New to Me Rigby Double

[AZDAVE]

Well about two months ago I got a call from one of the LGS owners if I had a bit of time could I stop by and look at a couple double rifles he just picked up.
I an in a small town in southern AZ so I went in the door expecting him to pull out a Sabatti or one of the Bakials. We head back to his office and he pulls a old worn english oak and leather case out and whoa and behold there is a Westley Richards exquisite little 32/40 original double that looked like it had a box of rounds through it and put in the safe for a 100 years. The color case was at 85% no frosting in the barrels etc. Next Out comes a Lyons and Lyons made by Westley Richards in 400/360 it had several boxes of ammo and the barrels were in the same condition and had 50% of color case still. The wood wasn't as nice but a solid double that would make a great PG and moose-deer rifle. Didn't have a oak and leather case. I verified that both had the original chambers (AS a number of 400/360's were re-chambered to 9.3x74.) He was going to the Tulsa show so I recommended he make an appointment with JJ Perodeau to get an assessment and an estimated worth etc. We went to lunch and I gave him a Double rifles 101. He took the doubles and one more to the Tulsa show and sold/made deals on them. Fast forward a couple days and he said He had to high a price on the Rigby and no one looked at it in addition it has a small crack behind the tight side lock and a hairline crack from the top of the lock to the tang. So to make a long negotiation short we worked a trade taking into account work that will need to be done on the stock and we were both happy at the end.
So I am not the proud owner of a 400/350 Rigby hammer double. It is a "Special 350 bore rifle" cordite 43-310Max double with nice wood and the color case is about 90% at some point around 1910 would be my guess it was fitted with a scope that is still clear enough to shoot with and fulling functional. But I will most likely just use the irons. I contacted JJ and will be sending the action for him to repair the stock. I also contacted @RIGBY about a historical research records check.
Sent CH4D a note about dies and also a post here to see if anyone has a extra set.

 

[Dave Fulson]

Congrats on the new addition. I am jealous!

 

[coreydb]

Congrats! If only my 73 year old shoulder could take the recoil.

 

[AZDAVE]

@Dave Fulson Thank you. In my lifetime I never expected to own a London's best, even if it is 48 years older than me. Once JJ finishes the crack repair I look forward to working up some loads and deciding how to get it to africa.

@coreydb With the weight of the rifle I expect it to recoil about like a 308. So it should be a pussycat to shoot.

Have been looking for some bullets heavier than 250gr. If anyone has some 310 woodleigh's stashed they might part with? also waiting to hear from CH4D on dies.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well about two months ago I got a call from one of the LGS owners if I had a bit of time could I stop by and look at a couple double rifles he just picked up.
I an in a small town in southern AZ so I went in the door expecting him to pull out a Sabatti or one of the Bakials. We head back to his office and he pulls a old worn english oak and leather case out and whoa and behold there is a Westley Richards exquisite little 32/40 original double that looked like it had a box of rounds through it and put in the safe for a 100 years. The color case was at 85% no frosting in the barrels etc. Next Out comes a Lyons and Lyons made by Westley Richards in 400/360 it had several boxes of ammo and the barrels were in the same condition and had 50% of color case still. The wood wasn't as nice but a solid double that would make a great PG and moose-deer rifle. Didn't have a oak and leather case. I verified that both had the original chambers (AS a number of 400/360's were re-chambered to 9.3x74.) He was going to the Tulsa show so I recommended he make an appointment with JJ Perodeau to get an assessment and an estimated worth etc. We went to lunch and I gave him a Double rifles 101. He took the doubles and one more to the Tulsa show and sold/made deals on them. Fast forward a couple days and he said He had to high a price on the Rigby and no one looked at it in addition it has a small crack behind the tight side lock and a hairline crack from the top of the lock to the tang. So to make a long negotiation short we worked a trade taking into account work that will need to be done on the stock and we were both happy at the end.
So I am not the proud owner of a 400/350 Rigby hammer double. It is a "Special 350 bore rifle" cordite 43-310Max double with nice wood and the color case is about 90% at some point around 1910 would be my guess it was fitted with a scope that is still clear enough to shoot with and fulling functional. But I will most likely just use the irons. I contacted JJ and will be sending the action for him to repair the stock. I also contacted @RIGBY about a historical research records check.
Sent CH4D a note about dies and also a post here to see if anyone has a extra set.

