Thoughts on this Mauser Sporter 1899 in 8x60 "Rigby"

[ChrisG]

Hello all, I am just curious if anyone has thoughts on this rifle? Is it a real rigby or a customers mauser that rigby customized?

Seems to be too good to be true at $1700 for a turn of the century Rigby.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1016446495

 

[cash_tx]

I'm no expert, but the font of that "711" serial number doesn't look in keeping with the rest of the rifle. Perhaps others with more expertise will chime in soon.

 

[BeeMaa]

Something about the wood on the stock doesn’t seem right to me. I’m not intimately familiar with the checkering patterns from the turn of the century, but most of the time a piece of wood will get darker with age. And Rigby’s usually have a beautiful red kind of tint to the finish. With this rifle being 124 years old…something is off.

I’d like to see the action out of the stock and put a call in to Rigby to see if they have any records.

 

[ChrisG]

The stock is definitely off. It also doesn't appear to be oil finished. The cheekpiece looks wrong, more 1970 winchester that 1900 Rigby. But the rifle itself, given new wood, would be a pretty good piece if the bore was in good shape. I had reservations about it, and $1800 is too much for a gun that needs to be restocked. Especially since I'd end up doing the restocking, finishing and checkering... and it is a LOT of work. What would you say a fair price for this rifle would be? $1,350-$1,400?

 

[BeeMaa]

The stock is definitely off. It also doesn't appear to be oil finished. The cheekpiece looks wrong, more 1970 winchester that 1900 Rigby. But the rifle itself, given new wood, would be a pretty good piece if the bore was in good shape. I had reservations about it, and $1800 is too much for a gun that needs to be restocked. Especially since I'd end up doing the restocking, finishing and checkering... and it is a LOT of work. What would you say a fair price for this rifle would be? $1,350-$1,400?

I was going to say it looks like a M70 stock from the 1960’s or ‘70’s. LOL.

How much is your time worth? Restocking to a period correct piece of wood could be hundreds of hours just in final finishing not to mention the price of the timber itself. If you are going to all that trouble, you should also reblue and put a proper polish on the metal.

It could be a beautiful piece, but at what cost? Chances are that it will only have any real value to you when the job is complete.

If you are OK with taking on a project or have a young man/woman who you are teaching…sure. But I’d still need to see the bore and action without the stock.

 

[Flewis]

Didn’t the 8x60 come out after the First World War ?

 

[93marlin]

Not a Rigby! Stock is off, markings are off,
I looked at it earlier and decided that.... nope. Just a shooter.

 

[Red Leg]

How does anyone conclude this is a Rigby? It is a classic but well used, well ground and polished reworked pre-WWII Mauser. The asking price is considerably more than I would pay even with a perfect bore.

 

[wvfred]

It appears to be an original Mauser sporter that someone has changed the sights and messed with the serial number.I also didn't see any british proof marks.

 

[Hunter4752001]

Post WW1 the allies, under the Treaty of Versailles, banned 8x57 rifles in Germany. German gunsmiths overcame this by reaming the Mauser 98 chambers out to 8x60. Effectively the cartridge was only used during the interwar years.

 

[ChrisG]

My guess is the guy selling it took a look at the sight configuration and sling swivel, and, taking nothing else into account, declared it "a Rigby." At best, it is clickbait. At worst, fraudulent

So, really, if this were to be restocked, I would probably give it a schnabel forend and germanic lines to make it fit. I am tempted to offer this guy $900-$1000 for another restoration project if he could send me bore pics and a pic of the bottom of the action.

 

[ChrisG]

My guess is the guy selling it took a look at the sight configuration and sling swivel, and, taking nothing else into account, declared it "a Rigby." At best, it is clickbait. At worst, fraudulent

So, really, if this were to be restocked, I would probably give it a schnabel forend and germanic lines to make it fit. I am tempted to offer this guy $900-$1000 for another restoration project if he could send me bore pics and a pic of the bottom of the action.

And maybe have it rebored into a 35 whelen. @Bob Nelson 35Whelen would approve.

 

[pjaln]

this rifle has been around for awhile barrel and sights look rigby but thats it. call rigby see what they have on it