London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. introduced the Big Game Lightweight rifle to its Big Game series at the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Convention 2024, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas, Texas, from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 January.
The Big Game Lightweight extends Rigby’s range of Big Game rifles, joining the ranks of the Big Game and Big Game PH models. The lightweight model pays homage to the classic pre-war safari expedition rifles, being based on those models housed in the Rigby Museum.
Chambered in .350 Rigby Magnum, a classic caliber known for its stopping power and mild recoil, it is the ideal choice for hunting African plains game or North American big game. Built on a Mauser M98 magnum double square bridge action, the rifle features a three-position side safety and has capacity for holding five cartridges in the magazine box, plus one in the chamber.
The new slim profile 24-inch barrel is fitted with a barrel band with swivels for sling attachment. Express island style sights are fitted to the rifle, featuring a ramp front sight with an elevation-adjustable yellow bead and a rear sight with one fixed blade for 65 yards, plus two folding blades for 150 and 250 yards, complete with windage adjustments.
The stock profile has been reproduced to mirror the vintage pre-war models, with no cheek piece and larger hand-chequered panels. With a stock length of 14.5 inches and grade five wood as standard, customers can upgrade their stock up to grade nine before being oil-finished and fitted with a red rubber recoil pad.
The rifle’s finishing touches include a color case, hardened recoil bar and grip cap, while the new flat, slimmed profile magazine floorplate is engraved with the Rigby ‘double R’ logo. Each rifle is fitted with quick-detachable swing-off mounts, and weighs in at 4.260kg, 430grams less than the Rigby Big Game.