@AZDAVE
Welcome to the magical world of 35s.
You will come to realise how good that calibre is, it just kills stuff without fuss or bother and CLASS.
People that own 35s are true hunters that swear by the calibre. Those that bad mouth it wish they had one or don't know anything about them.
I just read a 1965 article about a person that built a 35-303 in a No4 SMLE action. He planned to use it on buffalo in the northern territory. His load was 47 gn of nobels No 47 powder behind a 250gn projectile. It has about the same power as the 358 win.
To me that would be marginal ( I would be happy with the Whelen and 310 grainers)but to him he said it would be fine.
Animals ain't got any tougher in the last 100year but hunters seem to need bigger and better to do the same job that lesser rounds could do years ago. Go figure.
Dang grandpappy used to quite happily kill elk with his 257 Roberts years ago but now we need a 300 win mag minimum. Why???
Bob

 

[franzfmdavis]

Congrats Dave!

 

[Altitude sickness]

That is a beauty Dave. Congrats. The color is amazing. I know you love hammer guns too.

 

[rookhawk]

Thats a nice rifle! The original horn butt plate cracked and they were kind enough not to chop it down and put a 1" pad on it. Thus, you could add a 1" NECG fake silvers pad for recoil management and end up with a very modern dimensioned 15-1/8" LOP. You'd just have to adjust the optic back a bit. Being a very late hammergun, it should shoot very well and handle full pressure 310gr loads. Not too many creatures on planet earth you cannot kill with a 400/350 rimmed. Safe shooting!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well about two months ago I got a call from one of the LGS owners if I had a bit of time could I stop by and look at a couple double rifles he just picked up.
I an in a small town in southern AZ so I went in the door expecting him to pull out a Sabatti or one of the Bakials. We head back to his office and he pulls a old worn english oak and leather case out and whoa and behold there is a Westley Richards exquisite little 32/40 original double that looked like it had a box of rounds through it and put in the safe for a 100 years. The color case was at 85% no frosting in the barrels etc. Next Out comes a Lyons and Lyons made by Westley Richards in 400/360 it had several boxes of ammo and the barrels were in the same condition and had 50% of color case still. The wood wasn't as nice but a solid double that would make a great PG and moose-deer rifle. Didn't have a oak and leather case. I verified that both had the original chambers (AS a number of 400/360's were re-chambered to 9.3x74.) He was going to the Tulsa show so I recommended he make an appointment with JJ Perodeau to get an assessment and an estimated worth etc. We went to lunch and I gave him a Double rifles 101. He took the doubles and one more to the Tulsa show and sold/made deals on them. Fast forward a couple days and he said He had to high a price on the Rigby and no one looked at it in addition it has a small crack behind the tight side lock and a hairline crack from the top of the lock to the tang. So to make a long negotiation short we worked a trade taking into account work that will need to be done on the stock and we were both happy at the end.
So I am not the proud owner of a 400/350 Rigby hammer double. It is a "Special 350 bore rifle" cordite 43-310Max double with nice wood and the color case is about 90% at some point around 1910 would be my guess it was fitted with a scope that is still clear enough to shoot with and fulling functional. But I will most likely just use the irons. I contacted JJ and will be sending the action for him to repair the stock. I also contacted @RIGBY about a historical research records check.
Sent CH4D a note about dies and also a post here to see if anyone has a extra set.

