Another Vintage Cogswell & Harrison 404 Jeffery - Questions

[rookhawk]

I checked the records. The above gun was made in 1951. They stopped production as far as I can tell in 1953.

All the guns of this era in utility grade had aluminum floor plates including the Mauser action models made by C&H.

How much are they asking? If you pass on it, please PM me as I need another rifle and may be interested.

 

[rookhawk]

Just realized you purchased it. Congrats!

 

[Fr8liner]

@buckstix could I be so rude and ask what price you got this rifle for?

 

[rookhawk]

@buckstix I would never be so rude as to ask you the question @Fr8liner posed....but could you please answer his question anyway as the rest of us want to know.

 

[CAustin]

The man does have the ability to find some great old rifles!

 

[buckstix]

Hello All,

Thanks for the reply.

I tell people I find a lot of good rifles because I have a weak bladder. I get up several times a night to pee, and search the internet before going back to bed.

I have found and purchased two, 404 Jeffery caliber rifles this way. This C&H and a Manton & Co. Mauser.

I also purchased a 1951 C&H catalog that way, showing the listing for this rifle. Its interesting to note that the catalog listing shows the thumb-cut in the left wall like my rifle, but I've found no other C&H built on P-14's that have a thumb-cut.

 

[rookhawk]

@buckstix could you please share the page from 1951 catalog that shows their basic .375HH on a Mauser action? I have one made that year and I'd love to see the marketing literature from C&H. Thanks!

 

[buckstix]

Hello rookhawk

Thanks for the reply.

Here is the opposite page showing the Mauser. Does yours also have the aluminum bottom metal?

 

[rookhawk]

Thanks a ton @buckstix , just what I needed.

Mine does have blacked aluminum bottom metal. It also has excellent wood for a postwar "African park ranger" gun. These were the cheapest guns made in UK at the time but are still really nice, certainly equal or better to their Model 70 competitors in terms of sights and stock shaping.

Could you please describe your gun's crown or lack of one? The gun pictured in the catalog above has an odd crown. I've seen them crown less but accurate also. What is yours like?

Curious, what did they say were the features of the deluxe model other than ebony forend tip?

 

[buckstix]

Hello rookhawk,

Thanks for the reply,

I'll have to look up the page on the deluxe model.

There really isn't much crown. Its fairly flat with a very, very slight rounded edge. Both on the outside of the barrel, and inside at the bore. Although the crown seems somewhat unconventional, my rifle is very accurate.

 

[rookhawk]

@buckstix thanks for the pic! That's about what I suspected.

Any chance you'd know where to find that sight hood? Mine's missing. I'm assuming it's a part from some well known source but I don't know what to look for?

 

[buckstix]

Hello rookhawk,

Thanks for the reply.

I have no clue where to find a sight hood. I think almost any hood with a round profile should work.

 

[franzfmdavis]

@buckstix thanks for the pic! That's about what I suspected.

Any chance you'd know where to find that sight hood? Mine's missing. I'm assuming it's a part from some well known source but I don't know what to look for?

Hi @rookhawk, did you ever find a source for the sight hood?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Cogswell & Harrison built these until 1951. Many were supplied to the Tanganyika game department for elephant control.

Overall, they were fantastic rifles but I never did like the Dural alloy magazines. Dural is an aluminum alloy that’s softer than steel. During recoil, the bullet noses (esp. of steel jacketed FMJ or monolithic solids) will slam into the magazine walls and (with time) begin to dent the magazine walls. Eventually if the dents are deep enough to catch the bullet noses, this will prevent the cartridges from rising in the magazine. The 1950s era Holland & Holland magazine rifles were also built with Dural magazines.

I’ve used this exact kind of rifle (Cogswell & Harrison .404 Jeffery built on a Pattern 14 Enfield action) loaded with RWS 400Gr round nosed thin steel jacketed FMJ solid factory loads to hunt a hippopotamus bull on land,

 

[rookhawk]

Hi @rookhawk, did you ever find a source for the sight hood?

Best I can tell the Parker Hale British hoods were used. A standard 98 Mauser will work, but it takes some filing and stone work.

 

[rookhawk]

Cogswell & Harrison built these until 1951. Many were supplied to the Tanganyika game department for elephant control.

Overall, they were fantastic rifles but I never did like the Dural alloy magazines. Dural is an aluminum alloy that’s softer than steel. During recoil, the bullet noses (esp. of steel jacketed FMJ or monolithic solids) will slam into the magazine walls and (with time) begin to dent the magazine walls. Eventually if the dents are deep enough to catch the bullet noses, this will prevent the cartridges from rising in the magazine. The 1950s era Holland & Holland magazine rifles were also built with Dural magazines.

I’ve used this exact kind of rifle (Cogswell & Harrison .404 Jeffery built on a Pattern 14 Enfield action) loaded with RWS 400Gr round nosed thin steel jacketed FMJ solid factory loads to hunt a hippopotamus bull on land,View attachment 659016
View attachment 659017

1951-1953 was the era for the 63,000-64,999 serials. They made them before and after for many decades, but 95% of the 375s and 404s are from the aforementioned era.