies that it's a 416 Rigby.
I own a Rigby Big Game in 416Rigby (one of the new ones), but i don't think there was a double rifle chambered in that caliber in 1923. I know Rigby made a custom one for an Indian Maharaja, but that was around 1930. Rigby developed the caliber for bolt action rifles. Doubles in that caliber came much later and the current Rigby double is chambered in their new 416 Rigby 2.
What says the wise AH crowd?

 

[ftrovato]

No way it's a 40 caliber. Bores were to small....

 

[93marlin]

Poetic license...

 

[rookhawk]

The prop department and the expert advisors to 1923 really botched that quite a bit.

What should he have had? 450-400, 470NE, 450NE, or 500NE.

In the parlance of the time, his response should have been something like "400 Jeffery", "450 Express", "470 Lang" or similar.

They got it wrong and they used a gun that did not look contemporaneous to the era. (coin finish was not correct either)

 

[JimP]

The problem is that in most movies and or TV shows you can count on most of the props not being time period correct.

 

[549]

Or have correct function. I’ve never figured out how to cock my Glocks like they do on tv.

 

[chashardy]

And, did you ever notice that guns on TV and movies apparently have no recoil?

 

[BonUm16]

Sheridan had “cowboys” fly-fishing on horseback in the first season of “Yellowstone”. Reality, let alone period correct, doesn’t seem to play a big role in his soap operas.

 

[rookhawk]

Sheridan had “cowboys” fly-fishing on horseback in the first season of “Yellowstone”. Reality, let alone period correct, doesn’t seem to play a big role in his soap operas.

Brutal choices by the show advisors of course. Cane rods and hip boots would have been correct at that time. Drying silk fly lines would have been an arduous but correct activity too. No ponies involved.

As an aside, the first two seasons of Yellowstone were written by remarkably talented writers. (colleagues of a relative of ours) Sheridan decided to take all the credit and canned them at the end of season two, striking them from the writer credits. Hence, that's why the show turned to crap over the subsequent seasons.

Taylor Sheridan thinks he's a better writer than he is, rather than a showrunner that finds the best talent and produces the best TV. He's F'd up Yellowstone, he F'd up 1923, lets pray that he doesn't ruin Landman and Tulsa King moving forward.

 

[Paul K]

When I first saw the rifle in the first episode. My first thought was .375 Flanged or 9.3X74R.

 

[uplander01]

RIA is going to have all the guns of Yellowstone series for sale in the near future. Spencer in an episode of 1923 was asked and he said it was a 416 rigby, which you are correct was not period correct, it appear to be an incorrect action type for that period as well if I remember correctly the article I read. Harrison Fords "Elk Rifle" is cool as hell to --sporterized 1903 Springfield with optic in 30-06

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

The characture Spencer Dutton's double rifle was previously discussed in these threads;

Thread 'Question / 1923 (TV show)...'

Mar 23, 2025

I know the subject of Spencer's double rifle came up before, but I can't seem to find the thread.

What was the consensus on what his double rifle is? On the episode I am watching he says it's in .416 Rigby.

• Tundra Tiger
• Replies: 18
• Forum: General chat

• 

Thread 'Double Rifle used in 1923 TV Series'

Feb 18, 2023

What is the double rifle used in the TV Series "1923" by the character Spenser Dutton?

1923 (TV series) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The bores look fairly small in this photo

The action has "coin finish" and bolsters.
In Season 1, Episode 1 at the time of 2:10 one can see the rifle appears to be a Sabatti much like this one.

What say ye?

• Mark A Ouellette
• Replies: 65
• Forum: Double rifles

• 

 

[Riflecrank]

Jahwohl,
that about covers it.

Did anyone mention that in the series "1883" prequel to "1923"
Spencer Dutton's Pa, James Dutton, was proficient with his 1885 High Wall ?
Minor anachronism.

Two major goofs for the Taylor Sheridan Universe and counting.
Hollywood excuses for the post-1940's M1894 Winchesters galore in "1923."
Prop department depletion no doubt.

 

[rookhawk]

And

Jahwohl,
that about covers it.

Did anyone mention that in the series "1883" prequel to "1923"
Spencer Dutton's Pa, James Dutton, was proficient with his 1885 High Wall ?
Minor anachronism.

Two major goofs for the Taylor Sheridan Universe and counting.
Hollywood excuses for the post-1940's M1894 Winchesters galore in "1923."
Prop department depletion no doubt.

And Rip had a Blaser R8. C’mon, a blaser? For Rip?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

And

And Rip had a Blaser R8. C’mon, a blaser? For Rip?

That might've been a personal gun of his that he wanted to use. He hunted Africa a couple years ago and if memory serves, based on some photos I saw that's what he used or at least someone on the trip did

 

[62flint]

And, did you ever notice that guns on TV and movies apparently have no recoil?

Or unimited ammo at times