Hi
I must correct one thing.
From sometime in the fifties Rigby started using BREWEX actions and used them til they where no longer available sometimes in the sixties...
I am not sure "correct one thing" is the appropriate choice of words
Accidental Villain, I DID say: "
5- a sprinkling of other actions."
This "sprinkling of other actions" I was mentioning in my original post certainly includes the Brevex, and others, as Rigby has built, and continue to build, bespoke rifles of about any persuasion... I have personally seen pictures of Rigby rifles built on P14 Enfield action, M1917 Enfield action, M1903 Springfield action, Browning post WW II action, Sako action, ZKK / CZ action, Brevex action, and I believe Bauska BBK action, not to mention, of course, salvaged K98 military actions with the front ramp machined away to lengthen the magazine well opening to .375 H&H and even .416 Rigby length. Maybe the most famous .416 Rigby of all, Harry Selby's .416 Rigby, was built on a K98 standard length military action...
Considering the constant scarcity of the Brevex throughout its production, I do not know how many rifles Rigby built on it, but I would not think it would be a large number...
I agree with the opinion expressed by
Major Khan that the Brevex action is indeed one of the very, very best "Mauser" action ever produced
For those interested, as I posted some time ago in
https://www.africahunting.com/threa...rol-round-feed-rifle.53972/page-2#post-593109
Brevex, a short history...
In 1945, French troops participated to the invasion of Germany and occupied the Mauser factory in Oberndorf. Mauser machinery was disassembled and confiscated by France as war damages compensation and transferred to Suresnes in the suburbs of Paris to the Brevex company. Under Chief Engineer Polonsky, Brevex manufactured standard K98 rifles that were issued to French troops in Indochina in the immediate after WWII years, approximately from 1946 to 1950.
After Brevex shifted briefly the production of military rifles to under-license Garand, and when the French national arsenals resumed mass production with the MAS 1949 (followed by the MAS 49/56, both very solid semi auto, full caliber, combat rifles), Brevex started producing long and magnum length actions in 1955 for the civilian market. These Brevex actions were 99% pure Mauser actions, produced on original Mauser machine tools, with a few distinctive Polonsky-patented touches. For example, Brevex actions are instantly recognizable because (to the best of my knowledge) they are the only ones to have a vent hole drilled on the left side of the front bridge, and the shape of their trigger guard is unique with a slanted front side.
Brevex never made full rifles (to the best of my knowledge), but in the 1950's, 1960's, etc. when Mauser had entirely abandoned the 98 action as obsolete, and when the ZKK/CZ actions were locked behind the iron curtain, the Brevex actions were the only CRF actions available for .416 Rigby length cartridge. A number of makers (including Rigby in London) used standard length military actions, of which they removed about half the length of the feeding ramp to lengthen the magazine well (Harry Selby's famed .416 Rigby was one of these); other custom makers actually cut two standard length actions to weld a long one together, etc. but Brevex was the real deal and the only deal. For example, Jack O'Connor's .416 Rigby was built on a Brevex action.
About 5,000 Brevex actions in two lengths (long and magnum) were made before production ended, I am not sure exactly when, but I believe around 1965. In 1998 a gun shop in Paris, Armes Batille, acquired the trade name and patent and offered for a while Brevex rifles assembled by Gunsmith Arnaud Lafont, but I have no idea where they were built and by whom. I doubt very much that the Mauser machine tools confiscated in 1945 and used by Brevex still exist... I have not heard of these "new" Brevex for the last 20 years, so I suspect that the effort fizzled.
A few Brevex actions, and custom rifles built on Brevex actions come for sale with relative regularity in the US. Right now there are two actions for sale on Guns International, one with .375 bolt face and one with .416 Rigby bolt face for $2,795 and $2,895 respectively.
https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...-416-rigby-mauser-action.cfm?gun_id=101294001
Champlin Firearms offer a nice Brevex-based rifle by George Hoenig:
http://www.champlinarms.com/Default.aspx?tabid=30&ctl=GunsDetails&mid=409&StyleID=2&GunID=2838
Actually, Jack O’Connor’s personal .416 Rigby Magnum was built on a Brevex Magnum Mauser (
http://sportsmanslegacy.com/firearm...umentation-field-photos-burgess-metal-brevex/)