@AZDAVE
The 400/350 Rigby was designed to launch a 310gn bullet at 2,000fps with 2,752 fpe of muzzle energy. If'n it would regulate with the 310s at 2,100-2,200 fps to bring it upto over 3,000fpe it would make a fine bigger game rifle. Even at the slower speeds it will poke a big hole in an eland or similar size game and those big bullets would hold together well and drive deep. Out to say 150yards it will make a fine rifle.

For anyone interested I will try and attach the article on the 35-303 that I mentioned.
Bob

 

[rookhawk]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen if you'd be willing to do the Lord's work, could you search around Oz for a set of dies? That's' going to to be the hardest thing to find over here in the States and new old stock dies linger (languish?) in Oz. I'm sure @AZDAVE would be in your debt.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Congrats! If only my 73 year old shoulder could take the recoil.

@coreydb
Recoil would be mild as the velocity is only just over 2,000fps with a 310gn bullet.
If'n y'all can handle an ought six the Rigby would be fine
Bob

 

[rookhawk]

@coreydb
Recoil would be mild as the velocity is only just over 2,000fps with a 310gn bullet.
If'n y'all can handle an ought six the Rigby would be fine
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen It would be worth mentioning those velocities are hogwash. Kynoch/ICI 1921 and 1926 published data lied in two manners: 1.) They used 28" proof barrels and most rifles were 24"-26" reducing velocity, 2.) They lied by about 70FPS on top of that across the boards.

The good news is that we have a hundred years of data that supports the results from those old loads regardless of how fast they were really going. Any well constructed bullet hitting the animal above 1900fps in the vitals resulted in a successful hunt.

I bet that original 400/350 NE load duplicated with a kynoch wad and IMR3031 will do exactly what was intended, even though it might leave the muzzle with perfect regulation at 1950-1975fps real-world.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Dave Fulson Thank you. In my lifetime I never expected to own a London's best, even if it is 48 years older than me. Once JJ finishes the crack repair I look forward to working up some loads and deciding how to get it to africa.

@coreydb With the weight of the rifle I expect it to recoil about like a 308. So it should be a pussycat to shoot.

Have been looking for some bullets heavier than 250gr. If anyone has some 310 woodleigh's stashed they might part with? also waiting to hear from CH4D on dies.

@AZDAVE
I have some stashed but that's no use to you.
Me thinks@RavenRocks may be able to get them
Failing that I think @Rick HOlbert may know a new dealer for Woodleigh.
Bob

 

[Monski]

Congrats!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thats a nice rifle! The original horn butt plate cracked and they were kind enough not to chop it down and put a 1" pad on it. Thus, you could add a 1" NECG fake silvers pad for recoil management and end up with a very modern dimensioned 15-1/8" LOP. You'd just have to adjust the optic back a bit. Being a very late hammergun, it should shoot very well and handle full pressure 310gr loads. Not too many creatures on planet earth you cannot kill with a 400/350 rimmed. Safe shooting!

@rookhawk
If'n there ain't to many critters in the world that the 400-350 won't kill then the Whelen should kill the same amount then some because it can launch a 310gn at 2,200-2,455 fps and up to 4,000fpe compared to the Rigbys 2,000 fps and 2,700-3,000fpe
Just saying of course
The Whelen may do it with power and class BUT IT CANT MATCH THE CLASS AND BEAUTY OF THE RIGBY.
Bob

 

[AZDAVE]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen I looked at that same site for dies along with a couple here in the US. Still waiting for CH4D to reply to my request. They usually take a couple business days so I will most likely hear mon-tue timeframe. Will reach out to @RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION on the woodleigh 310's

@rookhawk I am going to just have JJ put the silvers pad on it while he is fixing the crack. If CH4D doesn't have dies or I don't get a response from anyone that they have a set to sell. I will have PTG make me a dies reamer and get a die blank and make one. That would be the most expensive option but one that is workable. On a different note It looks like I can modify a set of leupold dies to work with the mounts on the rifle. Will require a fair bit of hand file and fitting work. There is also room to move the current scope back to get proper eye relief. But I will mostly shoot it with irons.