By Caleb McClain
Deep in the jungles of rural India, a hunter waits in a small patch of grass as dozens of local villagers begin yelling, firing guns, and beating drums all around him. He knows that somewhere in the valley lies a tiger who has just claimed her 436th victim, a young girl, and he is directly in the tiger’s only route of escape.
Suddenly, a flash of orange. The hunter raises his double-barreled .500 Henry Adkins & Sons rifle, ready to free the villagers from their constant fear. Unexpectedly, a shot rings out from a nearby government official, and the unwounded cat flees back the way she came. As the yelling mob closes in, the ferocious beast panics and turns back, giving the hunter a clear shot from both barrels at just 30 paces. Seemingly uninjured by the blasts, she stares at him, ready to charge. Out of ammunition, the hunter knows his time is up.
Fortunately for the hunter—Jim Corbett—he had already delivered two fatal shots to the most notorious tiger in India: the Champawat man-eater. The beast turns and flees, dying not far away.
Jim Corbett’s .500 Henry Adkins & Sons
While the .500 Henry Adkins & Sons rifle was not the first gun Corbett used to kill a big cat, it was the first he employed regularly in his career hunting man-eaters. Originally manufactured for use with black powder, it was later modified to fire the increasingly popular cordite propellant. The rifle was distinctive for its breech release; a long lever located below the trigger known as a Jones underlever.
In recognition of his service to the region and his bravery in slaying the Champawat man-eater, the Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces of India presented Corbett with a .275 Rigby bolt-action rifle. Corbett used the lighter-caliber .275 Rigby to take down many bears, leopards, and tigers, including his last man-eater, the Thak tigress.
Evolution of Jim Corbett’s Arsenal
As firearms advanced, Corbett eventually upgraded his heavier rifle from the .500 to a .450/400 Nitro Express. This new double rifle, manufactured by W.J. Jeffery, was ornately engraved with fine scrollwork across the receiver. Despite having iron sights that marked out to 500 yards, this was the gun he carried when things got dangerous, as the double dose of 400-grain bullets were ideal for close-quarters combat or follow-up shots on wounded cats in the bush. This was the weapon he called on in his encounters with the infamous Kanda and Mohan man-eaters.
Over the past century, both the modified .500 and the .275 Rigby found their way into the collection of John Rigby & Co., who still owns them today—the .275 still bearing the original plaque on the stock. After Corbett’s death, the renowned outdoor and firearms writer Elmer Keith acquired the .450/400 for his collection. In 2015, it was sold again for an astonishing $264,500 to a private collector.
Today, Corbett’s rifles are more than relics of a bygone era—they are enduring symbols of one man’s courage, marksmanship, and profound respect for both the wilderness he roamed and the people who lived there. Though his guns now rest silently in collections, yearning for another shikar, the legend of Jim Corbett still echoes through the jungles of India and the pages of his unforgettable memoirs.
Editor’s Note: The lead image captures the incredible bronze sculpture of Jim Corbett in action, commissioned by John Rigby and Co.
