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BaxterB
one of us

Posted Aug 25, 8:58 AM Hide Post
In response to the many questions raised by Harry's first response to this post, I culled out as many questions as I could from the text, added a few that I thought might come up on a second round and Harry was gracious enough to answer them (plus others) in a final post about this, in what I consider great detail.

As you will see, he spent an awful lot of time clearing up things in regards to this rifle and has settled the 'controversy' over Rigby's turn-around time in regards to the work they did on his 416.

We all owe Harry a debt of gratitude for taking the time to respond. Thanks Harry!

Once again, Harry Selby....



"I did err is stating that the accident to the .470 happened in 1950/51....
just a slip up... after all we are talking about sixty years ago.... it
should have read 1949/50 I think. I took Bob and Harriet Maytag and Bob and
Ginny Ruark in 1951....using the Rigby .416. In the latter part of that year
I went to the States and eventually Kodiak Island where I shot a Kodiak
bear.

Rigby was in no way to blame for the delay in getting the .416 Rigby back to
me.... they accomplished the job... rebarreling (barrel from Austria) and a
complete stock refurbish in good time. (by that time there was no blueing
left on the metalparts and the stock finish was all gone) (See Pic of three
Selby Rifles)


When Rigby's tried to ship the rifle back to me a woman in the government
department responsible to imports / exports blankly refused to issue an
export permit as the rifle would pass through South Africa and there was
an embargo on all arms to SA at that time...
Telling her that it was destined for Botswana cut no ice (I am sure she was
just plain 'Anti Hunting') (I even produced a letter from the Botswana
police to the effect that the rifle was registered in Botswana.... no luck)

Eventually Paul Roberts went over her head to the minister and got the
export permit sorted out. It did not take three years as has been
claimed..

I am not left handed... I do everything right handed except that I shoot
from my left shoulder...maybe my left eye is the 'master eye'.
Cycling the bolt was no big deal, I merely lowered the stock slightly,
gripping the pistol grip with my left hand and with my right hand worked the
bolt.... fast enough... in any case I prefer one or two precisely aimed
shot to a fusilade of random rapid fire

I have always thought of the magazine held four cartridges... maybe my
memory played tricks on me!!! but when Rigby did the work on the rifle they
replaced the original magazine follower which was much shorter than the box with a
full length one....It was more robust and heavier as well...I think it came from
a Brno 602 action.... maybe this prevented Layne Simpson closing the bolt
over four cartridges.
Maybe I also realised this when the rifle came back from Rigby'
but have forgotten about it.
I will refer this to a gunsmith friend of mine for his opinion.

The inscription on the mag. plate was done by Rigby at that time of
re-barreling and the date 1949 was either the date the rifle was despatched
or perhaps the date it was entered on my Firearms Certificate in Nairobi.
I seem to recollect that Paul Roberts said he would use the date it left
Rigby's.

The .458 did me well enough but to even suggest that I had become attached
to it and sold the Rigby .416 as a result is laughable... it is
like comparing chalk and cheese.
I sold the Rigby .416 as I was approaching the time I would plan to retire
and the Rigby was offered a very good home by a client and his wife with
whom I had been on safari a number of times and had become close personal
friends.
I preferred to do it that way rather than have the possibility of the rifle
winding up under some auctioneer's hammer one day!!!!
I have done the same with some of my other rifles.... sold them to old
clients who have become close friends over the years.Movement of firearms is becoming more restrictive in most parts of Africa
and I preferred to see my precious rifles in good homes elsewhere.
It took a whole year to get an 'in-transit permit' for another rifle of mine to
pass through South Africa a while back.(less than 12 hours in SA)

If I remember correctly the rifle was sent to Rigby's sometime in the early
eighty's and I immediately began using the Rigby as soon as it came back.
One of the safaris I did with it was John Wootters '.416 Safari' in
1987.. John Wootters, Jack Carter (of Trophy Bonded bullets) and Paul
Roberts of Rigby's were testing Jack's TB ammo. on Buffalo. We had in camp
two Rigby .416s... Pauls's and mine. one .416 Hoffman (Jack's) and John
Wootters' .416 Taylor. (Petersen's Hunting August 1988 by Wootters.)

