I found a 375 Cogswell on a recent hunt in Zim. Guy wants to trade for a Ruger 375. Anybody know what the Cogswell is worth and if this would be a decent trade.

It's difficult, if not impossible, to make sensible comment on a guns value without seeing it first. Even then it's not simple, since most British rifle makers offered several grades. None the less, in my view, a Cogswell and Harrison in acceptable condition, (and there's the rub), is worth more than any 375 Ruger.
Have you seen the rifle, did you like it?

It would take a pretty rough English bolt rifle to be worth less than a $1,000. (give or take) new Ruger rifle, IMO .......

There are quite a few Cogswell & Harrisons around here in Africa, and they vary in quality from exceptional to considerably less than exceptional.

The pre-WWII guns were generally the nicest, usually built on Mauser actions (original sporting Oberndorf actions for the better grades and ex-military M98's for the lower grades) and quite nicely finished.

After the war quality and finish dropped dramatically. They used Mauser actions for a while, but P-14 Enfield actions as well. A PH friend of mine has a Cogswell .404 built on an FN action shortly after WWII and, apart from having an ugly-looking aluminium trigger-guard/magazine box assembly, it is quite a nice rifle. Certainly not an English "Best", but nice. Avoid the P-14 actioned Cogswells at all costs! They have a nasty reputation for misfeeding, and I would not go near one.

If the Cogswell on offer is built on a Mauser action and is still in good shape, I would seriously consider the trade. To spend a bit of money on restoration would probably be worth it as well, and you would end up with a nicer rifle than any Ruger afterwards.

At present I know of at least one Cogswell .375 for sale over here, so if you are interested I can pass along the dealer's details. I have no idea of the details of the rifle or its condition, though. PM me and I will put you in touch

Just out of curiosity, are we talking of a .375 Ruger here or a Ruger .375 H&H? If its the latter I would take a very good look at that old Cogswell before considering the trade.

But that's just me.

The Cogswell and Harrisons were plebion rifles made from Mauser milsurp actions, most had aluminum bottom metal and about 12 LPI checkering that you could really latch onto..They were the cheap hunting rifle of the day..Date of manufacture has a lot to do with their value and be sure its a Mauser.

That said, if its in decent shape and has a good bore, I would trade in a heart beat..I love those old Cogswell rifles, They balance well and most shoot very well, they feed 110%, are set up for iron sights but handle a scope well with a few additions such as a safety and perhaps a new trigger. Bottom line is they are just damn good guns...

I sold my last one after building a bottom metal from a London Guns casting (by file only and it took forever) and I had it case colored and hardened, added a Timney trigger and M-70 3 pos. safety.plain but very good dense European walnut, a nice rust blue.

Got about $3500 to $4000 as I recall for it, but that was 20 years ago, so go figure.

I'm not familiar with the P14 action, how do you tell the difference? This rifle has buffalo horn on the foreend and well as pistol grip. The blueing is about gone from the barrel where it has been carried, action is tight and overall a very tight gun for it's age. Almost positive WWII era or earlier, fantastic wood although it does show a lot of wear. Mauser action.
He wants to trade for a Ruger 375 H&H or I can buy outright. Sounds complicated to export a rifle overseas however.
Any advice appreciated.

Seven,

In Africa, the 1917 Enfield is generally referred to as a P-14. That action takes a lot of work to be reliable, so I would give it a skip.

You mention the old Cogswell has a Mauser action. If the barrel is till in good shape and the the stock has no cracks or any other serious damage, you can consider such a trade.

Just bear in mind that Cogswells in .375 come on the market over here from time to time and they usually sell for anything from R 8500 to about R 15 000 (most expensive one I saw had EAW swing-off mounts and a scope fitted and was a pre-WW II rifle on a commercial Mauser action). A new Ruger Mk II RSM sells for about R 21 000 over here, provided you can find one to buy. Just keep that in mind.

I do agree, though, that some of those old Cogswells are very nice rifles indeed.