Just curious. And I know some one will ask "why woulld you want to"? but would it be possible to build a .416 Rigby on a Remington 700? I don't have the spec's on the Ultra's but they must be close to the Rigby.

Rich Elliott

anything is possible. You'll probably have a Sako style extractor and start with a RUM action but it can be done. Just add cash is all.

quote:

Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
Just curious. And I know some one will ask "why woulld you want to"? but would it be possible to build a .416 Rigby on a Remington 700? I don't have the spec's on the Ultra's but they must be close to the Rigby.

Rich Elliott

My question isn’t so much why would you want to as it is why not just buy a Remington 700 Safari Grade in .416 Remington Magnum...which is, for all practical purposes, the same round?

Rich,

I'm no expert but, I believe the rim size on the Rigby is quite a bit bigger than on the Ultras and so would probably not work on a Rem action. Remington had to use a rebated rim to get the parent .404 case to work in the M700.

For what it's worth...

Regards,
Dave

Hey Rich,
George Anderson of GA Precision:

http://www.gaprecision.net/content/contact.php

builds 338 Lapua Magnum sniper rigs on the Rem 700 platform. They work well and some are deployed over in the ashtray as we speak. He uses a Sako extractor. I believe, but do not know for a fact, that he uses the HS Precision 338 Lapua magazine box (single stack feed - very reliable). The 338 Lapua Magnum case is basically a 416 Rigby with a heavier web area.

George's work is superb, and quite fairly priced.

lawndart

The potential problem is the metal left around the counterbore would be extremely thin....you would not want to drop the bolt.

The HS Precision rifle comes in the Rigby and 378 case calibres but its bolt nose does not extend beyond the locking lugs son the locking lugs form a subtantial amount of the metal for the bolt conterbore.

A CRF with the same bolt diameter is different because the depth of the metal sticking out from the bolt is much smaller and therefore far more rigid.

Mike

Interesting!
I sent George an e-mail on this topic. I'll report back as soon as I hear back.
LD

Someone, (Butch Searcy, maybe?) used to build 416 Rigbys on 700s and Model 70s. He bored out the receiver and made a new, larger diameter bolt.

Still wouldn't leave a lot of metal in the barrel shank and front bridge but I suppose it would work as long as a guy didn't try to make it take Weatherby pressures.

Jeeeez Rich! Please at least pretend to have taste.

Here's a Davenport gun at Griffin & Howe for under $5K.

Dan Lilja has a short analysis of this very question on his website. I beleive his short answer to the conversion is no.

Lilja Article

Yikes!

I am officially old and senile. I had read that article a year ago, and had forgotten about it.

I'll be interested to hear what GA Precision says. I'll post a report for sure.

lawndart

The general consensus is that you will eventually suffer setback in the lug abutments. Lilja and several of the top 'smiths discourage the practice. But a lot of 700s have been converted to 338 Lapuas or Imp. Rigbys, mainly the 338-416 Imp.
Remington made a number of them in 338 Lapua. They were called the RS8 and were documented in an early article(s) in Tactical Rifle.
I think that M70s and Enfields are more acceptable because they have harder receivers than the 700s. Just a guess on my part.

Well, I guess what it amounts to is 10 lbs in a 5 lb bag then. I had a Remington pattern 1917 when I was young and dumb (quite a while back) that I had chambered out to .300 Win. Mag.
Had the ears milled to Mod. 70 contour, straithened the floorplate, put in the cock on opening speed lock, etc. Sure wish I had that one now as it would be a likely candidate for a .416 Conversion.

500 Grains,
Nice rifle..that Davenport. He keeps showing up with at the conventions with a .35 Whelen Springfield with a classic stock and a receiver sight (not even d&t for scopes)
that makes me drool every time.

BTW, Starkist don't want tunas with good taste...just tunas that taste good!

Rich Elliott