I went to the gun show in Sioux Falls Saturday, and it was love at first sight. I never expected to be swept off my feet by a rifle at that show! I don't generally (like never) make five figure impulse purchases, and usually do my due diligence, but love is love after all.
I bought a W.J. Jefferey rifle. The dealer was Brent Steffen of Dismal River Armory. The rifle came out of a divorce. He believes it to be a 1950's vintage, and said it is an Oberndorf action. It's mine now, and I post it here for any info my fellow rifle enthusiasts can provide.
"W.J. Jefferey & Co, London, England " appears on the barrel, as shown. It has really cool H&H style detachable mounts, serialized to the gun. It has a Model 70 style safety.
The finish looks like you could go swimming in it, and the overall fit and finish is just super.
No street address for Jefferey is shown, so I can't date it that way. I haven't pulled the stock yet, and I don't know where to look for other markings indicating the source of the action.
I do not know if it has been refinished, but if it has, it was done exceedingly well.












I don't like to discuss dollar amounts on a public forum, but if anyone wants to know, or has some notion of worth, PM me. No state secrets here.
Usually I'd have researched all this before buying the rifle, but I was in love, and it's in my safe.

Very nice!

very nice --

did you open the grip cap, yet?

i hear these folks can help you date this
http://www.jroberts-gunmakers.co.uk/

Gorgeous, just gorgeous.

Let us hope that it does not result in another divorce...

Rich

Wow!

Awesome rifle.

I wonder if it is a later creation - more like the 70s?

The Mod 70 type safety was not used in the British trade in the 50s, unless it was fitted much later.

Great caliber & great rifle. Congratulations.

Beautiful rifle. You did good.

I wondered about the model 70 safety myself, could be a retrofit. The 416 Rigby was pretty non- existent for a while, but I am not too sure when that was. It came back when Federal and Hornady made it available.
And Rich, my wife almost made me buy it. She said a fine English gun is a bucket list item for me. God bless her.

A very nice rifle for sure

Marty, very nice....you won't regret it.

Well done ....'
Now take it hunting

Jeff-
Thanks for the link, I have emailed them. I had found reference to them on an old posting on another forum, and that link was dead.
I had looked in the grip cap trap door at the show, but you made me look again. Nothing there but a slotted screw head at the end!

I'm still in shock over spending (investing?) the money, thinking about entrusting it to baggage handlers and dragging it around the jesse are a ways off.

Well that's a beaut! Hope she shoots well for you. Do you intend on scoping?

If I scope, it will have to be a one inch tube with those mounts. Any suggestions? Pretty much I use 30mm scopes, I'm not sure what would be most appropriate with a one inch tube. After I find out more about it, perhaps I can find something from the day, with a gloss finish.

Very nice!

sorry -- the light and my desire made it look like a trapdoor to me..

on scope, i have recently fallen in love with nokan monarch - product 6760 to be exact, thought 6759 would also be great

Nice pick-up! Beautiful rifle.

Jeff-
It is a trapdoor, just an empty compartment with a screw head at the bottom.

That is beautiful. You crossed that bucket list item off in style

That is fantastic. I would probably have done the same and especially if it had been a Westley Richards that looked that good. Congrats.

Congratulations are certainly due. You have the most important thing, a GOOD WIFE, and a fine rifle.

Count your blessings...

Rich

Hey Marty, Sue is certainly a VERY special wife!! Yes, and I love your new rifle too. Can't wait to handle it when you are next in Zimbabwe. It is a beaut and a CLASSIC, so if it handles perfectly for you and the bore is in great shape, you have the premium goods. Good on you!

Very nice, but I wonder about this too:

quote:

Nakihunter:
I wonder if it is a later creation - more like the 70s?

The Mod 70 type safety was not used in the British trade in the 50s, unless it was fitted much later.

Great caliber & great rifle. Congratulations.

It is a very nice rifle but it will be interesting to see what manufacturing date Paul Roberts will deliver.

The classic scope choice would be an old steel Kahles. Paul may I have one.

Congratulations it is a classic beauty.
Holland & Holland bought the company in 1959. I would email them with the serial number and photos. They should have the records for year of production and original commission owner. That will be your starting point and an interesting pursuit. The safety was added on when optics became the fad. Probably late 60's early 70's.
Remove the barreled action from the stock and look for any type of stamp of validation. Do not be surprised if H&H had installed the safety at the owner's request at time of ownership. Good luck in the search and let us know what transpires.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
If I scope, it will have to be a one inch tube with those mounts. Any suggestions? Pretty much I use 30mm scopes, I'm not sure what would be most appropriate with a one inch tube. After I find out more about it, perhaps I can find something from the day, with a gloss finish.

