Reassembled Rigby

[xausa]

This is a project I have had going on for some time now. The first piece to be acquired was an Oberndorf Mauser square bridge action with a slant magazine, designed specifically for Rigby.
The next item was a Rigby take-down barrel in caliber .350 Rigby No. 2.
The final piece was a Rigby stock inletted specifically for the slant box magnum action.

Give them to Lon Paul to put them all together, and this is the result.

 

[Major Bonkers]

Very impressive! Could you/ why did you not keep it as a takedown?

You need a case for it now.

 

[BeeMaa]

Are you going to have it blued and polished or is this the final product?

 

[xausa]

Very impressive! Could you/ why did you not keep it as a takedown?

You need a case for it now.

As a disciple of Townsend Whelen, I share his dislike for take down rifles, especially take down systems which separate barrel and receiver. As a consequence, the only take downs I own are 1916 Newtons and double rifles. My Model 99 Savage .22 High Power was originally a take down, but was converted to solid by the factory, I'm not sure how.

 

[xausa]

Are you going to have it blued and polished or is this the final product?

It will certainly be polished and blued, the photo is of a work in progress, as evidenced by the missing trigger. Lon likes to keep me posted as to developments.

 

[BeeMaa]

It will certainly be polished and blued, the photo is of a work in progress, as evidenced by the missing trigger. Lon likes to keep me posted as to developments.

LOL. I must have needed another cup of coffee. Didn’t even notice the missing trigger.

Keep us posted on the build.

 

[nztimb]

Even in this state it is showing promise of the elegance and class it will inevitibly exude.

 

[yhc]

Very nice @xausa

What kind of scope it that?

 

[John Telford]

Nice- the slant box was used for the 400/450 and the .303. How did you get just a 350 barrel?

 

[Sarg]

Absolutely fantastic, well done you finding those orphan parts & getting them put together, great to see, great old caliber to !

I do this on a much much lesser scale with my BSA & Lee Speed Sporters but mind take 10-20 yrs lol

 

[xausa]

Very nice @xausa

What kind of scope it that?

Considering your location, I would think you would know. It's a Lyman Alaskan, one of my favorites, especially for vintage rifles.

 

[xausa]

Nice- the slant box was used for the 400/450 and the .303. How did you get just a 350 barrel?

The barrel came as pictured above, the barrel part of a Rigby take down rifle. Lon's wizardry was all it took to mate it with the action I have had waiting for such an opportunity. The slant box was originally used for the 400/350, which shares the same case with the .350 Rigby No. 2, but uses a 225 grain bullet instead of a 310 grain projectile. The .350 Rigby No. 2 has a slower twist, which would not stabilize the much longer 400/350 bullet.

I already have a slant box .350 Rigby Magnum, also created by Lon Paul..

 

[nztimb]

The barrel came as pictured above, the barrel part of a Rigby take down rifle. Lon's wizardry was all it took to mate it with the action I have had waiting for such an opportunity. The slant box was originally used for the 400/350, which shares the same case with the .350 Rigby No. 2, but uses a 225 grain bullet instead of a 310 grain projectile. The .350 Rigby No. 2 has a slower twist, which would not stabilize the much longer 400/350 bullet.

I already have a slant box .350 Rigby Magnum, also created by Lon Paul..
View attachment 437335

Love that rifle every time I see it posted. Have a copy saved in my "Ideal rifle" folder.

 

[yhc]

Considering your location, I would think you would know. It's a Lyman Alaskan, one of my favorites, especially for vintage rifles.

LOL...you got me there @xausa. I am not at all well versed in vintage scopes.

Regards,

 

[baxterb]

Love that rifle every time I see it posted. Have a copy saved in my "Ideal rifle" folder.

Yes indeed. I fell in love with that thing the first time I saw it years ago. It is perfection in my opinion.

