doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rook rifles?

A friend brough another rook rifle/410 conversion by Boss to show me the other day. Other than the name it was a perfect match to my Perrins - It must have been born in the same factory - It would probably have been worth twice as much at auction but I wouldn't have swapped!!!

Hello Lagopus,
The question has already been answered by another contributor to this thread. Wal Winfers six books on British Falling Block Rifles are superb reference works with masses of pictures, drawings, patent details and Company Histories.

I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are not cheap, averaging £50.00 plus each if you can find them, there are some available from Kynoco?spp. others will have to be searched for on the WWW. To get a complete set your looking at spending in excess of £300.00. Postage on these heavy and large volumes doesn't come cheap either.

None have been reprinted as far as I am aware, and some people are buying them up as an investment. I eagerly await Wal's book on Rook rifles, there's little in Wal's earlier Falling Block Rifle books simply because not many Rook Rifles were made on FB actions.

Harry

Thanks Harry; and everyone else, I will look out for the book becoming available but if you know of a source to try then could you please send me a message and I will try to get hold of one. I will be going to an RR shoot on the 2nd. of October. The person I am going with has a number, some with very odd actions, and a mint double .360 pin-fire by Gates of Derby; cased too! Great fun to shoot. I posted a photo of a double .300 side by side with one barrel .410 by Rosson of Derby quite recently. I only wish that I could have bought more many years ago when they were going for a song. I was offered a .300 Holland & Holland in mint condition and cased about 30 years back for just £30 but then they had to be justified on a Firearms Certificate and that was not easy to do when ammo was not available. I would be worth about £1,000 to £1,500 now. Lagopus.....

The book,"The British Falling Block Breechloading rifle from 1865," Author, Johnathan Kirton. Well illustrated 242 large pages; Published in 1985 by Armory Publications, This is an excellent reference book including inputs from leading authorities in Australia [incuding the Winfer,s],Canada,New Zealand, Norway,South Africa,United Kingdom & U.S.A.Contents include an excellent illustrated review of falling block rifles by leading makers,including related patent drawings.Also of interest is info on the makers business and in some cases the dates of manufacture and rifle performance.

Hi,

I am a new-boy on the block but an old time shooter. You know these rifles and sometimes shotguns all came from the same Belgique Factory and carried the very same pattern on each and everyone. The top of the barrel which if original is octagonal from breech to foresight was manufactured with a plane raised inscription plate into which the purchaser could inscribe his firms name suggesting that this was the maker.
Stephen Grant was a renowned English gun and rifle maker appointed gun-maker to her most gracious majesty, Queen Victoria and of course or perhaps more importantly her Consort Prince Albert and yet Grant too felt that the quality of these imported weapons was sufficient for him to inscribe his firms name and sell them as his weapons. I actually own one of these which was originally a 0.300" Rook Rifle but which has been modernised by boring out the rifling to a finished bore of 0.410" smooth barrelled and hence a shot gun.
For more see "Greener the Gun and It's Development" by W.W. Greener - 1910. Facsimile edition SBN 85368 073 6.

Welcome, Chris, glad to have you aboard.
Mike

I got my Winfer / Rowe Rook rifle book from Shandra's books in Medford, OR. I don't have a phone number. I evidently told them at the Vegas show to call when it came available and they did. Then I promptly lost the phone number. I've had it for a couple weeks. Great book - highly recommended!

Chris,
By far the most informative & interesting book on Rook Rifles,isthe relatively recent publication;
"The Classic British Rook & Rabbit Rifle,"by Colin Greenwood.
The book was published in 2006 by the Crowood Press.in the U.K.
I believe that I purchased my copy from Gunnerman Books,Rochester Hills Mi;tel; 248-608-2856,ask for Carol Barnes.

OK; ignorance hanging out and all that: just what the hell exactly is a Rook Rifle anyway?

a small caliber rifle used to shoot rook, rabbits and other vermin. A rook is a close relative to crows.