John Rigby & Co. will preview a new production model, the Highland Stalker Jim Corbett Man-Eater in .275 Rigby, at the Mallards and Double Rifle Society Safari Classic Shoot in Crystal River, Florida, on Saturday, 14 November 2026, with the official unveiling to follow at the safari hunting shows in early 2027. The announcement, published on 15 October, names the model, the calibre and the lineage and nothing else: no specification, no production number and no price, UK or otherwise, has been released.

For the UK trade the preview is worth reading for what it says about how the premium end of the bolt-action market is being worked. Rigby is launching a rifle built on its best-known story to an American audience first, at a paid event built around big-bore shooting and a dinner, and holding the detail back for the show season.

What is Rigby launching?

The Man-Eater is a variant of the Highland Stalker, the company’s working bolt-action stalking rifle, chambered in .275 Rigby, the firm’s name for the 7x57mm cartridge it introduced to the British market. The name is Jim Corbett’s: the original .275 Rigby presented to him after he killed the Champawat man-eating tigress in 1907 sits in the company’s London museum, and managing director Marc Newton will bring it to Florida and speak at the evening dinner. Two examples of the new model will be shown beside it.

The rest of the display is the firm’s established range: a Big Game Vintage in .416 Rigby and a Big Game Lightweight in .375 H&H, both in double square bridge configuration, a Highland Stalker Magnum in .300 Winchester Magnum, and a Big Game SSB on the hosts’ 25-yard and 100-yard indoor ranges for guests to shoot.

What does the launch signal for the premium bolt-action market?

Three things a retailer or distributor can take from it. First, that at this price point the story is the product: the Man-Eater is a Highland Stalker with a name, a calibre and a museum piece attached, and the company is spending its launch on the association rather than on a feature list. Second, that the United States remains the first market for the heritage London houses on big-game and tribute models, and that the safari show circuit, not a UK show, is where the specification will land. Third, that a maker which has just moved into a purpose-built London headquarters with its museum at the centre of the showroom is using that museum as a product pipeline: the Corbett rifle already sits beneath the table on which every new Rigby is presented, and now it has a model named for it.

None of that needs a UK dealer to do anything yet. The company has said the official unveiling comes in early 2027, and until the specification and price are published there is nothing to stock, quote or list. What the trade can do is watch how the Highland Stalker line is being extended, because a working stalking rifle carrying a tribute name is a different proposition from a bespoke double, and the customer for it is the stalker who already owns the standard rifle as much as the collector.

What happens next?

The official unveiling of the Highland Stalker Jim Corbett Man-Eater is at the safari hunting shows in early 2027, when Rigby is expected to publish the specification and pricing. Gun Trade Insider will report the UK position, including whether the model reaches the trade through the company direct or through dealers, when the company confirms it.

Useful links

John Rigby & Co. – the announcement of the Florida preview in full

Frequently asked questions

What is the Rigby Highland Stalker Jim Corbett Man-Eater?

A new production model from John Rigby & Co., a variant of its Highland Stalker bolt-action stalking rifle chambered in .275 Rigby and named for Jim Corbett’s original .275, which the company keeps in its London museum.

Has Rigby published a price or specification for the Man-Eater?

No. The 15 October announcement names the model, the calibre and the lineage only; the specification and pricing are expected at the official unveiling at the safari hunting shows in early 2027.

Where is the Man-Eater being previewed?

At the Mallards and Double Rifle Society Safari Classic Shoot in Crystal River, Florida, on 14 November 2026, where two examples will be shown beside Jim Corbett’s original rifle.

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