What would his 275 rifle be worth if it were here today. Does anyone know of it's home.

If my memory is correct (and that's about 50/50 today, a good day), Robert Ruark owned it during the 50s. Haven't heard of it since. CB

Probably not that much. Firearms belonging to various famous people come up for sale in the UK auctions pretty regularly, they don't often fetch a big premium. I would be surprised if Bell's Rigby made more than $7-8K. Might only make half of that.

Of course, if two well heeled US collectors started a bidding war, it could go sky high. Doubt it though.

What wold you pay for it if cash was not an issue?

I can't tell you how much exactly but I do know it would be a hell of lot more then $7-$8,000 thousand.. I would guess north of $35,000 and quite possibly as high as $50,000++

I have seen guns of famous shooters clear $100-$150K if they were legends and you can prove it was their gun.

I believe that gun is owned by Gale in Botswana and she's the Daughter of a guy named Selby.



visit her website

If it's proven to be Bell's .275 Rigby I'd guess it's value to be far closer to the higher numbers here than the low numbers posted so far.

It's true tha Keith's guns did not fetch enormous premiums as other Americans also have their guns sold at normal prices. P O Ackley's gun don't fetch premiums of substantial amounts either but Bell's gun should be interesting...

With buying guns of famous people there are a couple of major factors, namely how many guns did they have, and was this their go to gun or one they just happened to own.

Guys like Ed McGivern owned and gave away hundreds if not thousnds of guns which drives prices down.

When you are talking about a specific gun that is as famous as its shooter the sky is the limit. Bell's 275 and the Double rifle that Robert Ruark gave Mark Selby would fall into this category. Jack O'Conners .270 Winchester built by Al Biesen would be another example.

People would go NUTS for those guns!

I seem to recall reading that Bell owned several .275 (7x57) rifles from Rigby over the years. Ruark bought one of them as a gift to his godson Mark Selby.


Gail Selby & Harry Selby at Xugana airfield
in the Okavango Delta in the late 1970's.

-Bob F.

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:
Probably not that much. Firearms belonging to various famous people come up for sale in the UK auctions pretty regularly, they don't often fetch a big premium. I would be surprised if Bell's Rigby made more than $7-8K. Might only make half of that.

I'll make you a deal. If you find it for that price, buy it, flip it to me, and I'll pay you enough to double your money.

I think that number is way low for the Bell gun. Thad Scott has a Bell gun and he wants $30K for it and it is not the 275. I've been trying to buy an O'Connor gun and entry level is $10K!

Scotts been sitting on that rifle for over two years now. Bell was known for his affinity for the 22 hipower for use on Red Stag, but that has not inspired anyone to pony up the cash to Thad.

There is a book on records in hunting, that has a direct quote from Bell. He hunted Cape Buffalo with the 22 High Power.Far greater man than I, I must say. I will find the quote and post it here. That 22 High Power has quite a history of its own.
From what I have been able to discover, he hunted the Red Stag with a 318 Westley Richards, that he had regulated for the 180 grain bullet. Just because he could not get back to Africa because of health problems, he could still enjoy the rifles of his former haunts.

Here is the reference I was speaking of. What a wonderful thing to read a previously unknown,(at least to me) account by Bell himself.

Mr. W. D. M. Bell, whose opinion of the buffalo I have already quoted, has probably shot more of these animals than any other man. In the urse of his career as a hunter he has killed between 600 and 700.
In connection with the above I will now quote
from information that Mr. Bell has kindly
supplied me with: *" In parts they (buffaloes)
were the regular ration for the camp. I remember
killing 23 out of 23 with a high velocity .22
rifle partly to see how effective the tiny 80 grain bullet was but chiefly because meat was required.I must have killed between six and seven hundred of these animals in all. Their hide was a constant trade article. Cut into sandal and shield sizes they never failed to attract an abundant supply of flour"
Lest the novice or moderate shot should be encouraged by the above statement to attack the
dangerous game of Africa with a .22 rifle, I feel it should be stated that Mr. Bell is probably one of the most brilliant big-game shots that has ever lived. The high velocity .22 rifle in the hands of such an expert may well be an adequate weapon,but it is usually regarded as in the extreme of small bores for use against dangerous game.
As Mr. Bell was primarily an elephant hunter,
fuller details of his career are to be found in
Chapter I, but by way of comment on his bag of
buffaloes, it can again be said that he spent sixteen and a half years on the actual hunting
grounds, and, as his reputation spread and
increased among the native tribes, his camp
following grew in proportion. The bag is certainly enormous, but it must be remembered that the hungry mouths often numbered hundreds
and it was vital to him to obtain and maintain the good-will of the natives in the many remote parts where he penetrated.
It is probable that other professional hunters in East and Central Africa have made large bags ofthese animals though I think it is unlikely that any of them approach Bell's figures. Great
numbers must also have been shot by skinhunters

FWIW,

I recently saw one of Keith's rifles going for $55K, asking price.

Some excellent history here on this thread. Thanks to all.

Don

Bell's .275 was auctioned off about 7-8 years ago, I believe by the Levine Company in Maine. It went for around $4500-, a ridiculously low price.

quote:

Originally posted by TLS:
Bell's .275 was auctioned off about 7-8 years ago, I believe by the Levine Company in Maine. It went for around $4500-, a ridiculously low price.

I aggree it is a very low price, however Bell owned upwards of 6 .275's. The one that was a gift to Mark Selby would probably be the most valuable because of the Ruark connection and it was bought from Rigby & Sons and therefore had immpecable provenance.