The rifle has the H&H standard scope mount.
Find a nice classic Zeiss 4x to put on top

M

https://www.leupold.com/huntin...ar-mod-1-1-5-4x20mm/

I put one these on my CZ 416 Rigby but the CZ action and rings were too far apart and the front ring was wrapped around the lens, causing the lens to compress / chip at the edges.



Your front rings are staggered back at least 1 inch and the scope should fit well.

Note that these scopes are the same as the 1-4X shotgun scopes which are designed for high recoil.

Just a suggestion.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
If I scope, it will have to be a one inch tube with those mounts. Any suggestions? Pretty much I use 30mm scopes, I'm not sure what would be most appropriate with a one inch tube. After I find out more about it, perhaps I can find something from the day, with a gloss finish.

Is it a magnum length action or a standard Oberndorf M98 opened up for the Rigby cartridge, looks to have a bullet notch in the receiver?

Should be a nice piece of kit in the field, a good buy.

Mostly when people put up photos of their dream guns, I think "yes, I like it and it looks really good, but if it were mine, I'd change X or Y"

In this case, delete the "but" and everything after it.

What a beauty.

Marty,

Looks like you and someone's ex-wife have very good taste. What else did she get in the divorce? I might be interested.

Hell, introduce me to the lady and I might fall in love.

Sweet rifle!
Where are you taking her for your first date?

The plot thickens. I took her to a smith, so that I could get the patient undressed for examination. I didn't want to bugger any screws doing it myself.
There is a 2007 London proof, identifying her as one of Paul Roberts'.
There are no identifying marks on the receiver, except for a couple of cartouches. There is a numeral "2" on the recoil lug. It looks to me as though something was ground off behind the lug, where a Mauser serial would appear.
Reto Buehler says it looks like a standard Oberndorf action, opened up. I was just informed that a standard length Oberndorf is 8.75" long, from front ring to top tang, and magnum length 9.15. It measures 9.15". So why the bullet cut-out on the top ring?
I am awaiting details from Paul Roberts.





\

I was kinda of thinking Roberts as well. The engraving on the front ring speaks of the old Rigbys and the Roberts/Rigby connection is well known. I would contact Marc Newton of Rigby, and also Mark Renmant at Rigbys. Renmant I believe made rifles for Roberts back in the day.

It looks like a standard military Mauser with the thumb slot on the left of the action, opened up for the 416 Rigby.

Paul Robers has a great reputation and he is once again involved with Rigby as a consultant, now that the Rigby records and gunmaking have moved back to London.

Looks a standard length to me, has had quite a bit done to the front ramp to allow for longer cartridges in a lengthened mag box and the mag follower looks as though it will be short in the mag box (hard to tell from photo).
Front ramp work looks very similar to my own standard Oberndorf opened up for the 404 cartridge. I don't imagine a true magnum action would have needed that sort of work to fit the 416.

Beautiful rifle in a fine cartridge.

The whole "undressing" thing is useless without a phone number. How many other rifles does she own?

A bit more information-
I was sent a photo of the WJ Jeffery ledger. The rifle was originally sold to Lawn and Alder in 1951.
It was built on a magnum Mauser action, in 416 Rigby.
An entry column marked "Made by" lists Rigby, Johnson, and Wilkes, who were respectively paid 22, 11, and 21 Pounds. I am not sure who did what, and I don't know who Johnson was. The rifle was sold to Lawn and Alder for 68 Pounds.

There is no mention of the Model 70 safety nor Holland style scope mount. It seems likely they were added at a later date, perhaps by Paul Roberts, who says he recognizes the rifle but remembers no specifics. That would be consistent with the 2007 London Proof mark. Mr. Newgass, who kindly provided the company ledger info speculates that either modification requiring reproofing was done, or the original proof marks were removed as part of refinishing.

An absolutely beautiful piece! Anyone would be proud to own that!

Marty

I do not wish to detract from the fine rifle you have acquired and I accept that your action is measuring 9.15" indicating a magnum length action but I am still puzzled by what looks like a lot of grinding work on the feed ramp where of course the bottom bolt lug locks up. Have you a clearer photo of this area.

The original Oberndorf Magnum Mauser action was produced to accommodate the long 375H&H, 404 Jeffery, 416 Rigby and others and I cannot see that a magnum action would have required any work in lengthening the magazine or modification to the feed ramp area.

Mauser made it plain in a letter of protest that they did not condone the practice of opening up a standard length Mauser action to accommodate these long cartridges for the very reason that the feed ramp was generally always ground out to lengthen the magazine and thereby in their view weakening the bottom lug lock up recess.

Is your mag follower full length in the mag box?

No offense taken.
I agree, a few things are hard to reconcile, but I do feel better that it seems to have been built on a magnum action, according to the ledger and 9.15" length.
The magazine follower measures 3.5". the box, measured at the bottom with a calipers looks to be about 3.825" but without pulling the rifle from the stock it's hard to get a precise measurement.
I have tried to take another photo, but am not altogether sure what you are trying to see.