What is going on here ? Real Rigby ? Checkering quality.

[Muskox]

Friedrich Wilhelm Heym GmbH & Co. KG Express Kaliber .416Riby - eGun

Sub $4000, probably be sub $6000 out the door.

https://www.gun4me.com/000-1-2026-Foto/29.05.2026/Heym%20Express%20Classic%20.416Rigby%20Nr.12046/DO-06.JPG

https://www.gun4me.com/000-1-2026-Foto/29.05.2026/Heym%20Express%20Classic%20.416Rigby%20Nr.12046/DO-21.JPG

 

[Muskox]

Karl-Heinz Ritterbusch /Seehausen TD Paket Kal. 505Gibbs &.338Excalibur & 300Pegasus - eGun

This is the one!

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Karl-Heinz Ritterbusch /Seehausen TD Paket Kal. 505Gibbs &.338Excalibur & 300Pegasus - eGun

This is the one!

Now that’s a cool rifle.

 

[Major Bonkers]

The price ($32,000) is absurd. As an indication, Paul Roberts has four for sale at the moment (this one is probably the best) for approximately 1/ 3d. of the price (albeit absent the engraving), as well as a tarted-up Ruger No. 1 in the same calibre (which would be ideal if Mr. Schwarzenegger ever goes on safari, and decides to leave his rocket-launcher and minigun at home).

The chequering, which ought to be quite coarse to allow sweaty mitts to grip the rifle, looks to have been recut finer, although it is difficult to be sure from the pictures. Somewhere I have my notes on the appropriate number per inch, but goodness knows where.

Paul Robert's ownership of Rigby - essentially the 1980s - was characterised by Rigby being a mid-market rifle, with a bit of London gun-maker fairy dust sprinkled over some fairly humdrum offerings. If anything, in my opinion they were producing better rifles in this period than Holland and Holland which, unfortunately, is not saying much: both were producing rifles down to a price rather than up to a specification.

 

[375er]

On the original post, I have seen better checkering on sub 1k firearms.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

The price ($32,000) is absurd. As an indication, Paul Roberts has four for sale at the moment (this one is probably the best) for approximately 1/ 3d. of the price (albeit absent the engraving), as well as a tarted-up Ruger No. 1 in the same calibre (which would be ideal if Mr. Schwarzenegger ever goes on safari, and decides to leave his rocket-launcher and minigun at home).

The chequering, which ought to be quite coarse to allow sweaty mitts to grip the rifle, looks to have been recut finer, although it is difficult to be sure from the pictures. Somewhere I have my notes on the appropriate number per inch, but goodness knows where.

Paul Robert's ownership of Rigby - essentially the 1980s - was characterised by Rigby being a mid-market rifle, with a bit of London gun-maker fairy dust sprinkled over some fairly humdrum offerings. If anything, in my opinion they were producing better rifles in this period than Holland and Holland which, unfortunately, is not saying much: both were producing rifles down to a price rather than up to a specification.

Paul Roberts’ shop didn’t build the rifle you posted, that’s a recent manufacture Rigby Big Game single square bridge, likely made somewhere around 2020, give or take a year.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I own a Rigby Highland Stalker in 275 / 7x57 that I have hunted everything with over the last six years. My other rifles in plains game calibers do not get used and have been given to my kids. From the last six trips to Africa, whitetail, pigs, pronghorn, elk, and others, it makes me happy to hold it in my hands. Re-sale value has never crossed my mind as it will never be sold. My father has a pre-64 300 H&H he tried to pass off to me....Zero interest. Others might have taken it. I see lots of criticism on here of Rigby, mainly by those who do not own Rigbys. I have held pre-war Rigby rifles and feel the new models are more accurate and of better quality. Didnt Harry Selby buy his 416 off the rack in a local gun store?

My pre-war shoots pretty very well with 140gr accubonds and I’d venture to guess it’ll hold its own against any modern produced Rigby. It’s very possible it likes the 140gr TTSX too and the 2nd shot was me on the trigger.

Manufacturing has come a long way and be it a $399 Savage bought at Bass Pro or Academy or a $15k+ Rigby they all should be a bit more accurate. In today’s day and age if a gun isn’t shooting sub 1.5” from the factory with factory ammo there’s something wrong. If they’re not I’m moving it down the road.

To me (just my opinion) the difference between Harry Selby buying his Rigby from a local gun store vs walking into Cabela’s to buy a new one; is that one isn’t local, it’s a chain big box store. Used or second hand anything is an entirely different story, manufacturers can’t control where their products end-up after the initial sale. As @Wildwillalaska points out the Cabela’s gun library gets used Westley’s, Hollands, Rigby’s, Jeffery’s and I’ve even seen a Purdey before among other British makers. Nothing wrong with that, but the point I’m trying to make is as a consumer when I see something new on the shelf at a Walmart, Academy, Cabela’s or Bass Pro that I previously had to order direct from the manufacturer, or purchase from a handful of select premium stores it gives me pause and makes me question what changed, why are they suddenly here vs at other stores? What reduced the back order volume? Not saying Rigby is in the same league as a Westley, or Purdey just that when we mostly saw them on the shelves of Gordy’s, Gulf Breeze, Mallards, CT Shotgun, Rivers & Glenn, William Larkin Moore, etc it conjured something a little different and gave it more of a premium or exclusive feel.

I absolutely love my Rigby’s. On some of the new ones the wood and engraving has been absolutely gorgeous. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been tempted more than once but do speculate on how they’ll be valued in the future comparatively speaking.

 

[A.M. Little]

I know of at least two Roberts era Rigbys built on Hartmann & Weiss magnum actions.

 

[Accidental Villain]

Perusing Gunbroker, came across this rifle. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1179133089

Listed for $32,000, the checkering looks quite amatuerish. Overruns, the pattern does not match the points, just can't imagine this checkering quality or lack thereof on a Rigby rifle. Is this a "California Rigby" ? The bolt knob checkering looks also poorly done with overruns.

I would put this checkering one step above laser checkering, and certainly not worthy of a rifle with a $32,000 price tag. Thoughts ? Maybe it was restocked outside of Rigby ?

Pics of mid 90’s Rigby checkering encl. for comparison.

 

[roklok]

That checkering is worlds better, the lines actually run true to the point pattern. To see the cut lines running at odd angles to points in the pattern just screams amatuer hour. Not something I would expect to see on a rifle bearing the Rigby name. I understand not all Rigbys are created equal and there have been ups and downs over the years.

 

[Accidental Villain]

That checkering is worlds better, the lines actually run true to the point pattern. To see the cut lines running at odd angles to points in the pattern just screams amatuer hour. Not something I would expect to see on a rifle bearing the Rigby name. I understand not all Rigbys are created equal and there have been ups and downs over the years.

Yes, there are clearly some differences there concerning the checkering. The one in my pictures was done by Rigby around 95 or 96.
If the checkering on the one on Gunbroker was done by Rigby, which can be questioned I guess, it is hardly the same person doing it, thats for sure, if not done in a hurry and very much so.

As @Spike on here wrote the BG`s of this period was made in somewhat different configurations.
Like, I`ve seen them built on ZKK602, Magnum Mauser, Brevex, Noreen actions, and there is probably more all somewhat different when going into details. The Magnum Mausers and Brevex most likely salvaged.

I might add that absolutely all of these rifles was rock solid and very good from a practical point of view but again going into the details there was differences. But, what the heck do I know being a nerd when it comes to things like this.