Would you pay US$25,000 for one of these in prime condition, with a Monty Kennedy made replacement buttstock and fore end?

Just asking.

In a heartbeat.................

Sounds interesting and at a great price. What does the rest of the gun look like? What caliber?

Ken

The metal looks nice on that one, the stock is not to my tastes.

In the time period that Monty did the restock it would have been seen as an upgrade, times change. I think that's a good price.

The stock looks a little too bulky for some reason and I like drop points on an English double. If the barrels are good, it still seems like a good deal.

Ken

I have never seen a folding aperture sight on a double rifle like the one on this rifle.

Not sure of the range at which the aperture is sighted, as it is unmarked. The folding rear sights are marked 150 and 300 yards.

He ought to be stretched on the rack then waterboarded for putting a beavertail fore-end on a rifle of that quality but yeah, I'd pay that in a heatbeat, then send to JJ or Aaron for a new splinter.

Technically, it's only a semi-beavertail.

So, maybe you should only semi-stretch and waterboard him? He's past caring in any case.

D.J. "Monty" Kennedy was one of the greatest stock makers who ever lived. He was particularly well-known for his inletting abilities.

I think this work dates from circa 1955.

I'm not a fan of altering traditional British "best" to the latest fashions.

But at least it doesn't have a roll-over comb and flared pistol grip!

All in all, I think it's pretty tastefully done, and what needs re-doing seems do-able.

That stock can be helped. At least the inletting appears okay, the action can be set back a little more to fix the small issues I see.

The blank that was chosen is less than ideal.

Nicen rifle. A little too nice for me as I already have two big bore doubles and do not have time to shoot them enough.

I say let it go to someone who will hang it on the wall or in a display case. Maybe after Aaron tweaks it a bit.

If the barrels are good, offer 20K then if successful send it to Paul Hodgins for a restock to your dimensions. Paul would probable charge 8k to 10k for the restock but the quality of his work is exceptional.

Also, many Rigby db rifles of this era had 28" barrels. Be sure to check if they had been cut to a shorter length.

I agree about the stock. It just doesn’t look right.

Paul is an old friend of my father back when he lived in Texas. I remember seeing his small ads in DSC Camp Talk and always thought about giving him a buzz to catch up.

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I agree about the stock. It just doesn’t look right.

Paul is an old friend of my father back when he lived in Texas. I remember seeing his small ads in DSC Camp Talk and always thought about giving him a buzz to catch up.

Yes sir, Paul is a good man- I've known him for many years starting back when he worked for my late friend Billy Hodge of Buckhorn Trading Post and then Buckhorn Quality Firearms, both in Dallas.

quote:

Originally posted by Dahav:

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I agree about the stock. It just doesn’t look right.

Paul is an old friend of my father back when he lived in Texas. I remember seeing his small ads in DSC Camp Talk and always thought about giving him a buzz to catch up.

Yes sir, Paul is a good man- I've known him for many years starting back when he worked for my late friend Billy Hodge of Buckhorn Trading Post and then Buckhorn Quality Firearms, both in Dallas.

Exactly the same as my father, first at Buckhorn downtown and then Buckhorn across from DGC. I was just a kid, but still remember going into that shop and my jaw dropped. Knowing what I know now, I really would’ve flipped out.

Mr. Hodge would take me fishing close by and caught the biggest catfish of my life.

He is missed.

If I was buying it I would plan on a complete restock to bring back the original lines and some better grain flow. So another 10-12k or so and you would have a gorgeous rifle but I’m sure would kill the collector value. Which I guess is already gone.

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:

quote:

Originally posted by Dahav:

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I agree about the stock. It just doesn’t look right.

Paul is an old friend of my father back when he lived in Texas. I remember seeing his small ads in DSC Camp Talk and always thought about giving him a buzz to catch up.

Yes sir, Paul is a good man- I've known him for many years starting back when he worked for my late friend Billy Hodge of Buckhorn Trading Post and then Buckhorn Quality Firearms, both in Dallas.

Exactly the same as my father, first at Buckhorn downtown and then Buckhorn across from DGC. I was just a kid, but still remember going into that shop and my jaw dropped. Knowing what I know now, I really would’ve flipped out.

Mr. Hodge would take me fishing close by and caught the biggest catfish of my life.

He is missed.

I miss him every time I drive through Lewisville or by our IHOP here in Wichita Falls where we'd meet for breakfast when he and Jackie would come through town.

The old Buckhorn Trading Post downtown (on Main St. I think?) was a real Valhalla for me- especially the back vault where all the Purdeys, Boss and H&Hs resided. Billy was so generous in letting me go to the vault and see and learn about all those great guns.

He had an infectious laugh, smoked like a fiend and was also a professional boxer!

In case you have not figured this out yet, I bought this rifle.

Thanks for the good advice. I am in touch with some good folks, including Aaron Little and Paul Hodgins.

I will make this into a much closer resemblance of what it once was, for a lot less than it should have cost.

