Product Details
JNO. RIGBY & CO.
A .470 NITRO EXPRESS BOXLOCK NON-EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE, serial no. 17248,
28in. nitro chopperlump barrels with broad raised matt rib, engraved in gothic script 'JNO RIGBY & CO. 72 ST. JAMES'S STREET. LONDON.', the JNO partially obscured by a lug locator for a sprung clamp-mounted Single Point sight, open sights and folding leaf sights for 100, 200 and 300 yards, ramped bead foresight, tubes engraved "SPECIAL 470 BORE BIG GAME RIFLE. FOR SPECIAL CORDITE CARTRIDGE AND BULLET 500 GRAINS', Class C quality treble-grip action with removable striker discs, manual safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, border engraving, retaining traces of original colour-hardening and finish, 14 5/8in. well-figured pistolgrip stock with sling eyes, steel pistolgrip-cap and including 1in. ventilated rubber recoil pad, bolstered fore-end wood, border engraved grip-catch release lever, weight 11lb., in its original brass-cornered canvas case with some accessories and a sighting target
Provenance: The maker's records confirm that this was the first .470 double rifle built by the makers. It was originally ordered by the firm Leslie & Anderson as a .450NE but due to the ban in India of that calibre it was subsequently changed mid-order to a .470NE and delivered in 1906.
At that period in India, and in the East in general, Britain was experiencing a series of insurrections. The rifle most widely available to the anti-British contingents of the locals was the ubiquitous .450 calibre Martini-Henry. In order to combat the problem, a high-level decision was made to ban the importation of all rifles and ammunition in that calibre to India and the Sudan. Clearly this had a dramatic knock-on effect for British and Indian sportsman who also favoured the calibre in .450NE form. Therefore the British gun trade developed the .470NE sporting round as an alternative. It quickly showed itself to be a very capable round and one that is closely associated with the maker.
Literature: The rifle is accompanied by a letter of provenance from John Rigby & Co. (Gunmakers) Ltd. together with a copy of the original entries in the order book.
Estimate £5,000-7,000
S1