"Alexander Henry" Forend ??

[billt]

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I've had this gun a while. It's a Ruger #1 Tropical in .416 Rigby. It is described as having an, "Alexander Henry Forend". Who was this guy, and why does he have a forend style named after him? The forend itself has a groove cut into it at the tip. It's a nice looking gun, but it doesn't get shot much because the ammo cost is off the chart. I think Federal Safari in .416 Rigby runs close to $200.00 a box if you get the premium grade African hunting bullets, like the Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, and the like. I can shoot my .50 BMG much cheaper.  Bill T.

[Bic]

Alex Henry was a Scottish maker of shotguns, stalking rifles and target rifles. I've not heard any definitive reason for his choice to put a groove of some sort in the fore-ends of some of his rifles. It may be just a reference point for the front hand, or his version of the German 'Schabel' style of fore-end. It could be to stop the gun from slipping from the hand in wet weather, I've even read that it was to enable the gun to be tied to some sort of rack in horse drawn hunting vehicles when stalking.

[billt]

Thanks Bic. I assumed the groove was for some type of fastening to a rack or something for transport.  Bill T.

[shooter32]

Bill, I found this on another site.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2318976/3

[billt]

Thanks for posting that Shooter!  Bill T.

[Sponsor]

[Bic]

Having napped on this since my lunch time Martinis, it occurs to me that it might also come in bloody 'andy if one were using bipod style shooting sticks............

[Johnny Bravo]

That's a beautiful piece Bill. Thank you again for sharing. 










I hate you sooooo much! 

[fightingquaker13]

Oh, BTW, I was going through my gun safe and I found this. You never know when an angry cape buffalo will show up in Phoenix....... Bill, I love you like a brother, but sometimes I am tempted to restart the I hate BillT thread. At least its not a Webley or H@H double. Then I really would hate you. How does it shoot? I've heard mixed reviews on the model 1s in heavier calibers. I'm assuming that for dangerous game we're inside of 200 yards. Is it minute of pissed off huge beast I should never have annoyed? Enquiring minds want to know (but not at $10 a round).
FQ13

[billt]

The recoil is terrible, but the gun is beautifully made, and built like a brick $h!thouse. If a gun ever needed a muzzle brake, this one does! What makes it so bad is if you don't stop and think about your grasp on the pistol grip, the action lever will rap your knuckles real good when the gun recoils. If you position your hand right you'll be OK. The gun is really not much of a dangerous game rifle because it's only a single shot. The last think you need to be doing, is fumbling with a reload when you just hit a Cape Buffalo in the a$$ instead of the boiler room, and he is coming to even the score!  Bill T.