What is the quality of the California Rigby bolt action rifles. There is a California made .416 that has fantastic engraving for the price of the current standard rifle in that caliber.

Quality on bolt actions seems ok. Just know if you buy it with an eye towards resale at a later date, you may be disappointed. If you like it and want to hunt with it and everything checks out, by all means consider it. Most purists don’t even consider the California Rigbys to be “true” Rigbys for whatever that is worth. Personally, I would buy a plain proper Rigby over a nicely engraved Ca. Rigby.

Any Californian built Rigby will be a second hand rifle. So fundamentally you need to look closely at the rifle, how well it was built and finished and how well it has worn. Ideally you want to give it a good work out on the range to test for any gremlins. Look at wood / not for prettiness, but for strength. You want good straight grain running through the hand of the stock.

Fundamentally treat it like any other 2nd hand limited production run custom type rifle. If it floats you boat, and the money is right for you, then why not. But don’t buy it just cos it has a name on the barrel.

I have an early 1970’s Rigby 275. Its a nice rifle, but its really nothing much better than any other rifle built on a “commercial mauser” action. To be honest plenty of Parker Hales, whitworths etc will be just as good and indeed the likes of Trevor Procter were probably making as good if not better guns of a very similar type.

RR314; Thanks for the advice. I researched further after making this post and have a better understanding of the California Rigby rifles. It seems most of the uproar surrounded the double rifles. Gulf Breeze has a fantastic engraved .416 from the California years that every time I look at it I really want it. As you said about re-sale value I would probably end up trading one of my English double rifles for that rifle and the English doubles future value is pretty certain. As far as practical use I have an Empire East Africa Express in .416 Rigby on a Granite Mountain Magnum Mauser action that can do anything you could ever ask a .416 Rigby to do. It is just hard to get around the wonderful engraving on that rifle. Also the past trades I have done with Gulf Breeze have been fantastic.

HEYM SR220,
Great advice. I have several African rifles, but at the end of the day I almost alway use an old beat up Mauser 9.3x62. It does the job, is light and handy. I just have a hard time not lusting after rifles that are works of art and functional, but as you say, no mater how pretty they are, you have to know they are reliable.