I recently completed a trade with a friend of mine and received this Rigby sporting rifle in the trade. Rigby is the same maker and the caliber 275 Rigby ( 7 X57mm) is the same combination that WDM Bell used to kill 800 of his 1010 elephant and Jim Corbett used the same combination to rid parts of India of several man eating tigers and Leopards. Bill
Last edited by s&wchad; 03-23-2020 at 03:22 PM.
Reason: Photos merged
What a beautiful work of art thank you for sharing. I can not even imagine taking down a elephant with a 7x57. If I remember correctly the story is he could not handle the typical dangerous game calibers, and perfected the frontal brain shot allowing him to use what most would consider unsuitable for such game.
Sure looks like it didn’t spend much time in the hunting fields. Very nice rifle that I would have to shoot and use for at least one hunt. What are the chances for a range report?
I understand Rigby is going to make an anniversary edition of this rifle. I'm not sure what it commemorates. I believe it's priced around $20k which is reasonable for a Rigby.
The rifle is beautiful and it's chambered for an all-time great cartridge. It seems hardly a month goes by that somebody doesn't come out with yet another wonder round with unimagined ballistics guaranteed to render obsolete all that preceded it. Right now it's the 6.5 mm in all its configurations.
Once you have used the 7mm Mauser, that efficiently kills all out of proportion to its modest recoil, you'll wonder why the gun manufacturers keep on trying to entice us with yet another so-called miracle round.
Early Swede Mausers were built at Oberndorf with receiver ring markings just like those on the OP's rifle. Of course, the Swedish rifles are in 6.5x55 and are 93 style actions not 98s. I totally zoned the obvious Mauser 1898 features. Doh!
This rifle is a beauty, it is a classic for hunting in Africa, the action is that of the Mauser 98, for many the best action ever made. If you shoot with it, please tell us how it was done and thank you very much for showing it.
7x57 is my favorite rifle caliber of all time. Not all that numerous in the US for some reason, maybe because it was metric?
I digress a bit, which I am wont to do to illustrate the 7x57's sporting rifle's lack of popularity here. About ten years ago, I went looking for a 7x57 nice rifle, not a cut military Mauser after foolishly selling my tang safety 77 Ruger. I went to a pretty big and well-stocked gunshop in Atlanta. They had none and couldn't find a new one to order. I bought a new CZ 6.5 x 55, an excellent and accurate rifle they did have and no one else wanted, but it didn't quite scratch my 7mm itch.
BTW, 77 Rugers don't have a sterling reputation for accuracy in hunting weight barrels, but mine was excellent.
Early Swede Mausers were built at Oberndorf with receiver ring markings just like those on the OP's rifle. Of course, the Swedish rifles are in 6.5x55 and are 93 style actions not 98s. I totally zoned the obvious Mauser 1898 features. Doh!
Steve-
Until my brain kicked in and registered that this has a M-98 action, I thought a captured or intercepted Boer M-95 action would be more likely than a '96 Swede.
But the letter shows this is a 1899 rifle, so that would be a tight fit, as the Second Boer War only began in 1899, I think late in the year.
Rigby still make a rifle very like this, for about $15,000. This rifle is almost identical to Jim Corbett's .275, which is now in Rigby hands.
Jack O'Connor was very fond of the 7X57mm, also his wife's favorite. He adopted the .270 mainly to get a flatter shooting cartridge and one that wore barrel throats less, as the 7mm usually has a long throat to accommodate the 175 grain bullet. If used with 139-140 grain bullets, there's space left to allow more gas cutting, I guess. Eleanor O'Connor used 160 grain handloads at about 2660 FPS.
I have a nice Rigby shopping bag and cap and a Purdey cap. Interesting that Rigby was founded in 1775 and Purdey in 1815. In both cases, the UK and the USA were at war! Glad that that's changed.
Last edited by Texas Star; 03-23-2020 at 09:49 PM.
7x57 is my favorite rifle caliber of all time. Not all that numerous in the US for some reason, maybe because it was metric?
I digress a bit, which I am wont to do to illustrate the 7x57's sporting rifle's lack of popularity here. About ten years ago, I went looking for a 7x57 nice rifle, not a cut military Mauser after foolishly selling my tang safety 77 Ruger. I went to a pretty big and well-stocked gunshop in Atlanta. They had none and couldn't find a new one to order. I bought a new CZ 6.5 x 55, an excellent and accurate rifle they did have and no one else wanted, but it didn't quite scratch my 7mm itch.
BTW, 77 Rugers don't have a sterling reputation for accuracy in hunting weight barrels, but mine was excellent.
I thought that CZ made 7X57mm rifles ??
Also, Winchester made some M-70- Fwt. Classic rifles in that caliber. These aren't to be confused with older M-70's, once made in 7mm.
I think the 7mm suffered here because American ammo makers loaded the cartridge light in deference to M-93 Mausers and Remington Rolling Blocks.
Last edited by Texas Star; 03-23-2020 at 10:05 PM.
Ammo: Bell used a 7x57 175 grain RN/FMJ. The sectional density is unbelievable! (as is the penetration.)
This rifle may be sighted to that ammo. Or, the Rigby's had a family discussion after WWII. It seems John III was shot in the head by a German 8x57 with the Spitzer bullet! Instead of boring a hole through his brain, it turned and plowed a trench though his scalp. The discussion was to change Rigby's proprietary loading to a semi spitzer bullet but maintain the 154 grain weight. Most non Rigby ammo won't fire to the sights in a Rigby gun, However Norma loads a duplicate round in a simi spitzer soft point. I have my 7x57 Ruger No 1 zeroed to this ammo. The flip up iron sight zeroed to 100 yards and the scope to 250. This ammo is about 400 fps faster (and 4" flatter @ 100) than Remington 140 grain soft point! The felt recoil is on par with 30-06 150 grain, which is quit reasonable, even in such a light rifle!
