Ordered my LAST African Safari rifle at DSC this year...

Red Leg said:

Unlike code writers and wrench turners, skilled craftsmen in an arcane product can be tough to find to address a surge requirement.

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The issues I have had though were not related to the quality of the firearm in regard to craftmanship but following up on the specifications of the order sheet. They need some sort of an administrative assistant that checks on stuff going forward.

Hopefully they incorporate Kaizen and a QC checklist program.

Altitude sickness said:

Maybe the replacement comes with a different Bite

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That would be some compensation

A new rifle is the best outcome that could have been hoped for. There was so much that went wrong here that one can only wonder what other customers will be affected on their builds as it speaks to several serious breakdowns of checks along the way. Probably emanates from the manufacturing being remote.

Kevin Peacocke said:

A new rifle is the best outcome that could have been hoped for. There was so much that went wrong here that one can only wonder what other customers will be affected on their builds as it speaks to several serious breakdowns of checks along the way. Probably emanates from the manufacturing being remote.

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Where are they made if not in England?

I think they are made in France and fitted in England.

In any situation such as these. All you can do is base one's opinion on how a company reacts or treats a customer after.

And a brand new rifle bespoke correctly to original owners build sheet ticks that box.

Just as an aside - as you seem to have resolved matters sensibly - you have the right to reject the rifle and demand a full refund. The main English legislation is the Supply of Goods and Services Act, 1982 and the Consumer Rights Act, 2015: both have Wikipedia pages, but this is very basic law.

The engraving (page 9, post 175) strikes me as very poor, and probably grounds for rejecting the rifle on its own. (Or, at least, not accepting it until the work has been done properly: case-hardening be damned.) I have, in the past, recommended Andy Miles for engraving work of this type, but he has sadly died recently.

I am afraid - and you should not need to do this - that you ought to keep a much closer eye on the replacement rifle. In particular, request (a polite way of saying 'demand') a copy of the engraving design for approval before the work is undertaken. There cannot be any objection to this - it is just setting out on paper what will be engraved on the rifle, good business practice, and is a sensible way of ensuring that there are no disputes when it is too late to rectify matters. As an example, here is Andy Miles' design for my Dakota single-shot, which we tweaked a bit (I wanted the serial number on the trigger guard and some work on the safety) but went ahead with in the main:




I am afraid that if I were in your shoes I would have lost patience by this point. The only other thing I can suggest is appointing an agent to keep an eye on your very substantial investment - it ought to be absurd even to consider this. If you wanted to go down this route, I would suggest Mark Crudgington of George Gibbs. Alternatively, cut your losses and commission the rifle from him!

Tanks said:

Well, I took my Shikari to the range a while back. I was so pissed off that I held back posting, but I am calmer now though still upset.

First time I went to the range was to sight in the Trijicon, I had picked up a brand new 1 MOA RMR HD. Fit perfectly into the Rigby mount for it and installed.

I was so excited about the rifle that I had not looked at it very carefully other than noticing the engraving that was messed up.

Well, for sighting in I slid in a .500 NE cartridge, closed the action looked through the sight and squeezed the front trigger. I heard a click and no bang. I had put the cartridge in the left barrel. So, I opened the action put the cartridge in the right barrel and squeezed again. Got the bang.

Hmmm. I took a look at the triggers and they were offset for a right handed shooter to boot with front trigger firing the right barrel and the rear trigger firing the left barrel.

My order specifically stated the it had to be the other way around. They had screwed up colossally

I don't know how it can be fixed, I will reach out to them later on. Two mistakes on a six figure order. Below is my order sheet. Under notes it is pretty clear.

Any right handers want a neutral cast stock Rigby in .500 NE and an extra .450/400 barrel (half kidding only)? I regret selling my tried and true Heym at this point.

View attachment 784876

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I love Rigby, the rifles they build and what the company represents but god this is hard to read. I really hope they can find a way to expedite the replacement build that Marc has agreed to.
I recently had significant issues with a Rigby rifle I purchased, Marc and the team at Rigby were great about getting the issues addressed and reimbursed me for the repair the costs, the rifle now shoots probably better than any other rifle I have ever owned. But at the time the feeling of disappointment was quite overwhelming.........

This entire post hurt to read. Sorry to learn of your troubles, @Tanks, and hope the new rifle more than makes up for the disappointments. May @RIGBY use its considerable resources to go above and beyond.

Red Leg said:

I am not making excuses for them. but I suspect over a single malt and late in the evening, Marc would admit the immediate demand for the rifle surprised them. Even companies with long established supply chains and dedicated expandable workforce can be hammered by unanticipated backlog. Unlike code writers and wrench turners, skilled craftsmen in an arcane product can be tough to find to address a surge requirement. Mistakes inevitably happen. The one positive is that Marc has taken quick decisive action to make it right while inconveniencing @Tanks in the least way possible.

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Very well said and my thoughts as well!

While certainly disappointing and everyone knows I am a total Rigby fan, I do like how Marc stands behind the Rigby Brand immediately confirming a new to the specs rifle will be built and @Tanks

Rare Breed said:

While certainly disappointing and everyone knows I am a total Rigby fan, I do like how Marc stands behind the Rigby Brand immediately confirming a new to the specs rifle will be built and @Tanks

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keeps the current rifle until he gets the correct one. That is standing behind your brand

Rare Breed said:

keeps the current rifle until he gets the correct one. That is standing behind your brand

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And to quote Marc when I mentioned going to Namibia in a couple of weeks and hunts planned for next year.

Please use it, love it and don’t worry about anything else

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Wow - very painful to read… sorry to read that they have made multiple elementary mistakes here that shouldn’t be happening.. I would have thought that they would check off the product against the order prior to shipping!
Hopefully they compensate you for all of the import taxes etc that you’ll spend on its replacement when it arrives.
Have they given you a time frame? I’m assuming your replacement will be given a prompt build spot and time frame.
Is there anything else you’d change between the original order and this one?
How did the case look in the end? I was quite keen on the orange leather one!
Are you still keeping your order for the London best bolt gun?

SWS1 said:

Is there anything else you’d change between the original order and this one?

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Hmmm, maybe sling eyelets.

SWS1 said:

How did the case look in the end? I was quite keen on the orange leather one!

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The case builder wanted 12,000 GBP. A bit rich for me, so said no.

SWS1 said:

Are you still keeping your order for the London best bolt gun?

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Of course, I am very much looking forward to it.

Behind every mistake is an opportunity. Once the new rifle is ready there will be a perfectly usable rifle that was made to the wrong specs that may be available to someone at a discount. It will be interesting to see what happens to the current rifle once Tanks has his new one.

Dear Tanks, Sometimes things go wrong. In your case, what happened was that one of the employees did not follow the procedure (which is rigorous in Rigby) and probably mixed up the details. In the end, you have no objections to functionality and quality. The decision to get a new rifle is something that suits Rigby. We are all quite demanding and choose details, and sometimes even the best ones mix up all that information. Rigby never gambled on quality, that's why it is what it is today. Enjoy that shopping. After your hunt in Namibia, you may not even want to change your original rifle

Miletic said:

After your hunt in Namibia, you may not even want to change your original rifle

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Nope. I have been charged by elephants in the past. I can't take the chance of doubling. The righty offset trigger is a big deal braker for me.

Tanks said:

And to quote Marc when I mentioned going to Namibia in a couple of weeks and hunts planned for next year.

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@Tanks I will be in Namibia from 9/12-27 with Divan Safaris on my second try for my leopard. I remember your monster taken with CMS!!!