Some rifles are built to be practical tools, but others occupy an entirely different world. At the luxury end of the market, prices are shaped by hand craftsmanship, rare materials, historical importance, engraving, limited production, and the reputation of the maker. A few exceptional examples can cost as much as a house or several new cars. The figures below include documented auction prices and published prices for bespoke examples, so actual costs can vary substantially with specification, provenance, and customization.
1. Rigby Rising Bite
Price: about £100,000 and up. The Rigby Rising Bite sits in a completely different financial league from an ordinary sporting rifle. It is a hand-built English double rifle revived from Rigby’s historic rising-bite action, with traditional barrel work, regulated sights, and extensive engraving options. The first modern run was planned at 21 rifles, while production can take around three years. Its value comes from labor, rarity, and heritage as much as field performance, making it closer to a bespoke luxury object than a mass-produced firearm alone.
2. Rigby Jim Corbett Rifle
Auction price: $250,000. This Rigby became extraordinary because its story was inseparable from its decoration and historical association. The rifle was created as a tribute to Jim Corbett and featured relief engraving depicting scenes connected with his famous hunting narratives. When it was donated to Safari Club International, the piece reportedly sold for $250,000. That figure illustrates an important point about luxury rifles: once provenance, craftsmanship, and collectible status enter the equation, the price can rise far beyond what the mechanical specifications alone would suggest.
3. Westley Richards Bespoke Mauser
Price: around £30,000 in the cited basic form, with custom work pushing it higher. Westley Richards builds its premium bolt rifles as bespoke commissions rather than treating them like ordinary catalogue products. The design uses a Mauser 98-style action and can be tailored in caliber, configuration, stock work, and engraving. That approach makes every finished rifle unusually personal. At roughly £30,000 before substantial embellishment, the price already exceeds many new cars, while rare wood, hand engraving, and additional options can move the final figure considerably higher.
4. Purdey Bespoke Bolt Rifle
Price: roughly £24,000 before extensive upgrades, with bespoke work capable of taking the total beyond a new-car budget. Purdey’s premium rifles occupy the luxury end of sporting firearms, where hand finishing and individual specification matter as much as the underlying action. Customers can choose presentation details, engraving and other refinements rather than simply selecting a standard model. The striking part is how quickly the bill can grow: a high-grade rifle may begin near £24,000, but elaborate wood and metalwork can turn it into a six-figure collector’s piece.
5. Holland & Holland Royal Rifle
Price: often £100,000 or more for highly embellished bespoke examples. Holland & Holland’s name carries exceptional weight in the British gun trade, and its most elaborate rifles are commissioned as individual works of craftsmanship. The cost reflects hand fitting, premium walnut, detailed engraving, finishing, and the long hours required to build and regulate a luxury rifle. A standard specification and a fully decorated commission are therefore worlds apart financially. At the upper end, buyers pay for exclusivity, artistry, and heritage as much as for the rifle’s practical sporting role.
6. High-Grade Mauser 98 Custom
Price: $30,000 to $60,000 or more for elaborate bespoke builds. The Mauser 98 action is famous for its rugged design, but luxury custom makers can transform the familiar platform into something dramatically more expensive. A premium build may combine a hand-shaped walnut stock, elaborate engraving, special metal finishes, and extensive fitting work. The action itself is not the whole story. Once dozens or hundreds of hours of skilled craftsmanship are added, the finished rifle becomes a one-off commission. At the upper end, its price can comfortably rival or exceed that of a well-equipped new car.
7. Bespoke Westley Richards Double Rifle
Price: commonly tens of thousands of pounds, with elaborate commissions potentially reaching six figures. Westley Richards’ double rifles belong to a tradition where the gunmaker’s hand is central to the finished product. Barrels must be carefully fitted and regulated, while stocking, finishing, and engraving can all be tailored to the buyer. The result is not simply a rifle with premium materials; it is a highly individualized object produced in limited numbers. For collectors, that scarcity and craftsmanship can matter more than any conventional specification sheet.
8. Museum-Grade Engraved Sporting Rifle
Price: $100,000 to $250,000 or more at the top end. The most expensive rifles are often not current production models at all. Exceptional engraved guns with documented ownership, famous makers, or unusual historical stories can become auction trophies, where rarity drives the final price. The $250,000 sale of the Jim Corbett Rigby demonstrates how dramatically provenance can change value. In this market, the wood, engraving, and maker establish the foundation, but a compelling history can become the factor that sends the final bid far beyond the cost of a new automobile.
