Speed talks about these rifles in his book on sporting Mausers. Intermediate length, small rings that were left over from the GEW tests and the only ones Oberndorf ever sold commercially were retailed to Rigby. A client purchased this rifle in the Holt's auction I imported it for him. When it arrived it had a few issues he was not happy with, a couple of minor stock repairs, the front sight had been botched, a few areas of external deep pitting and some soft lettering. I was asked to strike out what I could on the metal and anything that could not be polished out sent to my engraver for micro welding when he picked up the lettering and proof marks. The existing stock finishing was flaking off and the color not correct for a Rigby. The good news is the rifling remains strong and nobody did anything other than the front sight damage that added to my job. Stock finish is traditional alkenet root in boiled linseed oil finished with Daly's Sea Fin and a slow rust blue using Pilkington's. Here are some before and after photos.

Can you resize the pics; all I see is brown fuzz.

Use imgur, large thumbnails, very easy.

Nice!

What caliber, .275?

.275 but set up for the 175 grain bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by skb:
.275 but set up for the 175 grain bullet.

Proper!

Excellent work with the restoration Steve. A vintage Rigby sure does have class.

The fiddle back figure of the stock reminds me of the Jim Corbett rifle.

The iron sights are wonderful. It's fortunate the rifle survived all these years without the desecration of being drilled and tapped for a scope.

Best Regards.

Well it did not survive completely unmolested but it is all better now.

That's a lovely old rifle. Can you post a close-up photo of the bolt mounted peep sight?

That is just a Lyman peep sight, the original Rigby peep has been lost to time.

Very nice.

Externally, how similar are these actions to small ring Mexicans? Are the thumb cuts the same? Can the left wall of the Mexican be flattened to look identical? Just curious.

Matt,
The thumbs cuts are most certainly not the same, the Mexican being much shallower. I think you can alter one to the same shape as the Oberndorf commercial action. I have a DWM Mexican action and the rear tang will need to be reshaped as well. I am not sure yet but it seems to me that if you cut the Mexican thumb cut just like an Oberndorf it might run into the lettering on the left wall. Still to be determined.
Steve

quote:

Originally posted by skb:
Matt,
The thumbs cuts are most certainly not the same, the Mexican being much shallower. I think you can alter one to the same shape as the Oberndorf commercial action. I have a DWM Mexican action and the rear tang will need to be reshaped as well. I am not sure yet but it seems to me that if you cut the Mexican thumb cut just like an Oberndorf it might run into the lettering on the left wall. Still to be determined.
Steve

Thanks for commenting Steve. I had a 1902 Mexican action at one time. If I recall correctly, there was something different about the firing pin, but otherwise not really any different than a 1910.