Heym versus Rigby

[VertigoBE]

I liken the relationship with Qatar as similar to all of our relationships with the equity group BlackRock.

They may not act in our best interest, but we have no choice but to deal with them at some point.

Also, no one stopped anyone from @PCC600’s approved list of investors, in acquiring a stake in Westley Richards.

In some way we should be happy that at least someone with deep pockets was interested enough in Westley Richards, to inject a large sum of money into this gun maker. Without this, there might not even be a Westley Richards any more. WR does not do mass produced with a bit better finish like Rigby, all their guns and rifles are essentially “best”. The market is not very wide for this kind of product.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think as all “Best” makers more of a hobby business.

We are fortunate that someone feels they are worthy of backing.

I think Fink at BlackRock is as much of threat to my way of life as the WR backers in Qatar.

Unfortunately many of us support BlackRock every day and don’t know it.

 

[LimbNoMo]

I would suggest taking time to contact both and see which is more responsive to selling you a rifle. You may find they don’t seem too interested in doing business with you.

 

[dogcat1]

I have owned and shot both. You cannot make a mistake either way.
If you are buying for "use", either is fine.
If you are buying and thinking "resale" - you will lose on both as they do not hold value in the short term.

For very similar money, you can get an extremely nice custom made to order from a variety of places - Parkwest (old Dakota) will make you a great rifle to your specs and you can choose the wood. Matt Roberts (MNR Custom) makes the best big game rifle out there IMO. There are many excellent gunmakers that will do this.

I would avoid any Rigby made in California or just after WW2.

Or buy an older Dakota in the caliber you like. They are well made and cost half of a Heym or Rigby or custom.

All will do what you need!!!

Go luck and enjoy whatever you buy.

 

[Altitude sickness]

German manufacturers seem less interested in selling, maintaining or anything related to customer service.

Rigby is very responsive to emails and phone calls. Rigby seems to actually appreciate the business. Germans tend to act as it’s a favor to communicate with you.

 

[Garciamarquez1918]

This is going back a bit in th

Me too — who doesn’t? When I was last at Gordy’s I saw all the Rigby models and nearly pulled the trigger on a .416 Highland Stalker before changing my mind and going for the double (DB).


I was told that Rigby’s London shop does a lot of the finishing in-house: “The rifles are handcrafted at Rigby’s London premises using Mauser actions of various lengths and premium-quality barrels from our select suppliers.” That suggests the rifles aren’t entirely made by Rigby from raw components — they build on proven actions and source barrels — unlike Heym, which I understand manufactures everything in-house. Price-wise, the two sit in different segments.

Worth noting that Rigbys always brought in Mauser actions -- that's the foundation of the Rigby bolt action tradition. So a Mauser-actioned Rigby is in every way a "real" Rigby. Jim Corbett and Karamojo Bell's bolt-action Rigbys were Mauser-actioned. You will see many many British doubles from the classic era that have "Krupp steel" barrels. In other words, German, out-sourced steel (and maybe the whole barrel?). And of course most if not all the second- and third-grade doubles from all the British makers that offered lower-grade guns (including Rigby) had actions out-sourced from Webley. So there's no sense in which a British rifle is inherently made "less" by having out-sourced components.

 

[PCC600]

I liken the relationship with Qatar as similar to all of our relationships with the equity group BlackRock.

They may not act in our best interest, but we have no choice but to deal with them at some point.

Yes I agree . We need to deal with them . As long as we understand who we are dealing with.