So I just put half down on an RSM 416 Rigby (last year of production, 2006 I think, lighter model) costing $1895 from Steve Barnett. Probably will never use it in Africa--just love guns. Looked here at a lot of comparisons between CZs and RSMs. Noted that some say a CZ with AHR upgrades compares favorably with or is better than RSMs-and I cannot argue that. The reason I wanted to buy this particular RSM is that the wood is absolutly , knock out, gorgeous-surely AAA fancy! Then today I looked at the price of AHR upgrades. As I understand it, Upgrade #3 (including upgrades 1&2) with AAA fancy wood is $3255.00 (plus cost of rifle! $800 used?? so a $$4055 rifle ??) . That is $1805 mostly for the pretty wood!? I cannot knowledgeably comment on the functionality of other AHR upgrades. I'm sure they're great, but I don't think this poor old man, me, would value the beauty of the #3 CZ wood $1300 more than my (to be) gorgeous RSM wood. Nor would I be likely to pay twice as much for the CZ rifle with #3 upgrade than I will for the RSM. Just my own opinion....you are entitled to yours.

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That is $1805 mostly for the pretty wood!?

Let's see. Cost of AAA blank. Would be $360-500. 15-25Hrs for checkering depending on pattern you can easy get into the $400-600 range. Add on inletting, finish, recoil pad.

You just can't expect a basic custom rifle to compete with a very Nice factory on a $ to $ basis.

Paul:

I was not criticizing the cost of new fancy wood by AHR. Since I am not a stock maker, how could I? However I have paid $500 to $600 for semi finished stocks from Henry at Great Western years ago. Instead I was comparing the cost of that upgrade by AHR with buying a used rifle with similar beauty. EG, I have a 375 H&H custom by a gunsmith named Childress on a Whitworth action rebarreled and restocked in AAA fancy walnut with incredible full length fiddle back and paid only $1325 on gun broker last month. I admit, that was a bargain.

or maybe Henry was at Great American--I forget.

Bill I sure didn't take it as criticism. Having failed big time to recovery everything I've sunk into a number of rifles. I thought you hit it right on the head. If you can find one that someone else has spent the $$ on you can NORMALLY come out ahead. Sometimes way ahead. Wasn't too long ago that a factory Whitworth was bringing $1325.

I "think" Henry was at Great American.

My problem is finding the off the wall rifles I want to build LOL. Guess I need to go back to factory calibers.

It's true that you can purchase a custom rifle at a huge discount compared with having it's twin made. And that works great is those things the original owner had incorporated into the rifle - or didn't have incorporated into the rifle, match pretty closely what you want or would have done.

I have drooled over a number of custom rifles in everyway almost perfect for me at bargain prices - perfect in every way but one - I'm a friggin' lefty!

JPK

I think it was Barnsnes who said don't build a custom rifle unless you could happily make 2 piles of 100 dollar bills and set fire to one of them. If its an oddball caliber set fire to both of them.

I've bought several cherry heartless, soul-less synthetic shooting machines for far less than the parts in them.

Did you know Henry is working part time up at www.walnutgrovegunstocks.com in Weiser, Idaho for member Chris Schofield these days...?

Custom rifles are best suited to those who can afford and appreciate something made just for them, to their specs. I plan on leaving the resale hassle to the executor of my estate.

Until then, I just appreciate them for the beauty...

Rich

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Did you know Henry is working part time up at www.walnutgrovegunstocks.com in Weiser, Idaho for member Chris Schofield these days

Yep Chris had mentioned it. Seems like they must be doing something right up there. The delivery time keeps getting longer due to work load.

I HAD 2 416Rigby's one was a Ruger RSM with nice wood the other was a CZ550 that I put a Brockman Laminate on. I still have and always will have the CZ550. I used it to take my last Elephant on my final hunt. The only thing really nice about the RSM was it did have a nice piece of wood on it. There was not a single other aspect about it I liked esthetically.

I'm very happy with the wood that came on my CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery. It's not as straight grain as the AHR rifles, but so far it's held up well. I did have Wayne at AHR put on their single stage trigger, 3 pos M70 type safety and straighten and fill the bolt handle. I was real happy with their work.

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Originally posted by JPK:
...

I have drooled over a number of custom rifles in everyway almost perfect for me at bargain prices - perfect in every way but one - I'm a friggin' lefty!

As a fellow lefty I know your pain.

I went to their website

That is indeed a nice stock, much much nicer than my RSM.

Hello Duckear

I assume you mean the one I'm buying from Mr Barnett. Isn't that a daisy!?

I think it too bad RSM wood varies so much in figure, yet they are valued the same by the Blue Book as others.

I guess that was the point of my initial post in this thread. A month ago I bought a Ruger African supposed to be NIB specially ordered for a Ruger exec (I think) and paid $1495 less $100 rebate from Barnett for two tiny indentation in the stock. I paid about $500 more than other Africans cost because of the fancy wood.

My reference above to the fancy AHR wood of upgrade #3 suggests to me that to those who like highly figured wood are often willing to pay extra for it. At least I hope that is the case if I ever decide to sell.

Any way, if your referent were my RSM...thank you!

yup, I went to his website and clicked on the pics.
figured that one was yours.

my RSM stock is nowhere near as nice
not even close

Looking back, I should buy a nicely figured RSM, swap stocks and sell the homely one.