Hello  I have  bunch of English rook rifles, or so called.  Is there any that other people that like this kind of thing. They range from London guns to Scottish and Ireland. 

I would appreciate any word of people that like these

Thanks,..............Chip

Uuuhh, well, I like took rifles.

I love rook rifles. I used to have a Woodward Martini rook rifle in 360 No.5 that shot 38 long colts into clover leafs at 50 yards- I foolishly let it go when I needed some cash.

Just one of my Rook rifles just Love them. TJ.

a couple more

the Snyder is really cool, as they all are.

Those are beautiful, as are your Winchesters, I'm impressed with the collection you have. Never saw a small Snider, and didn't even know they existed. Thanks.

Lovely collections/specimens, all! I have a Issac Hollis and Sons Martini action in 380 Rook, but it’s not in as good as a shape as any of the pictured guns here. All the other ones that I have seen seem to command prices that are a bit too much for me, but I am always looking out for them.

I would gladly collect any and all rook rifles I could find--  so far I've had to satisfy the urge with a Westley Richards Martini Cadet (310cf).
They are excellent examples of the maker's art and few remain in shootable condition today.  I continue the search.

I have never seen the mark, Fazer. I have seen a couple of break action rifles in 300 Sherwood so some early 20th century customers thought it was a Rook cartridge. I do, however, agree that it is way over the top. I shoot mine (a Martini) a lot even though it is a difficult cartridge to load. The shallow taper on the case is effectively a morse taper and and can stick in the breach. Any small oversize section will cause the round to be impossible to chamber. I use a conventional three die set, but de-cap separately and the sequence is: re-cap, add powder, neck expand, seat and then full length re-size. My usual load is 10grn of Reloader 7. First time I used this rifle at Bisley, I won a 100yd off-hand competition with it.
Fred

Here are a couple of mine:

Bailey Bonehill 360No.5
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H&H 360 No.5 with some paper patched loads I made up.
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Webley '02
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W.W. Greener 310
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Wilkes 300
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Army & Navy 300
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Westley Richards Deeley Edge patent 320
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W.W. Greener 310 double
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oneatatime wrote on Aug 19^th, 2018 at 6:04pm:


Thanks!  It is a lovely rifle.
It had been rebored and chambered for 357 mag. when I bought it and I had John Todd engrave it for me. 
It really is a great little rifle.  One that will hopefully never leave the family.

Thanks to all of you for posting pics of your rook rifles. As one who has never had the pleasure of seeing one up close and personal it was a treat. Never see anything even remotely like that down here in Louisiana. And having said that my only two British 22rf's are a BSA model 12 or 12/15 I bought many years ago when I lived in NYC and a BSA 22rf barreled action I bought here on this forum. Thanks again,Frank

I've only gotten to fondle one of those round block 1902s but it could not hold a candle to yours. My 1902 is the large economy size.

Thanks for posting. 

Regards,
Powderman

Quote:


If  you are interested I could pull it apart and get some pictures to you, if you think that could help

Sorry for the delay but things have been difficult here as of late. 

I have some rudimentary pictures here. Haven't pulled it completely down as I just want to be sure that I won't need some special tool to put it back together. Way things are going that's what would happen. 

Left side
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Right side, upper tang removed
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From behind
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bottom
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Extractor type, this is a different rifle, but this type of extractor
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If and when I can get time, I'll see if I can't get it all broken down

Huvius,
Thank you for posting pictures of your Webley.   I like it!  I have one of Rodney's castings that I'm working on as a demo for the students in my night class.  Undecided on the caliber it will become but I'm leaning towards the 25-35 W.C.F. - Mr. Winfer commented that it was actually one of the calibers the rook was chambered in, since I don't remember having a firearm chambered in this...   
Greg

Chuck,
Thanks for the bit o wisdom, I have not studied the frame casting real close - time has been spent on the lower tang and lever.   A quick glance at it originally and there appeared to be considerable material back side of the breech block area -the casting has no material removed for the loading trough so there was plenty.  Laying a cartridge in the area - as per my photo, much of this support will go away.  I will recalculate stress and strain to surface area before choosing a cartridge for this.  The only up side to this is it is modern steel (8620) vs whatever was used at the turn of the century.
Huvius, 
If at some time would you post or PM a picture from the top -  breech open and closed?
Thanks,
Greg

Hivius, I have an Army and Navy like the one you have pictured. Have you any idea as to who made it? Mine came to me from a good friend many years ago. It has been relined to a K Hornet and has an Alaskan up top. It draws blood often. It is my favorite rifle.

gwahir wrote on Sep 9^th, 2018 at 10:22am:


I am thinking that Webley made this Army & Navy. 
Read somewhere that he angle on the barrel just behind the forend was a Webley thing.

I love that small frame Snyder, they don't come any better than that. 
Thank you for the picture, Lee Gibbs

Can the 250 Rook cartridge be reloaded from modern components?  Is there any brass that might work?

Old-Win wrote on Sep 20^th, 2018 at 10:39am:


Unless I'm reading Barnes incorrectly, base diameter of .22 Hornet brass is awfully close.

