Am close to sending this out to get blued and thought I'd shoot it first...just to be on the safe side to make sure all was well. Idaho Sharpshooter and I took a few guns out to shoot recently and this was one of them. Long story but stay with me.

Good idea to shoot it because when I got the rifle it was in sections and after putting it together, cleaning up (really recutting) the checkering and staining and finishing the stock myself, I was in for a

But first here are a few pictures:

As you can see the ammo I used was factory Federal

And here's another


I have no idea who did the chambering (sad) but the barrel is from H.S.Precision. When I discovered I couldn't get the bolt closed I thought I'd send it back to Precision. Yesterday they told me basically they never do a job like this....mating a receiver with one of their custom barrels .....they just make barrels and whole guns now. The rifle was able to be chambered by inserting a cartridge on the bolt face and with gentle pressure, I was able to get the bolt closed and fired two rounds. This same brand was able to be loaded into a CZ of the same caliber w/o a hitch that same day. I've checked the specs out as well as I can on the spent case and with the exception of measuring the shoulder angle/placement, everything is under what the specs call for.

I'm learning this picture posting 'stuff' and wish there was a 'preview' window to make sure I've done this right. Will keep my fingers crossed

Very nice! Brevex magnum Mauser?

Idahochukar2 - Wow, absolutely gorgeous stock, first class job. Do you have any "before" pictures? Beautiful rifle in a great caliber. Thanks for posting. Best, Starcharvski.

Really, really nice. I too am curious what action it is - Brevex or standard Mauser / FN?

Stock shaping is really nice too. Would love to see more pics, esp when it is all done.

Todd

checkering and grain is very nice

A short history that I've been able to glean from Weatherby, believe it or not. Yes, the action is a Brevex that was taken from the Weatherby factory in the early '50s by Leonard Mews to make a custom something or other, maybe a 378. There's no record of the original caliber. The barrel became ruined by whomever owned it these many years. It had a new barrel installed....by whom I don't know. Wish I did as I'm now looking to solve the chamber feeding problem.

I probably will use the stock as a pattern since it was made by the great L. Mews. Thinking of having the receiver case colored and it'll go to a qualified smith for that. The way I got it is the way you see it except the stock was not stained. Some folks like the blonde birdseye maple but I cringed everytime I looked at it.

This English is going on a 30-06 Springfield that had a really ugly stock that's been in the family forever.





Some will call that 'white' on the stock butt 'sap wood' but it really isn't. Just part of the tree. I think it looks good....different but then we all are....aren't we?

Your Rigby is an impressive piece of metal work....I agree with you on the stock....maple just does not suit a Mauser big bore. A nice stick of English or Turkish would certainly improve the value of the Project.

What is on the rifle for bottom metal? What is the mounting hole spacing? Are the feedrails reworked?

Idahochukar, that is a very interesting history. Weatherby used Brevex actions to make only a few 378s and 460s. Four have been authenticated, last time I checked with Weatherby Collectors Association. Also as you know, Leonard Mews was Weatherby's in-house custom stockmaker in those days.

While the stock on your rifle may not conform to what most folks prefer in a custom stock these days, I think it is interesting just the same, obviously of high quality craftsmanship and would be inclined to retain it.

Here's a Weatherby Brevex from their custom shop, the first 460 sold:



Also, whose bolt peep sight is that? Nice.

It may not fit a Mauser but it's a damn fine piece of Birdseye....If that honey belonged to me, I'd keep it.
That being said, I hope you get the chamber worked out, you have a nice weapon there, idaho.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Great Rifle!

Hope you get it all sorted out and go hammer some buff with it!

Best Regards,
Dave

In general I like walnut and only walnut but I have to agree with those above me, I like that stock as it looks on this rifle.

There is something about non-traditional materials in traditional styles that is intriguing. I saw an ornate highboy made out of coarse chipboard once - really fascinating, actually riveting would be more the term!

TG

And the english walnut stock is fantastic - personally I like little wisps of sapwood in walnut. I have been told that if it is aggresively dried (i.e. kiln) the contrast between heartwood and sapwood is much less - I used 20 year old air-dried walnut with streaks of sapwood to make my pencil post bed, and the contrast gets a lot of comments.

That rifle has a lot of character and history...good show

quote:

The way I got it is the way you see it except the stock was not stained. Some folks like the blonde birdseye maple but I cringed everytime I looked at it.

You made a good call staining it. I am not a big fan of blonde stocks either...but that stained maple looks really nice. Good work.

Cheers,
Canuck

idahochukar2,
That is indeed a beautiful rifle.

The difficult chambering of the Federal factory ammo makes me wonder about two minor issues:

1. Was the rifle action originally set up for a .378 Weatherby rim/boltface? If so, it may just need opening up a wee bit more for the bigger .416 Rigby rim.

2. Some perfectly chambered .416 Rigby rifles will have the original throat spec, which is just a tight leade, no parallel-sided freebore at all. The original nose contour of Swift 400-grain A-Frame bullets was pretty fat and long, and would not fit the Rigby throat unless the bullet was seated deeper than the crimping cannelure. Those older Swift bullets had quite a bit of bearing surface ahead of the cannelure, full diameter like the shank. I think Swift changed the ogive with current make of their bullets and they work in original spec .416 Rigby throats now.

You may just need to open the boltface a little and try some different ammo.

My ultra-accurate RSM in .416 Rigby has such a tight throat and I do not want to change a thing.

The only ammo I ever had trouble chambering was some of the old Federal factory ammo with the old Swift 400-grainers. Everything else works fine, more than fine.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:

Also, whose bolt peep sight is that? Nice.

Tom Delucci's. Forgive me if I misspelled his name.

Now, that's a very nice stick. It looks like it should shoot as good as she looks. Let us know how it shoots after the chambering problem's been corrected.

I have several un-installed bolt peeps, both Rigby and H&H style and am curious how the process of zeroing this bolt peep sight goes for you. Good luck.

Forrest

I would have to say that the Mews stock will remain exactly as you see it now, save a few more coats of finish have to be put on. The bottom metal came with the action from Mews I would assume.

And yes, it is a Tom Delucchi peep sight. I was estatic to have found one rather than using open sights...I used to be a competitive shooter at Camp Perry and grew up as a boy with peep sights. I also need to get the serial # and caliber engraved in the original style. Maybe Fla3006 can help me out there.

Nice to get all this info from you all. I'm just going to be very careful how this chambering problem is solved. No Mistakes

If a serial number was assigned by Weatherby, it would be on the right side of the receiver ring, likely in the 3000-4000 range. A serial number assigned in France by Brevex will appear on the bottom of the receiver. A few hundred Brevexes were made in total. Two models were made, the M300 and M400, also stamped on the bottom of the receiver. The actions are identical except for the bolt face recess and extractor, one for the 375, the other for 416 based cartridges.

Jerry Fisher / Tom Burgess Brevex for sale at Cabelas: Fisher/Burgess

I like it just the way it is.. Looks cool in the white and the checkering is beautiful.

Rich