Nate Bishop Custom 416 Rigby - Info wtd about obscure this Maker

[geoff rath]

Interesting comment of building custom stocks; a good mate, and stock maker out here in Australia comments that guys (in the worst sense of the word) want a stock built in a week, with full checkering, inlays, and all the rest, on top grade timber for a couple hundred bucks. They just don't appreciate the craftsmanship involved. A masterpiece, IMHO

 

[Webphut]

It's been a while since I was last on here. II apologize for the long delay. I had the stainless barrel installed and the rubber butt pad as it seems to be a real beast to shoot these days. Funny thing, I never had a problem shooting a few boxes of ammo back in my teens. These days, age 47 and a little over a hundred pounds lighter, it hurts my shoulder just looking at in the garage. I had two mercury recoil reducers installed in front of the rubber butt pad to help reduce the felt recoil. Before the pad was installed, my folks had a little door on the butt plate that gave access to a compartment where I could store my open sights in along with an allen wrench to install/remove the sights if my scope was too fogged up. I am currently in the works to get me a suppressor for the rifle as it is just still too painful to shoot. I refuse to sell this rifle as it is a family heirloom. The original barrel sadly rusted out. Thankfully though, the bolt and action were somehow preserved of the rust and I was able to reuse it. I used to live in California and I moved to the Houston area. I was unaware of how fast rust eats through metal here. I know better now. These days, until I get the suppressor, all my non stainless rifles live in vacuum packed bags. I coated the metal with a light layer of oil and a little wood preservative on the stocks and vacuum packed them all. I am just too busy during this time of my life to shoot, let alone hunt. I will eventually, once the kiddos are older, get back to hunting though. The sling mounts are the same oval shaped ones seen in in another photo posted by others on this thread. I am pretty confident it is the same Nate Bishop now after looking through the photos. I am assuming that Nate has passed on. Please correct me if he is still alive though. I would love to send him my regards and thank him for such a beautiful piece of art.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Several of my friends were founding members of the ACGG. I believe I saw that gun at the ACGG meeting and show in 1987 - Reno, IIRC.

The first center fire rifle I had as a kid I built with a Bishop semi-inletted stock - AN M96 Swedish Mauser in 6.5 X 55. Great rifle that helped get me started.

Nice find.