I'm not sure the nomenclature for these rifles? What are they called? I know that one could buy any number of these from Mauser in different calibers. These had to be relatively cheap. I'm assuming one could go to an outfitting company and buy a basic Mauser sporter in Europe or African colonies. I also assume one could do the same in the UK? Although I believe Rigby H&H WR etal sold mainly to the elite, that they also sold these basic models, I know that they were available from outfitters, small gun sellers, etc. I know I'm rambling a little bit, but I guess it's my 30yr history teacher background coming out. I would appreciate your thoughts or where I might go to find this info on the net. I'd like to have Speeds Mauser book, but, it's a little out of my cost-for-return budget. Thanks again captdavid

On a side note. On my only hunting trip to Africa, I hunted on ranches and stayed in people's homes. It was 40yrs ago and I'm a little fuzzy on the details. One of the ranchers wanted to trade me a pristine Mauser sporter. It looked as if it had barely been used. It had belonged to his grandfather. He said he couldn't buy ammo for it. It was a 98 in either 9 or 9.5 x57. He wanted to trade even for my Ruger security six! I blew that one. Captdavid

Manton, also Rhodda in India.

Army & Navy Co-Operative Stores Limited (seen as Army & Navy CSL) throughout the British Empire. Jefferey too.

Kavanagh in Dublin, Ireland.

Dickson, Alex Martin in Scotland.

All these sold rifles imported from Europe and made in B'ham by BSA. And they will usually have that retailer's name engraved somewhere on the weapon.

BUT!! Mauser may have granted an exclusive "agency" in the UK as it is rare to see any Mauser pre-WWI with anything other than Rigby on it.

I don't know who in South Africa or elsewhere in British Colonial Africa.

Yes Rigby did sign an exclusive, from 1898 to 1912 with Mauser. Captdavid

Just about all of the big gun houses sold "branded" over the counter guns under their own brand. Rigby however did not. Though their bolt guns were essentially totally Mauser built.

Good examples are the Cogswell and Harrison, a good working gun at a cheap price back then, Ive owned a couple of them and they sure were nice hunting rifles unless you were anti iron sights..Army Navy and some other less expensive doubles hit the market and they fetch high dollar these days. Trade guns

I respectfully disagree on Coggswell and Harrison.

They did as did everyone else offer Mauser and Mannlicher actioned rifles in classic Mauser and MS calibers under their own name but with a difference. C&G made their own barrels and finished their own guns.

But not to forget they built their own double rifles and shotguns ! Not only that they amassed 25 patents to their name.

They are a very very old company !

They have been at the gunmaking game since 1770 ! That is 247 years of gun making !

Manton was another very old company. Sir William Drummond Stewart who went along with the American fur trade companies as an "English Sportsman" in the early 1800's carried one on his trips through the Rocky mountains.

Alf,
Exactly what do you disagree with? if its my post I simply said the produced a Colony rifle that African farmers could afford..

Ray: Cheap rifles !
Many of the old names sold the very same "cheap guns"

A Jeffery branded Mannlicher is the same rifle as a C&H branded Mannlicher is the same rifle as a Styer branded Mannlicher or the Westley Richards in the same. The old catalogs listed prices and they all cost around the same ballpark

Alf,
I have owned a C&H in a Enfield 375 and a Mauser 98, both of these guns were nothing more than milsurps with added on bolt handles, aluminum bottom metal and plain but nicely shaped and checkered stocks, both with iron sights soldered on the barrel..I am sure these guns were for the African trade and have read so in some journals. They were very inexpensive and "cheap built" lets say by comparison..I purchased both of these guns used, one in 1970 and one in 1980. They sold in the states for about $600. The same gun now fetches upwards to $4000...I will never forget how I hated the aluminum bottom metal and had Tony Barnes turn me out a metal one on his mill, handed me a file and said you finish it..That took me damn near a year of hard labor, I had it color cased and sold the gun. Id love to have it back, Im sure with that bottom metal its one of a kind.

Ray:

Yes but they all (should read most) did the same not just C&H ! There was a difference between bespoke guns and trade rebrands.

Not only that they even put the retailers names on them. We see examples of old Rhodesian and Kenyan gun shop names on them. My 500 Jeffery has Abercrombie and Fitch all over it !

We have actually gone full circle on this:

So if you bought one of the first 1000 Rigby 275's what did you actually buy ?

The answer is you bought a rifle wholly and totally built by Mauser and bar the fitting and filing of the rear sight leaves everything was pure Mauser !

The same would apply to a Coggie : if you bought a C&H in 375 H&H in 1924 you actually bought yourself a standard model B Mauser opened to accept a 375 cartridge or a C&H Enfield, its simply a Enfield !

WR on the other hand had two options, you could go high end in house Mauser actioned WR or you could go rebranded Mauser rifle ex mauser Factory. In the case of the 425 we see the difference. The high end 425 with its modified action with the modified claw to hold the case in the action raceway vs the standard mauser rifle version.