Rigby Brings Elephant Guns to SCI 2024

John Rigby & Co, founded in 1775, has long been one of the most well-known and respected gunmakers in England.

"Gunmakers' Village" at the Safari Club International (SCI) annual convention is where you'll find all of the world's best high end arms makers on display and offering their wares. Whether you're looking for a second-hand gun or you want to start the journey of having your own gun custom made and fitted for you, then the Village at SCI is a great place to start, and the 2024 convention was no exception.

With so many booths to look at, Rigby stood out from the crowd by erecting an old school African safari tent in their booth. The tactic worked, as I was immediately drawn in because I'm in the process of planning my own African safari.

Once at the booth, I couldn't help but admire the exceptional craftsmanship that has allowed Rigby to stay front-of-mind in the world of gunmaking.

Front and center was one of their "Rising Bite" double rifles, but this was no ordinary double rifle (not that any of theirs are truly ordinary anyway). Chambered for the mighty .600 Nitro Express, this gun was an actual elephant gun in more ways that just the caliber. This rifle had been completely outfitted in full coverage engraving that imitated the look of elephant skin.

The amount of time it took the engraver to complete is mindblowing. He also did a slightly smaller Rigby in the same elephant motif and it took him 2,000 hours over the course of three years! Since this gun is bigger, you can extrapolate from there. Needless to say, it was a labor of love and took an exceptional degree of dedication to craft to create.

The engraving took more than 2,000 hours over the course of three years.

This Rising Bite double rifle was a way for Rigby to signal that one of their iconic models was back. Regular orders for the model had ceased in 1910 with the last custom orders leaving the shop in 1932. Now, the Rising Bite is back.

Taking its name from a unique vertical-bolt locking system, the Rigby Rising Bite was and continues to be one of the most famous double rifles ever to have been made. It is one of the strongest and most difficult guns to make, which means that even an "ordinary" Rising Bite is a truly special gun.

I have no idea how much the gun would cost if someone wanted to buy it, and in all reality, it's probably not for sale. That said, even the most expensive Rising Bite that I could design with the company's online rifle configuration tool came out to $350,000 - and I'm sure that doesn't even touch what this gun would actually cost.

Obviously, I didn't walk out of the safari tent with a new Rigby double rifle, but it was sure nice to dream while I took it all in at the 2024 SCI convention.

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