And Inshalla, kill some buffalo with it.

Great- please post photos when restocked. The new stock will "reset" this rifle properly!

And please don't recolor it- you'll risk warping the frame and the rising bite may not fit afterwards.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
In case you have not figured this out yet, I bought this rifle.

Thanks for the good advice. I am in touch with some good folks, including Aaron Little and Paul Hodgins.

I will make this into a much closer resemblance of what it once was, for a lot less than it should have cost.

And Inshalla, kill some buffalo with it.

Congratulations!! It probably works great as-is and will look outstanding once the current stock is reshaped/recolored or if you go whole hog with a restock.

Hope you share the adventure with us.

Nice buy Michael!! CONGRATULATIONS!!
You have creatively avoided showing the left side of the stock!!! I can tell it has a raised comb, without a scope?? Does it have a raised cheek piece?
Don't forget "Doc" Dennis Smith up in Northern Oregon. He used to be the "lettered" stockmaker for Westley Richards here in the US.
Beautiful wood, beautiful engraving!!

CheerZ,

Thanks. I think it was a good buy. The left side of the buttstock features a nicely shaped shadow lined cheekpiece, although it's more American in style and shape than English.

One could say the same about the whole stock. I will have the fore end and buttstock replaced by new wood cut and finished true to the original Rigby style.

Based upon the price of a recent one listed on GI I think it is an outstanding buy.

Congratulations on a great purchase Mike! I'm envious and at that price I don't think you can go wrong regardless of what you do to the rifle... restock or shoot as is!

My good friend and primary stock maker can easily alter this crazy stock to Rigby standards. The wood is not bad, just bad stock design. His name is Ron Heil in Cleveland TN. One of the best and very affordable.

I got my authentication certificate and day book entry today from Rigby's in London.

Get this: My rifle was originally completed and sold in 1912, 110 years to the very day I bought it this year.
Same day. 110 years later.

It was originally sold by Rigby's to a baronet from Scotland. After some work on Google, I learned that the same year he bought what is now my Rigby, he sold off his ancestral estates.

His new Rigby "470 bore Best h'less Ejector rifle," with all accoutrements, cost him £76, 4s, 6d.

Adjusting for inflation, that's about 11,500 2021 US dollars.

Double rifle values have done way better than inflation!

Then a fellow AR member sent me a copy of a Guns magazine from 1960, in which my very rifle, along with other double rifles, was featured in one of the articles.

The article included photos, and attributed the Rigby's restocking to "Monte [sic] Kennedy."

The article was written by a petite woman who shot all of her husband's double rifles, and reported that the recoil was not a problem, but was indeed very manageable.

She especially liked Monty Kennedy's monte carlo comb for its supposed recoil reducing properties!

I wish all guns could talk. This one has already spoken to me more than I could ever have wished for.

Michael,

Great find on information for your new Rigby. Let us know how the gun shoots.

Ken

Thanks for sharing, very interesting info!

Another candidate for a restock!

http://www.hallowellco.com/Rig...0double%20rifle.html

The quality of the stock is excellent but it really should be stocked to original style. Maybe remove the comb and trim the forend to splinter. I mean the wood and the wood to metal fit is so good, why waste such quality work?

quote:

Originally posted by metal:
Another candidate for a restock!

http://www.hallowellco.com/Rig...0double%20rifle.html

Really?? A boxlock California "RIGBY"... ??!!
Not Me!!

CheerZ,

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
The quality of the stock is excellent but it really should be stocked to original style. Maybe remove the comb and trim the forend to splinter. I mean the wood and the wood to metal fit is so good, why waste such quality work?

That stock can definitely be helped, but it just wont ever be 100% Rigby. Only a full restock will get there.

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:

quote:

Originally posted by metal:
Another candidate for a restock!

http://www.hallowellco.com/Rig...0double%20rifle.html

Really?? A boxlock California "RIGBY"... ??!!
Not Me!!

CheerZ,

What, you don’t like restocked Merkels?

Thank God that indescribably horrible Califiasco is over.

Whilst I understand many saying this rifle should restocked to more traditional Rigby lines, this will never be an “original” rifle from a collector’s perspective.

Instead its a damn good usable hunting and especially dangerous game rifle, that you have secured for about 1/10 of the price of a new rising bite.

Rather than spending a lot more hard earned cash on restocking, why not spend that coin on a good adventure or two and put some patina and memories on that stock. It just looks to be too much of a safe queen.

Congratulations, Mike! Nice buy!

Thanks! It is no collector's item. Besides the re-stocking, the barrels have been shortened to 25.5 inches from the original 28; however, the bores are in excellent condition. I bought this rifle to fix up and use in the field.

It may be heresy, but the more I look at this rifle the more I would be inclined to leave it as is, IF it fit me. Kennedy's inletting is superb, as usual. I would be more concerned about the shortened barrels. Hopefully they were re-regulated if required.