The "New" Rigby

[Hank2211]

I am giving some thought to acquiring one of the "new" Rigby bolt actions - in .416 Rigby of course.

Wondering if anyone has had any experience with them since they were bought by Blaser and "consolidated" back in London? I think the US experience was not a good one, so I am hopeful that change for the better has come, but would like to hear if anyone can confirm.

Thanks.

 

[spike.t]

hi hank i know marc newton who runs rigbys . he used to work for paul roberts and learned lots from him. patricia or patty worked for paul as well. i have spent a bit of time talking to him and he is very excited at the way things are going now at rigbys. i have looked at the new rifles and the new BIG GAME RIFLE THE BIG GAME to me is very good value. the LONDON BEST model if you have the money is a stunning piece of rifle making. i never liked the rigbys made in the usa or the attitude i encountered the one time i ventured on their stand at SCI. i was looking at a .470 double and one of the people walked up to me and said "i bet you wished you could have one of those" with a kind of attitude that got up my nose. at the time i had a .470 side lock , a .416 and a .350 all built by paul before he sold the rigby name to these people . i said not really i have some proper ones and walked away leaving him confused....so i am happy the company is back in london . marc has some of the craftsmen who worked for paul building rigbys when he owned it, so lots and lots of experience. mark who is a stockmaker (some might have seen him on the rigby stand at the last 2 SCI shows crafting a stock during the shows) worked for paul i think for 30 years and the new rigbys is only the 2nd place he has worked. i think you would be very pleased with your rigby rifle if you go ahead and order one. if you want i can pm you marcs mobile phone number and have a chat with him, you will find him very enthusiastic and helpful . i think its good for the future of the london gun trade for them to have someone as young and enthusiastic as him involved in it. HOME

 

[Red Leg]

I agree. Lance Hendershot is going to represent them here in the Mid-Atlantic, and I can't wait to get my hands on one of the .275's which should be out next year. I handled one of the Paso Robles "Rigby's" just a week ago and was really underwhelmed. It was clearly built on a mass production action, and though I suppose a solid enough gun, it should never have had "Rigby" anywhere on it. Terry Wieland has been carrying out quite a crusade about the CA guns for several years, and I saw nothing that didn't indicate he was correct. I wish Marc and team every success.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I had a look at some of the new Rigby rifles at a hunting show some weeks ago and I must say that I really don't see the point of paying that much money for them.
I thought I would get a great WOW feeling when handling the guns, but it was a total let down.
A totally overpriced versions of Mausers with the name Rigby on them in my opinion. I don't want to pay LOTS of extra money to get a Rigby stamp on my gun.
I know some agree with me and others that disagree

Personally I will not consider to buy one even if I win big in Lotto.

That said, I think Marc Newton is a very nice and enthusiastic person to talk with

 

[Hank2211]

I had a look at some of the new Rigby rifles at a hunting show some weeks ago and I must say that I really don't see the point of paying that much money for them.
I thought I would get a great WOW feeling when handling the guns, but it was a total let down.
A totally overpriced versions of Mausers with the name Rigby on them in my opinion. I don't want to pay LOTS of extra money to get a Rigby stamp on my gun.
I know some agree with me and others that disagree

Personally I will not consider to buy one even if I win big in Lotto.

That said, I think Marc Newton is a very nice and enthusiastic person to talk with

I do understand that these are built on Mauser actions - but I think the original .416 Rigby was built on a Mauser action, so I don't have a problem with that - about as authentic as you can get. To me, a gun is about fit, finish, a great piece of wood, and how it shoots. Seems as if these fit the bill.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I totally agree that a gun is a bout fit, finish and how it shoots. A great piece of wood is great to look at, but not something I am willing to pay VERY much money for.
You can get a Mauser action rifle with great fit and finish that shoots very well and has a good wood stock for very much less money than a new Rigby.

I once got a 9.3x62 made on a very good old M98 action that fit perfectly, but with a ordinary stock only and I got it all made for less than 1500$.
I sold it to a friend some years ago.
The action worked ever so smooth and well as the new Rigby actions I tested and it shot very well.

That said, I have no problems that others want to buy one of the new Rigby rifles
I think they are good guns, but personally I don't think that they are good enough to make me consider to pay their price.
We all have different tastes and minds on what is worth to spend money on.

If you want one, go and buy one

 

[spike.t]

NW sorry but i think you are knocking the subject because you are not into the whole concept of a hand built rifle, from beautiful wood to the finish. yes you can have a very nice rifle built on any action, but sorry for the price of the BIG GAME RIFLE series i dont think there are many rifle makers that could produce the same for that price. to me there is something that sets apart a beautiful english built rifle to others made elsewhere. i am not knocking makers from other countries and have rifles made in other places, but to me when you hold an english best rifle it has a magic the others dont................

 

[Code4]

From what I've seen the current UK Rigby 'Big Game' rifles are barreled magnum actions 'in the white' supplied by Mauser and finished by either Rigby or 'the trade' with Rigby stamped on them.

If I had the coin I would definantly compare the cost of a Mauser rifle with that of Rigby and weigh the value of the differences. Having seen off the shelf magazine rifles at H&H with hot black metal work, I' must confess to being a little jaded with London shop fronts.

spike.t has a very good point though, they will have value added coming from the UK and not the garbage produced in the US under the same name.

Rigby:
THE BIG GAME

Mauser:
M 98 Magnum | Mauser Hunting Rifles

 

[BH206L3]

John Rigby makes very nice rifles, on commercially produced actions, Mauser's its the attention to detail that you are paying for, and if you adjust for how devalued the dollar and the pound really are, what you are paying now in terms of price, is pretty much what you paid before World War One. If anything barrels are better, ammo and the components for ammo along with optic sights are way way better. On the down side, really good stock wood is hard to find and expensive. I suspect that Rigby today makes a much tighter more accurate rifle now than then. And the other thing it was never a mass produced Item. As in the years before the Great War and now, its a item for the well healed or for those willing to modify life styles to buy one. I would love to end my hunting life with a 275 HV model.

 

[vette447]

I would really like to get a Big Game or London's Best in .416 as well. In fact, I am going to be in London on business in early August and I am really thinking about trying to see if I can go visit their shop/showroom. Has anyone been there? Do you have to make an appointment or can you just go and see them?

 

[vette447]

I should also state that I missed seeing these new guns at the hunting shows in January unfortunately.

 

[bassasdaindia]

I liked what I saw at the recent huntex show,and Mark does seem to be very passionate

good luck to them.