And Hunter's Supply has some 50 grain .250" cast bullets.  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Fred Boulton wrote on Sep 20^th, 2018 at 12:22pm:


It’s a Webley based action.

Old-Win wrote on Sep 24^th, 2018 at 9:05am:


The American 25  chamberings are .257”-.258” the English 250 is in fact .250” which is why most slugs available are for 25ACP.

This thread confuses me.(easily done!).
There is more than one 25 calibre in the rook rifle family. The most common one is .297-25, followed by ,255 Jefferies. There are others.
I am assuming that we are talking about .297-25. I shot this calibre for some years using re-formed .22 Hornet brass. Yes, the rims need to be thinned a little but this is easily accomplished. I used a 25 acp bullet mould with 2 grn of Bullseye and the results were good. My dies came from the now defunct North Devon Firearms Services, but C4H do them as well. As obsolete cartridges go, this is an easy one to load for, once the initial investment in tooling is made.
Fred

Here is my H/H which I have had for a few years now. 
The barrel was shot out and it has been relined with a 1 in 9 twist liner and chambered in 5.6x50R by my local gun smith and a bit chopped off the end of the barrel making it just under 23" ( just bought a new Apple and can't find fractions of an inch on it yet)
It has on the underside of the barrel 22LR with proof marks where it had been converted from centre fire and my local gun smith returned it to centre fire. Unless it was made originally as a R/F cannot remember what he said.

In the book Rook & Rabbit Rifle by Colin Greenwood is an advert for Holland & Holland rook rifles which I find intriguing in that it list's that they can be had for the 303 round.
Must be for an entirely different rifle seeing the difference in the price to handle the Brit 303?

States rights said he likes took rifles. So do I. I grew up on took rifles. My Uncle took this rifle off of a dead German. Another Uncle took this rifle off a dead Jap.

Nero wrote on Nov 4^th, 2018 at 10:07pm:



Yes, those rifles were built to the same (or very similar) pattern but in a larger size.
I once had a Rigby break action that was originally a 303 but rebored to 400/360 - that’s how big the action is.

Yes you are absolutely right, not a rook rifle anymore.
Just thought you might like to look at what was a rook rifle.
I have a little martini in 5.6x50R with a 26" barrel but toting one of these around and into hotels can get you some odd looks so when this H/H came along with a shot out barrel I thought just the job to take down and not be noticed. In NZ it is illegal to leave a firearm in a unattended vehicle, not the sort of thing to walk into a restaurant or bank. So of course people do leave firearms in their cars.
The same still applies to the UK I think and remember a top cop having his twelve bore stolen from his car which was a bit embarrassing for him.
Also got dies and cases plus the gunsmith had the reamers and everything from my little BSA Martini.
Here's a couple of better photo's of my couple of 5.6x50R rifles.
Having problems with my new Apple computer and cannot find a way to reduce my photo's. They just come out so very very large. My old seven or eight year old Apple is so much more user friendly.
Will try again tomorrow.

Try on my old computer.
Here we go, about the best I can do.
Plus a look at what its all about compared to a 222_223 and the 5.6x50R

Very charming indeed what is the length of the barrel.

No idea, but I can't believe typing "1" then "/" and  "2" doesn't show "1/2" in the text.

These Rook rifles are pretty cool.  Makes me wish we had rooks to shoot at here 

Alt 0189 will get you ½.
Hold down the Alt key and 0189.
Think there is still an Alt key on the Apple
Chuck

Nero for pictures I use (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) in the upper drop box choose 640X480 ( message boards ) after you Choose Image, to post the picture that now comes up go down and choose Hot Links for Forums click on it and then simply click on select all and then copy and then paste that link here. This will be how your picture will be posted here now and it's free.
Its easy to use if you have any questions feel free to please ask and you shouldn't have to register to use it but eventually I chose to do so anyway.

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Nero when you get to Hotlinks for Forums right click on your Mouse. It will then be highted in blue and there should then be a drop box. Click on select all and you might have to right click on it again and then select copy and then just past it on our web page. It will then just show the link the picture will come up when you post it.

You might try just clicking on copy and then try to paste it. On my phone I have to do both select all and copy and then paste it.

Nero on Hotlinks for Forums try going all the way to the far right and there is blue and white symbol somewhat like a file folder / piece of corner folded paper and try clicking on it and it should say copied and then try pasting it on here.

Nero after you copied it you just had to paste onto the message you were about to share. And maybe a right a click and then to click on paste. Sure wish you were closer I would be on my way. But I also don't blame you for the frustration in trying.

Well I haven't given up yet and will work on it tomorrow. My teachings skills suffer greatly I just need to sit back down at my computer and see if I can somehow improve them so have a glass for me for good luck.

Yahoo!!!! Nero and you are very welcome. I believe I failed to realize you were not yet getting to your photos. 

JLouis

WOW!!!
I like them!

Would this have been a Rook rifle before re-barrel to 218 Mashburn Bee ? 
Dales

Thanks! That's very interesting.