The beauty of the new Rigby Falling Block rifle is instantly eye-catching. Elegant walnut, exquisite engravings, and a timeless look instantly have hunters dreaming of their next adventure. The new rifle is modelled on a late Victorian Farquharson rifle, a single-shot hammerless weapon with a falling-block action. The bolt assembly on the new rifle is identical to the original design, which Scottish gunmaker John Farquharson had patented in 1872. Three years later, the patent was purchased by Bristol-based gunmaker George Gibbs. By 1910, around 1,000 Gibbs-Farquharson rifles had been produced. The patent actually expired before this date, in 1899, and the design became publicly accessible, so gunmakers such as Thomas Turner, W. J. Jeffery & Co., and John Rigby & Co. were able to offer their own versions. Some of which were also made by Auguste Francotte in Belgium.
Masterful mix
After three years of development, John Rigby & Co. recently presented the first ten guns in the new, limited-edition Rigby Falling Block series. This limited batch of ten rifles sold out before it was even ready. That is an impressive achievement, even for Rigby. Apart from the rifle being calibrated in the .416 No. 2 calibre, which Rigby launched in 2019, you need to look very closely to recognise the difference between the new rifle and the Farquharson original or an early Farquharson-Rigby version. Chambered in .416 Rigby No. 2, the Falling Block rifles feature a single trigger and top safety, with a 25-inch lightweight barrel – as per Rigby pre-war standards – with an integral rib and traditional London Best black finish. The rifle benefits from a standard front foresight with protective hood and rear sights regulated at 65 yards. It also has two folding leaf sights regulated at 150 and 250 yards.
Bespoke to the customer, the stock is built to client specifications and is modelled from hand-selected, grade 7 deluxe Turkish walnut. It is finished with Rigby’s signature oil finish and a oneinch butt plate. The pistol grip is in a classic shape with a cap box housing a spare front sight. The pistol grip cap features a bespoke blue enamelled plate with serial number. This rifle was designed by Melissa Rigby, the great-great-great granddaughter of Rigby’s founder, John Rigby. Finished with traditional Rigby “Rose & Scroll” pattern engravings on the action, with a case colour hardened finish as standard, customers also have the option to upgrade to bespoke engraving patterns of any design. These works were completed by engravers such as Cecile Flohimont, Geoffrey Lignon, and Vasile Popov. A silver oval is also inlaid into the stock to add the customer’s initials or crest.
One of the key players in developing the new Rigby Falling Block is gunmaker Mark Mitchell, who has several interesting connections. Born in London, he trained at Holland & Holland and also worked at George Gibbs Ltd for a while. He currently lives near Pitlochry, Scotland, just a few kilometres from the home of John Farquharson. Mark Mitchell was contacted by Rigby Managing Director Marc Newton when he was putting feelers out for who might be available to assemble the new rifle. “I really like the Farquharson rifles. I have always preferred them throughout my entire career,” explains Mark Mitchell, who has been working in the industry since the 1970s. He continues: “I even considered founding a company called John Farquharson Gun & Rifle Makers. I didn’t end up doing this, but it was one of the reasons why Marc contacted me.” As someone who has worked on several extraordinary hunting rifles throughout his career, Mark was blown away by Rigby’s plans. Especially because, in his eyes, a falling- block rifle of this high quality had not been made “in a very long time”. Once they had agreed to release ten rifles, Mark was raring to start his part of the project. Especially because it gave him the opportunity to build an action that he had always wanted to make: “I knew what the rifles looked like and the history behind them, how subsequent models were developed, and that the mechanics in the Rigby-Farquharson rifles were more robust than those made by George Gibbs, and so on.” The drawings and designs he used come from a .500 Rigby falling-block rifle. “I only made slight changes and used modern manufacturing methods,” Mark explains. This resulted in a design that retained many of the original features, such as the recoiling firing pin. Why did Rigby decide to build this new rifle? “One of the key inspirations behind the Falling Block rifle was the development of the .416 No. 2 round, a rimmed version of the .416 suitable for both double-shot and falling-block rifles,” explains Jamie Holland, Production Manager at Rigby, who worked on this project. “And once we had built the .416 No. 2 double-shot rifle, it was only natural that we attempt to build a falling-block rifle in a suitable calibre.”
“ I really like the Farquharson rifles. I have always preferred them throughout my entire career.”
Gunmaker Mark Mitchell
He believes the new addition is the missing piece in a modern collection of hunting rifles consisting of the London Best (2012) and the Rising Bite (2015). He describes the Falling Block rifles as “a very good mixture of old and new”. “The new rifle revolves around the Farquharson action,” he explains, adding that what is being produced now is an accurate depiction of the original Farquharson falling-block model with a safety on the grip. The only major difference between this and the older models is the new calibre. In his opinion, the new edition is close to the historic prototype. Jamie Holland says: “For example, it still does not feature a base for mounting rifle scopes.” Despite major interest from customers, the intention is to only produce a very limited quantity of Falling Block rifles. “Readymade items lose their appeal,” says Jamie. He continues: “I know Marc would love to see the Falling Block rifle in the .600 Nitro calibre, and our team loves building classic and traditional hunting rifles. We would therefore love to make it in the .303 British calibre, a .275 Rigby and .350 Rigby version and, from there, make several stalking rifles in smaller calibres. We’ll see what happens.”