 

[Milan]

As a disciple of Townsend Whelen, I share his dislike for take down rifles, especially take down systems which separate barrel and receiver. As a consequence, the only take downs I own are 1916 Newtons and double rifles. My Model 99 Savage .22 High Power was originally a take down, but was converted to solid by the factory, I'm not sure how.

Where can one read that? What does he not like about it? The barrel never being as tight as when screwed on with a wrench? Could I have picture of the takedown mechanism anyway. I want to have one take down built regardless of the potential negative sides. Just for the practical factor and to try it out.

 

[xausa]

Where can one read that? What does he not like about it? The barrel never being as tight as when screwed on with a wrench? Could I have picture of the takedown mechanism anyway. I want to have one take down built regardless of the potential negative sides. Just for the practical factor and to try it out.

In Col. Whelen's book, Mister Rifleman, he writes:

"This rifle (a Model 99 Savage) was given to me, probably about 1915, by Pascal de Angeles, then the sales manager of Savage. It was originally a .303 Savage with takedown barrel, and would not shoot worth a hill of beans. I finally sent it to Niedner and had him fit a .250-3000 barrel with a 10 inch twist, screwed in solid.... I experimented with a number of loads, and it was the first rifle that I ever shot with which I got quite a number of minute of angle groups. I mean 10 shot groups, for that was the only kind of groups we shot in those days."

Those 10 shot groups were shot with a 3X Belding & Mull scope.

This is the first quote by Whelen which comes to mind. There are others, but my 82 year old memory has not retrieved them, yet.

I had the barrel and forearm as pictured above sent directly to Lon Paul, so I have no photos of the take down mechanism. Sorry! I'll try to send you some when I receive the parts with the completed rifle.

My 1916 Newton rifles take down without the use of tools, do not require the barrel to be detached from the receiver. and fit into a case only slightly longer than those of the removeable barrel systems.

The rifle is pictured in take down condition on page 57 of The Newton Rifle, by Lawrence Wales, together with its Moose Brand "leg of mutton" leather hard case.

 

[xausa]

Larry Wales was kind enough to send me a much better photo of the rifle/case combination, and I present it here:

 

[Milan]

In Col. Whelen's book, Mister Rifleman, he writes:

"This rifle (a Model 99 Savage) was given to me, probably about 1915, by Pascal de Angeles, then the sales manager of Savage. It was originally a .303 Savage with takedown barrel, and would not shoot worth a hill of beans. I finally sent it to Niedner and had him fit a .250-3000 barrel with a 10 inch twist, screwed in solid.... I experimented with a number of loads, and it was the first rifle that I ever shot with which I got quite a number of minute of angle groups. I mean 10 shot groups, for that was the only kind of groups we shot in those days."

Those 10 shot groups were shot with a 3X Belding & Mull scope.

This is the first quote by Whelen which comes to mind. There are others, but my 82 year old memory has not retrieved them, yet.

I had the barrel and forearm as pictured above sent directly to Lon Paul, so I have no photos of the take down mechanism. Sorry! I'll try to send you some when I receive the parts with the completed rifle.

My 1916 Newton rifles take down without the use of tools, do not require the barrel to be detached from the receiver. and fit into a case only slightly longer than those of the removeable barrel systems.

The rifle is pictured in take down condition on page 57 of The Newton Rifle, by Lawrence Wales, together with its Moose Brand "leg of mutton" leather hard case.

Many thanks!

 

[xausa]

Many thanks!

I just discovered this advert on another site. The take down system looks to be the same as Rigby's:

Elegant Westley Richards Detachable Two Barrel Magazine Rifle / The Explora - Premier Online Field Sports & Gun Journal

Westley Richards catalogues from the early 20th century illustrate the style as it was then established, with its distinctive side panel.

www.westleyrichards.com

I achieved essentially the same thing with my Krieghoff "Teck" O/U double rifle, plus the addition of a pair of 20 gauge 3" Magnum shot barrels to the set.