Trace the Provenance of Your Rigby Firearm
You can now uncover the history of your Rigby rifle or shotgun with Rigby’s historical research service. By tracing your firearm’s provenance, Rigby can confirm when it was manufactured, to whom it was first sold, and its action and serial numbers. In many cases, additional details on its style and finish can also be provided. For those looking to sell a Rigby firearm, this service offers valuable proof of authenticity.
Simply provide the serial number of your Rigby firearm, and Rigby’s in-house historian will carefully search through the company’s extensive ledgers to verify its provenance. Housed at Rigby’s London showroom, these 87 history-filled ledgers contain records dating back to 1780.
Owning a Rigby means owning a piece of history, and this service allows proud owners to receive an official certificate of provenance, providing an authentic record of their firearm’s legacy.
Provenance Details & Certificates:
- Information by Email
- Certificate by Email
- Printed Certificate
Please note that in some cases, specific details may not be retrievable. If this occurs, Rigby will promptly issue a refund.
Rigby’s historical records, transactions, and accounts are carefully preserved at Pensbury Place, with ledgers dating back to 1780. The searchable records are maintained in five surviving serial number books, while pre-1871 serial number records, currently undergoing restoration, remain inaccessible.
The books we do have are:
Book 1
Date: 1871 to 1883.
Serial Nos. 13700 – 15463 (Dublin).
Book 2
Date: 1872 to 1895.
Serial Nos. 13793 – 16298 (London).
Book 3
Date: 1883 to 1897.
Serial Nos. 15464 – 16554.
This book also contains Rigby-Mauser records from Serial No. 1000-1999.
Book 4
Date: 1892 to 1912.
Serial Nos. 16299 – 17765.
Book 5
Dates: 1905 to 1906.
Serial Nos. 2400 – 5028. Content is mostly additional production details on revolvers and Mauser rifles.
Mauser Book
Dates: 1902 to 1986.
Contains Rigby-Mausers from Serial No. 2000 – 6848.
Details from the late 1960s onwards are not always fully recorded.
We have no records relating to the period during which Rigby was owned and operated from California (1996-2013).
