Gene,

The top lever Reilly rook rifle, SN 31111 and 7330 is not a conversion from a a muzzle loader but one of the many externally similar Rook Rifles made in Birmingham for the London and provincial trade in the 1880’s and 1890’s.

I have examined 2 externally almost identical Holland and Holland Top lever side hammer Rook rifles. One was a J. Thomas Patent single bite action made by Thomas or Tipping and Lawden (Thomas was their works manager before he set up on his own).

The other had a double bolt biting into both front and rear lumps and was probably made by Webley.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Just to be different my May Greener .410 started life as a Thomas made .380 Rook Rifle bought in by Grerner in 1882. Although marked Thomas Patent it in fact had a double bolt and was noted as such in Greener’s records.

Last edited by Parabola; 04/14/25 06:30 PM.