I also took the Rigby to Tanzania ( Maswa, Moiowase, Ugalla, Monduli)
for a four week safari with TGTS later (I forget the year ) and due to the
chaotic customs handling of rifles at the Nairobi Airport lost it for over a
month...eventually it turned up in Maun ...intact.... fortunately.

Incidentally as soon as.416 bullets became available I had no further ammo
worries.... I was getting fairly low until that happened though.
By turning the belts off ..460 and .378 Weatherby cases, resizing them
carefully and then fire forming. ....they worked well enough.

When factory loaded Rigby 416 ammo became available I usually chose
Federal although I used mainly hand loads.
Remember a PH does not use a lot of ammo.... hopefully..... so a couple of
boxes lasted a while.

I just like the feel of a broad trigger and by adding the shoe suited me
well..
I did the same to some of my other rifles. I never used a sling. it can get
one entangled in the bush. I carry a rifle over my right shoulder gripping
the barrel in my right hand.

I estimate that over a fifty five year career I have used .470s for four
years and a .458 for maybe six to eight years.
The Rigby .416 was always my weapon of choice and if I was to start
a hunting career all over again the first rifle I would acquire would be a
Rigby .416.P.S. Layne Simpson's article described the rifle well but it contained many
inaccuracies which I am sure did not originate with Joe Coogan...
he would have known better.
I did not start my career with Ker & Downey Safaris. I started with
Percival and 'African Guides"
Donald Ker was using a Dodge Power Wagon not a Land Rover when he ran
over my .470.
I did not rush back to Nairobi for another rifle, the safari was
just about over anyway and on its way back to Nairobi.
Gunbearer Kidogo was recommended to Ruark not by Hemingway but by an
American by the name of Russel Aitkin who had hunted with Frank Bowman.
Layne also claimed that I never used the rifle again after its return to
Botswana
NOT SO I used it for a number of years. He mentions the bluing worn off the
barrel.....that wear took place after it came back to Botswana chasing buffalo and
tracking lions.
P.P.S.
To conclude I might mention that after I had used to Rigby .416 for a couple
of years and came to appreciate its qualities I decided to do something about the
dimensions of the stock to suit my desire for a very powerful but handy rifle
for my purpose as a professional hunter.

To me the stock was a bit bulky, especially in the forend area and pistol grip
(I really like a slender pistol grip).
Being handy with tools I very carefully shaved the stock down in the areas I
considered 'bulky' until I came up with what I considered just right for me.
The recoil was lively but I could not give a fig about that... I wanted a very
powerful rifle I could swing like a twenty gauge. So infact the stock dimensions
of this rifle probably differ from any rifles coming direct from the Rigby shop.

Naturally all chequering was removed and not having the skill or the tools
to re-chequer I merely gave the carefully sanded and filled surface a good oil finish
The stock remained thus for a number of years ... (see pic of Selbys rifles on safari)
until I moved south and an excellent gunsmith in South Africa rechequered the stock
for me.

When Rigby worked on the rifle, they cleaned up the chequering again and worked
on the overall stock finish in addition to a complete re-bluing job.

I apologise for the rather lengthy response hopefully covering all queries.... in-fact I feel rather like a baboon being debugged by the rest of the troop."

PICS
Harry's rifles on safari left to right .Rigby .416 (notice lack of checkering on stock -bb) , Win mod.70 .375 H&H (stock Westley Richards)
Win. 243 Stock Hal Hartley. Brno .22 long rifle (stock worked on by Selby)
Wootters safari hunting buffalo with Jack Carter ( Selby carrying .Rigby .416)

Last edited by jwp475; 12/19/10.

I got banned on another web site for a debate that happened on this site. That's a first