Also, Winchester made some M-70- Fwt. Classic rifles in that caliber. These aren't to be confused with older M-70's, once made in 7mm.
I think the 7mm suffered here because American ammo makers loaded the cartridge light in deference to M-93 Mausers and Remington Rolling Blocks.
CZ does make the 7 Mauser, but they were hard to find. Iwon't say impossible, because somewhere, someone probably had a CZ 7x57 to sell. No one I could find stocked them then. I think they're still scarce here, and CZ may be the only company exporting them to the US. Maybe that's changed since I checked last.
The 6.5 was at least as rare or maybe more so in general, and the store had held on to it for a considerable time with no takers so I got a good deal on it. I previously had a Swede cut-down and was familiar with the round so I bought it. Accurate with handloads; never fired factory ammo. Like the 7mm, a fine underappreciated round in my neck of the woods.
Haven't checked lately and for all I know, affordable 7mms may be selling like hotcakes and being shipped in by the boatload, but I doubt it.
Love the 7mm. Love the Rigby too though I don’t own one. I have handled a few and they are special. I do have two 7mm rifles, a nearly new Ruger 77 tang safety and an older Husqvarna lightweight on a Mauser action. It’s no Rigby but still a very nice little rifle.
Green with envy here. If I had that rifle, plus a Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine in 6.5, I'd just quit looking at rifles altogether and be happy from now on...
Having been wrong before I hesitate to mention
this but I seem to remember Remington chambered
their 700 Classic in the 7x57. What a find that would
be at neighborhood yard sale.
Some ammo makers offer rifle loads in Light Magnum or some such form, basically a Plus P load by US standards. Is the 7x57mm one? I think both Federal and Hornady load that stuff.
Always wanted a 7mm mauser rifle. Only one I could find was a Chilean Steyr modelo of 1912 in 7mm. Then went through my stash,and found few boxes of the older PPU in the white box. Now have the rifle and ammo but due to the chinese virus cannot shoot it. Have to stay at home hopefully so's I don't contract the virus. My visiting nurse is pregnant and have no wish for her to get the virus. spent the last two days working on my tractor and riding lawn mower. Had to spring for a new battery on the tractor though. Guess 5 years was enough. Cut half the grass out back of the house,tomorrow get the other half.Then the shed needs some work. and of course working on restoring an Ishapore forend for a No 4MKI*. Haven't shaved since this virus started so if I don't cut it off maybe I'll get a job as Santa Clause. Frank
The only shootable 7mm rifle I own is a Spanish M1916 short rifle with a much humbler parentage, but it's still fun to shoot. Paid $15 for it back around 1995. I have another 7mm, a Brazilian Mauser, but the bore is so bad I don't shoot it.
Regarding its use on elephants, it all depends on shot placement. I think the game control people in Africa use 7.62 NATO on elephants with brain shots.
The only shootable 7mm rifle I own is a Spanish M1916 short rifle with a much humbler parentage, but it's still fun to shoot. Paid $15 for it back around 1995. I have another 7mm, a Brazilian Mauser, but the bore is so bad I don't shoot it.
Regarding its use on elephants, it all depends on shot placement. I think the game control people in Africa use 7.62 NATO on elephants with brain shots.
I was told by folks that used to live in Portuguese Africa that shot placement was the key for "bagging" an elephant. And 7x57 and 8x57 Mauser were very adequate.
I was told by folks that used to live in Portuguese Africa that shot placement was the key for "bagging" an elephant. And 7x57 and 8x57 Mauser were very adequate.
Not at all adequate but a 7mm bullet that penetrates the brain of an elephant will kill it. A lot of these old ivory hunters did not follow up wounded game. Try stalking thru a maze of jess bush after a wounded elephant or buffalo with a light rifle.
What an outstanding rifle. Yes, it is built on one of the Oberndorf Commercial M98 Mauser intermediate length actions with the small ring (1.300" diameter vs. the 1.410" large ring). So at first glance it resembles an M94 or M95 Mauser.
Bracebeemer: Can we by chance see a close up of the retailer's label that appears on the inner lid of the case ? Was your friend able to provide any provenance or past history on the gun since Mr. JJ Harrison bought it more than 120 years ago ?
Here is the picture you requested. Another picture of Macphersons taken in 1955. They are both re in busin we from 1887-1969. They are both re also known for their taxidermy. I have no information on J.J.Harrison.
Was that a fairly recent arrival in the USA? I remember back some years ago when the British Government went on a gun control rampage, they were requiring branding of some ID number on wooden buttstocks of rifles and shotguns. Made no difference if it was a Purdey Best Grade double gun once owned by some aristocrat.
I had a Spanish 92 Mauser is 7x57. Might have been a Spanish American war relic for all I know. When I liquidated all of my milsurps it went away. A conversation for a different thread.......
What a beautiful work of art thank you for sharing. I can not even imagine taking down a elephant with a 7x57. If I remember correctly the story is he could not handle the typical dangerous game calibers, and perfected the frontal brain shot allowing him to use what most would consider unsuitable for such game.
While he was known to be an excellent game shot, he was also known to have done a lot of “ long-trailing “ on elephants, when using the 7x57 and similar calibers. He was said to be able to trot for miles following up a wounded animal, and widely admired for his endurance.