doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reconverting a rook rifle?

I think it would just take someone who understands lining to just measure the the candidate barrel. I don't think this is a situation where a .410 shotgun barrel is being converted to a rifle. It is more likely that a roughly .25, .30 or .38 rifle is just being lined to original or similar bore and groove. The only difference is that at some point a decision was made to leave it at a .410 inch smooth bore for a while.

I will second TJ Liners, have used both and TJ's are by far the nicer ones. Nice folks to deal with as well... Last ones I got from them were for a 32-40 project. When I slugged the bore as soon as the slug got into the bore the weight of the the 1/4" brass rod used to drive it thru was enough to push it thru the entire length of the barrel with no additional help. To say these barrels are smooth & consistent is an understatement.

Great product!
WBLDon

Double rook rifles are very rare. Most were singles. It was common practice here in the U.K. for them to be bored out to .410 but they then usually had the end 3/4 of the barrel turned down from the octagonal to the round to better balance them. If still o.k. but with poor bores it can often be re-lined. Most former .300's are best lined to .32 S&W Long which has similar ballistics. The .360's can be relined for a .38 Special round but loaded light to give similar results to the original. Ironic that the old original rook rifles are now worth about four times what they are when taken to .410. This was done as ammo became scarce. I have one so converted that, according to the proof marks, was done in 1939/40. Lagopus�..

I wish I could find more of those rooks converted to .410. I have seen only one. It went for $850.

https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.com//Full//634/136634.jpg

1300 Pounds from the unsold sealed bid items. Not the one I was interested in but still interesting. Just a bit steep for a project gun as a plinking gun. Not bad for hard charging ground hogs I guess. I was looking at a single shot.

UNSIGNED ENGLISH .410 (SMOOTHBORED) ROTARY-UNDERLEVER DOUBLE HAMMER ROOK RIFLE, serial no. 14970, 26in. nitro reproved barrels, smoothbored to .410 from a rook rifle calibre, 2 1/2in. chambers, bored approx. true cyl. and imp. cyl. choke, Jones patent rotary-underlever, carved percussion fences, elongated top strap, unsigned non-rebounding back-action locks with bolted hammers, border engraving, action brushed bright and reblued, the lockplates and hammers with renewed colour-hardening, 14 1/2in. figured pistolgrip stock (cracked through and repaired at hand) with cheekpiece, steel pistolgrip-cap, sling eyes and steel buttplate, weight 6lb. 3oz.

The only ones I have at the moment are a double side by side top lever hammer gun by Rosson of Derby with one barrel .300 Rook and one barrel .410 shot. It was made like that not having one bored out; a sort of mini Cape Gun. The other is a bored out to .410 by Ebrall of Shropshire with a top lever and side hammer. It shoots very well. I did have a nice original octagonal barrel .360 No.5 but sadly it went in order to put towards another gun I was after. They are worth seeking out as they will never be made again. That Holts one above will now be worth a third or quarter of its value than if left original. Lagopus�..

For: KY Jon

I do not think that gun started out as a rook rifle, no matter what they claim. Stalking safeties seem a bit much for a rook rifle. It might have been a mid size rifle that just got reamed out. It was a nice looking rifle but as a .410 it is not much of a looker.

I can't see signs that it ever had a rear sight.
Mike

About three inches past the hinge pin there looks to be a small area on the rib that looks different. At first I thought they might have put a new top rib on the barrels. Perhaps they did. I�d love to see what the proof marks could tell us if they are still present. They might have removed them when they bored it out to .410.