Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 416 Rigby Custom Project

I�ve been working towards building this 416 Rigby for about eight years. This project seems to have been snake bit time after time. Finally though, things are progressing smoothly.

Ralf Martini did the integral barrel work and Duane Wiebe will complete the metal work and stock the rifle. Here are a few photos of Duane�s work in progress:

The action started life as a Granite Mountain Arms double squarebridge magnum action. It�s a nice action but requires a lot of hand work to bring out the beauty and functionality. Step one � remove all the awful markings and add some hand detailing like a clip slot�




I�ll be using clawmounts with the front mount dovetailed into the quarter rib. For this reason, I don�t need and don�t want the front squarebridge�so it�s a goner�



The rear bridge is about a foot too high so it needs to come down a bit�



Duane is adding extended tangs to the action and bottom metal. This is such a nice looking detail�



[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/ExtendedTangJig2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/bruch4052.jpg[/img]

From the factory, the bolt handle on a GMA is as long as a greyhound�s hind leg. It needs to be shortened by about this much�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/GMAshorteningtheboltknob1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/GMABoltKnobShortened.jpg[/img]

Next, the bottom metal gets some finish work and weight reduction�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/Millingthetriggerguard.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/Guardbowbeforeandafter2.jpg[/img]

Here�s my action after it�s been worked-over alongside a factory GMA original action�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/bruch4222.jpg[/img]

After taking a little metal off but adding the extended tangs, my action weighs exactly 1oz less than when it started�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/Bruch4062.jpg[/img]

The integral quarter rib is dovetailed for the rear sights and the front foot of the claw mounts�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/dovetails.jpg[/img]

The remaining squarebridge is broached and profiled for the rear lock-up of the claw mounts�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/416rearbridge.jpg[/img]

There�s a lot of handwork that goes into making and fitting the locking mechanism�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/lockingplate.jpg[/img]

Here�s a low tech way to get the proper scope height and to check the bolt handle clearance�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/416playdough.jpg[/img]

Yep, it�s kid�s modeling clay�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/416playdough2.jpg[/img]

From modeling clay to zip ties�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/ZipTiescopemount.jpg[/img]

It�s almost time to start the stocking�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/Bruch4233.jpg[/img]

I�m using a pretty sedate piece of European walnut�

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Burford/Wiebe%20416/stocklayout.jpg[/img]

I�ll keep you posted.

wow...

No wonder those bastards get so much an hour, 5 minutes work and 55 minutes trying to take pics for someone...........grin


Looking good.

That's awesome. Weibe's pictures are wonderful, thanks for sharing.

Just one comment and please understand you totally get to choose....however on a DG gun a longer bolt handle is a good thing. If you have to lift it in a hurry...you don't want to miss it on the up stroke.

IMHO

Overall very nice work and I'm sure you will have fun with it when done. Are there plans for it?

Very nice pictures.
First picture of a Granite Mountain Arms action I have seen.
Sweet.

Until the bolt handle raps your knuckles so hard your hand goes numb and you can't work the bolt. I've been there. Hacksaw solved the problem

i'm speachless...

wow !

that's going to be one beautiful and i'm sure exspensive rifle.

Forrest, when Shirley McLane and I are reincarnated, I want to come back as you. Beautiful work by a fine, fine craftsman.

That's a dandy!

Never knew the GMA actions required so much work.

Mike

Forrest,
My favorite pic is of the modeling clay scope mounts.

The blank is going to be an amazing stock. I bet you cant wait until Duane takes after it with his cutter head technique.

thats one nice looking piece you have going there. thanks for the photos.

Artistry in metal, as they say!

That is some top-notch rifle porn.

What a wonderful project. Duane is an amazing craftsman and you seem to know how to get the best out of him. I love the extended tang and the small changes made make a huge difference. I understand completely why you did it but I would have had a very hard time grinding that front bridge off.

I love the blank, nice layout but not too much of a good thing. You have a great eye for wood.


Thanks for sharing! I love these type threads.

Terry

Triple X for sure! Don't get no better than that!

Awesome -- and the grain flow in that stock is perfect for a real kicker!

John

I recall Ross Seyfried qouting a British maker on seeing an American artiste: "A good man would make it with a file and shoot it in the white".


You have a good man, needless to say....

Thank You!

The project is wonderful, but what never ceases to amaze me is Duane Wiebe's workshop. All kinds of neat and ingenious tools and fixtures to get the job done.

LRF, I hear what you're saying about the length of the bolt handle. In my opinion, the trick is to get it long enough but no longer than neccesary. For me, the right length is when the bottom of the bolt knob is at or just below the top of the opening of the trigger guard bow.

As to plans for the rifle, I hope to get it to Tanzania within a year or two. I've got to get the rifle paid-off first though.

I'll try to respond to some of the other comments...

GMA actions are nice but they are shipped basically as they come off of the CNC machine. It takes some work to make them look right and function properly. They don't all need the amount of hand work that is being put into this action. Much of this work is admittedly just for show.

I'm really anxious to see how this stock blank looks as it's shaped. The photos don't really do justice to the highlights in the wood. The figure is nothing to brag about but the depth and complexity of the highlights is what caught my eye on this blank. I've never seen another blank like it.

22WRF, thanks for the reminder to find the ignore button over here. If only there were some way to convince you to put me on your "ignore" list.

Forrest awesome project as usual. THat is my favorite kind of wood. Nothing swirly and too fancy, pronounced mineral streaking, good color and good contrast. What can you tell us about the blank and if you don't mind sharing, what did it cost you.