P-H's more unusual models

[Brithunter]

The problems with Parker-Hales production was that they would if asked make all sorts of specials and these are never, or so it seems, mentioned in their catalogues . Now I have no concrete proof on this. Only the say so of a few gunsmiths and gunmakers but it would appear that P-H sometimes sent selected rifles to Rigby's of London for finishing to superior class or what was know as "Best Sporting" rifles. Of course as Rigby's did the work especially on re-styling the stock slightly they have the Rigby look and feel to them. Rigby's also did regulating work on some of P-H's heavy African rifles.

I nearly brought one of these some years back but chose the 1100M that I have as it had a nicer stock. The other one was engraved upon the side rail :-

"Regulated by Rigby's"

But otherwise looked like a normal P-H 1100M.

 Now in a local gunshop there is a Parker-Hale 270 win chambered rifle which I firmly believe is one that was finished by Rigby's although it's not marked as such. It has the distinctive Rigby's style stock and fine chequering and very fine inletting of the action to stock and I would dearly love to bring it home however it's not likely to happen due to the licensing issues :frown .

   I am trying to find out if there is a special serial number range for these tweaked rifles. The Rigby records still exisit here in the UK and I have spoken to the man who has them but that only covers Rigby's. Other British gunmakers it seems also "customised" Parker-Hale rifles. I saw one such rifle offered for sale last year at a Bisley gunshow. It was a rather well know Scottish gunmaker who had re-worked a Model 1200 into a more traditional British stalking rifle however to my eyes it was not as nice as the Rigby styled rifles. yes I am biased as I "DO" like the Rigby rifles  and despite it blatenly being a P-H 1200 Super he had marked his own name upon it at a largely inflated price. The Supers stock had only been slightly rounded off in the fore stock tip and still had it's skip lin chequering.

I even asked the seller who could the gunmaker possibly get away with this as it was so obviously a slighty modified P-H 1200. now he was either very uninformed or pleading ingorance as he was convinced that I was wrong.