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best custom gunmaker in SA
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Suggestions for a custom big bore rifle maker in SA?
i have great respect for the SA custom rifle makers and their prices are certainly competitive. I had a bespoke 416 rigby by a SA rifle maker, incredible rifle, that I no longer have.
Am thinking of getting measured for, and commissioning, a new big bore in 416 rigby.
Importing is not too hard
have done it a couple of times
Suggestions from the SA contingent?
I am looking for a perfectly fitting rifle with a nice (but not museum quality) stock, light tasteful engraving, at a price point better than our best custom rifle makers,

suggestions?
 
Posts: 396 | Location: usa | Registered: 26 October 2008Reply With Quote
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Some years back I had Sabi Rifles build a 500Jeffery for a PH friend. It is a superb rifle but it's a plain working rifle ,no engraving. Quality of components and workmanship were second to none. Have no idea what the delivery would be today. I would have no hesitation ordering another one from them. They have a good web page and they have a very complete form for measuring for custom stocks. The PH it was built for wanted a ghost rear sight and they built a really nice one into the rear bridge. I was impressed with their workmanship.


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Posts: 2786 | Location: Green Valley,Az | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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My brother had a .500 Jeffries built by SABI - I was very impressed with their service and workmanship which included varying choices of wood and if the customer wanted to go the extra mile, personalized engraving was also catered for.

It took approximately 9 months from order to delivery and the total cost, inclusive of 200 rounds of ammo was in the USD 8,500 bracket (that was around 15 years ago).

The balance and weight were in the groove and it was the sweetest .500 you could shoot.
 
Posts: 2731 | Registered: 23 August 2010Reply With Quote
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http://www.sabirifles.co.za/africanbiggamerifles.htm

Their website is quite exhaustive and very impressive. They have worked on so many different actions.

All the best with your project.


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11400 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Sorry boys but what the hell is a "500 Jeffries"
Perhaps the same thing I saw inlaid in gold on the action of a "404 Jeffries"

What I'm getting at is that if you are getting tattoo done make sure the tat artist can spell !

Otherwise it's just simply embarrassing !
 
Posts: 7857 | Registered: 16 August 2000Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ALF:

Sorry boys but what the hell is a "500 Jeffries"
Perhaps the same thing I saw inlaid in gold on the action of a "404 Jeffries"


Otherwise it's just simply embarrassing !


Oops! hilbily Does the owner know how to spell? Or was the gold engraver merely following instructions?


Andrew McLaren
Professional Hunter and Hunting Outfitter since 1974.

http://www.mclarensafaris.com The home page to go to for custom planning of ethical and affordable hunting of plains game in South Africa!
Enquire about any South African hunting directly from andrew@mclarensafaris.com


After a few years of participation on forums, I have learned that:

One can cure:

Lack of knowledge – by instruction. Lack of skills – by practice. Lack of experience – by time doing it.


One cannot cure:

Stupidity – nothing helps! Anti hunting sentiments – nothing helps! Put-‘n-Take Outfitters – money rules!


My very long ago ancestors needed and loved to eat meat. Today I still hunt!



 
Posts: 1799 | Location: Soutpan, Free State, South Africa | Registered: 19 January 2004Reply With Quote
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i had Sabi re stock/blue my 308 Mauser 8 years ago
i would put that finish up to most english finishes i've ever seen. Smiler
Eugine Combrink a very Proffesional gunsmith and a nice guy to deal with
highly recommended
 
Posts: 104 | Location: Zimbabwe somewhere | Registered: 31 August 2013Reply With Quote
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Speak to Steve "Shakari" Robinson. He has a 500 Jeffery by Sabi that he loves.

Regards
 
Posts: 779 | Registered: 08 December 2009Reply With Quote
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Hi Esskay

I have a few custom guns made by sabi arms and one that steve shakari donated to me(thx mate)and they great guns i had no problems with them yet from my 7.64,.338.375(thats a dream gun wood everything)and then the .404 also.

I know danie joubert in pretoria are rated the best havent used him yet but know he is good.

