Rigby Crecent- Real or Fake?

[Vikram]

A couple of years ago, a Purdey SXS was put up for sale on this forum and a majority of our "experts" opined that it could have been a forgery.

Now check this gun out. The ad says

This auction is for a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a John Rigby & Co. .410 sidelock shotgun . This shotgun weighs 5 lbs 14.6oz. The barrels are actually 26-1/16". The chokes measure right barrel is .397" and the left barrel is .402". The shotgun has extractors not ejectors. The gun is in amazing shape the bore is perfect it is also tight as any new shotgun. There is one small crack in the fore arm it is hardly noticeable we did show it in a one of the pictures. The butstock has no cracks that we can find. The ORIGINAL hard case is included it shows some wear and tear. One end of the leather trim is broke off the top but it is included it is shown in the pictures. The handle has also been replaced but it was well done and looks great.

Now check the photos and tell us what you think.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... 625474#PIC

This gun is sold for $5900!

[Grumpy]

What do I think ?
I think that if I had `J.RIGBY & CO` tattoed on my ar*e it would be just as genuine as this gun.

[Grumpy]

That thing is a total piece of crap.
The style of the engraved lettering is a joke.
The serial number is VERY early - far too early for a hammerless sidelock.
Rigby were never at 12 King Street.
The action is nothing like any Rigby.
The wood is poor.
The wood to metal fit is ridiculously bad and
the `Proof` marks are fraudulent.
I`d like to see that piece of junk being offered for sale in the UK because the vendor would soon find himself in serious trouble !

[Sakobav]

Wow people really dont do their homework then !!

[BowMan]

I'm not much into shotguns but this one has fake written all over it. Even the box is artificially aged as the insides look pristine compared to the heavily aged exteriors. Another thing about the box is the piece of black leather with Rigby printed over it looks perfectly new and crisp. If you see closely just a bit above and to the left of where the address is printed there is an impression from the gun action pressing against the leather. This impression looks fresh and is no way the result of decades of storage.

[Vikram]

Seems, even Rigby issued a statement that they did not make this gun.

The original Crecent.

Photos from here.






Someone just forged the gun and seems even succeeded in tricking someone . I wish the buyer at least did some research.

Just a thought, could it be possible that it was "forged" in India and exported as .410 can be exported, if I am not wrong.

Bottom line: Anytime you see a firearm in India for sale, since most of our members are from India, do a proper research into the origin of the firearm.Will save you a lot of grief.


Best-
Vikram

[winnie_the_pooh]

What do I think ? I think that if I had `J.RIGBY & CO` tattoed on my ar*e it would be just as genuine as this gun.

You need it to be black and blue to approximate colour case hardening, for it to be genuine

Vikram,

Indians have no copyright over making fakes.Some fakes were imported from the land of the gora's (mainly Europe) during the Raj,to make gullible Indian buyers part with their hard earned money.

[Vikram]

What do I think ? I think that if I had `J.RIGBY & CO` tattoed on my ar*e it would be just as genuine as this gun.

You need it to be black and blue to approximate colour case hardening, for it to be genuine

That was a good one.

Vikram,

Indians have no copyright over making fakes.Some fakes were imported from the land of the gora's (mainly Europe) during the Raj,to make gullible Indian buyers part with their hard earned money.

Winnie, agree with you.

[Grumpy]

I`ve just twigged that `Crecent` should be `Crescent`.

[marksman]

The only thing that managed to impress me in this contraption which we are forced to call a shotgun was the colour case hardening on the action.

Cheers!!
Marksman

[winnie_the_pooh]

the colour case hardening on the action

Pretty garish,isn't it? Should appeal to us Indians

[Grumpy]

No, I don`t think it will appeal to `you` Indians - there`s no chrome and no gold ........

[herb]

Very interesting. I can't see the original proof marks.

Normally you see this with Spanish or Belgium guns.

[Grumpy]

It`s American.
There are a bunch of what are pretending to be cancelled proof marks but with nothing to replace them.

[herb]

It`s American.
There are a bunch of what are pretending to be cancelled proof marks but with nothing to replace them.

Yes you are correct. I saw that in another forum after I posted. Atleast they could have used one of the better made Spanish seven pin sidelocks with intercepting sears, no resemblance to Rigby but at least a better looking gun than this.

Did any of the Spanish or Belgium makers make a model with the dipped edge sidelock?

I think the Crescent uses a coil spring like the Brno's...



vs a Spanish sidelock