My vote sabi thx eugene next project is coming up in 2015.

Luan
 
Posts: 261 | Location: Lydenburg | Registered: 19 January 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by luan:
Hi Esskay

I have a few custom guns made by sabi arms and one that steve shakari donated to me(thx mate)and they great guns i had no problems with them yet from my 7.64,.338.375(thats a dream gun wood everything)and then the .404 also.

I know danie joubert in pretoria are rated the best havent used him yet but know he is good.

My vote sabi thx eugene next project is coming up in 2015.

Luan


Luan,

STeve introduced me to Eugene and I spoke to him a few times, was very impressed.

Regards
 
Posts: 779 | Registered: 08 December 2009Reply With Quote
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As has been said, Sabi have built me both a 500 & a 404 Jeffery and both are superb rifles (the 404 is now with my good friend Luan) and I'd highly recommend them for both quality of work and price. - Accuracy on both rifles is absolutely deadly and their customer service and willingless to work with the client to give him exactly what he wants is second to none.

tu2

Oh and they're also very experienced in exporting overseas which is another bonus.






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
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Buyer Beware!!!

There are Custom Gun Makers like Sabi - Who are top class and of international standard.

And then, there are those that pose as custom gun makers who I am guessing were once taught how to screw a barrel into an action and not much more. To call them armourers is even too great a compliment.

I had a Custom 458 Lott built. The Vector Action, the special order 1:10 twist Pacnor barrel, the timney trigger, the barrel bands and quarter ribs, the special order sights. All became the sorriest excuse for a rifle I have ever seen.

Being the optimist I tried to make friends with this lumbering hulk of a rifle with its rough edges, sticky bolt, feeding problems, ejecting problems, safety problems but when it came down to that moment where I had to hit a 147kg enraged bushpig between the eyes with the barrel of this peice of crap, then my sense of humour failed.

Fortunately the second round chambered and fired, the third jammed and could not be edjected.

Had that been a Buffalo I would have been dead. Guaranteed. No doubt about it.

So the lumbering, sorry excuse of a rifle was sent back. I declined to have the gentleman in question "fix it". And after a few hours of arguing his guilt in the matter and a threat to have the entire debacle published in Magnum, I recieved my Win m70 in 458 Win.

To date and with a few hundred rounds down the tube, mostly flat nose solids, I have never ever had a single jam, a single failure to feed, fire or eject and most importantly I would happily stand infront of even the gnarliest of beasts with all the confidence of a madman, knowing full well, that my Winchester will never let me down.


Specialist Outfitters and Big Game Hounds


An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill
 
Posts: 794 | Location: Namibia Caprivi Strip | Registered: 13 November 2012Reply With Quote
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Alan Henry, Natal gun company builds some outstanding rifles.
PM and I will send some pics.


Harris Safaris
PO Box 853
Gillitts
RSA 3603

www.southernafricansafaris.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/pages...=aymt_homepage_panel

"There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne." - Karen Blixen,
 
Posts: 1069 | Location: Durban,KZN, South Africa | Registered: 16 January 2001Reply With Quote
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Danie Joubert in Pretoria was the best, I believe that he has left the gun trade in a full time capacity and now only builds one gun a year

Bennie Laubscher in Cape Town is also very good as is Steve Fourie in Pretoria
 
Posts: 394 | Location: Africa | Registered: 25 September 2009Reply With Quote
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Manyathelo

I know bennie his building great great guns but his a wp supporter so thats a fault.

luan
 
Posts: 261 | Location: Lydenburg | Registered: 19 January 2007Reply With Quote
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Ralph Badenhorst can be an option.
ralphbadenhorstgunsmithing.webs.com/‎
 
Posts: 67 | Location: South Africa  | Registered: 19 May 2010Reply With Quote
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If you have time on your side, there is nobody that comes close to Danie Joubert. I have 4 rifles built by him, and a 5th on the way, but it is a lengthy process. Well worth the wait though.
 
Posts: 14 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 05 May 2011Reply With Quote
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