Does anyone know where I can get a 25-35 sleeve for an old single shot rifle. Or, a possible replacement octagon barrel in 25-35?
Carl

What gun, Stevens, Winchester, what//

https://www.gunadapters.com/

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/item.aspx/637/1

Nope, not that lucky, it's a belgium gun chambered in 360 rook. I found a Winchester barrel and ordered it but now have to find someone to deal with the metric vs American threads. Anyone know of a barrel guy that can help with the new thread issue?
Carl

Forgot to mention, the Winchester barrel is used and I bought at a good price. The Belgium gun is a single shot rolling block and simple but well made and is worth the effort with what I have in the gun.

Carl,
Have you removed the barrel from the rolling block? If so, what is the major diameter of the threads? What is the major diameter of the Winchester thread? Due to the difference in head diameter between the two cartridges there is a possibility that the Winchester threads can be turned off and the shank re-threaded for the rolling block thread. However, for the same reason, doing that may very well result in a barrel shank too small for the 25-35. You may find it necessary to cut the chamber portion of the Winchester barrel off and chamber it to 25-20 instead. I would recommend you sell the Winchester barrel and have the rolling block lined to 38 S&W Special and load it to 360 ballistics.
Mike

The gun's on its way back to me so I can't answer the questions at the moment. Supply more info later.
Carl

A Bing search turns up several gunsmithing firms doing relining.

Im hoping the conversion to 25-35 works out, that's the preferred outcome for me, 25-20 would be the next. Thanks researcher, I may check back with you if need be.
Carl

Another recommendation for liners from Track of the Wolf.

Depending on your goals, would you consider reboring instead? Obviously, you have to go up in bullet caliber, but perhaps a pistol cartridge would suffice. JES Reboring is incredibly fast (11 days over Christmas including shippi g) and inexpensive(<$300 several years ago).

If you are a handloader, dont forget the 32 S&W long or 32 H&R mag. They are great little rook calibers.

I'll consider anything. Ideally I'd like to sleeve or replace the barrel with a cartridge with something that resembles a target load that is somewhat available...32-20, 25-35, 25-20, 32-40. Can't shoot 30-30 or 38-55 as they are too long. The 25-35 works because the neck allows more room for the cartridge to fit in. I'm not that fond of rook rifles as a target rifle, but I must confess, they are confusing to me. Were a means of pest control...kind of like a shotgun rifle?
Carl

Also known as Rook and Rabbit rifles they were designed to be short ranged rifles for safer use in agricultural communities in the days when you had a lot of people working in the fields.

Give John Taylor A call. He does this kind of thing all the time. Has lined hundreds of barrels.
Taylor Machine
3630 13th Street C
Lewiston, ID 83501
253-77-7793

As far as liner suppliers TJ’s Liners are very good and come in many different bores and external sizes. Hammer forged around a mandrel and come in the length you want. The only issue I have, when buying one, is getting ahold of them, been trying for two weeks now with no luck. The number is 859-635-5560

I agree with respect to TJs. I believe that is what Track sells. John Taylor is excellent, but he can be backed up.

Carl,
You previously stated that the rifle in question is a rolling block, but your discussion of cartridges being too long sounds like the rifle may be a Martini/Peabody type instead. Is it possible for you to post a photo of the rifle?
Mike

Yes I can post pics but can someone help me with the posts. Ted has helped me post pics in the past..I'm not that computer savvy!
Here's why I say it's a rolling block. The breech block is part of the lever, so after you cock the trigger, the lever will open and rotate the breech block back and down. That allows you to load the cartridge, close the breech block with the lever and fire the gun.
Someone converted the lever, from a factory lever( normal lever with upward curl at end) to a silly looking closed lever like a model 94 winchester.
Carl

Carl,
If the breech rotates backward and down.it does sound like a rolling block.
Mike

This gun sounds like an under lever conversion possibly. Be nice to get some pictures showing what it is, I don’t do pictures very well on this site either.
Bob

Brent, it looks like you are correct on Tracks being made by TJ’s. I thought they were Redmonds. All the liners I see are to the same specs that TJ’s shows in their lists, and track says they are hammer forged. Thanks for the heads up because it looks like they have in stock what I need.
Bob

TJs is kinda infamous for being hard to reach. Probably because he's working too hard at making liners.

Have you found someone to install it?

No, I called the man referenced before and it was a bad time. He said send pics and we will go from there but said he questioned whether the breech block could handle the extra pressure going from 360 rook to 25-35??

Carl,

.360 Rook was essentially a low pressure cartridge similar to the .38 Long Colt revolver round.

The action would not have been designed for higher pressures and if you need to re-line it it would be sensible to look at cartridges from .38 Special (and not +P) downwards such as .32-20, .32 S&W long, .25-20 etc.

How is the original bore? If not badly pitted it might shoot acceptably with .38 Special HBWC or .38 Long Colt rounds.

It’s still ok, rifling is worn but barrel is still tight(?). I think my smith means it is still close to original factory tolerances. Thanks for your input.
Carl

If it’s questionable with 25-35, I’d opt for 25-20 next.

Wow, voice translation made hash of that! Let's edit a little.

25-20, 32-20, and, of course, 22 rimfire are the 3 most popular calibers for rook rifle relines, I believe.

There are lots of other contenders, but they would require scrounging or making some very hard to find brass: 25-20 single shot, for example. That would have the advantage of having a little narrower case and leaving a bit more meat under the threads.

Brent, I do all my own work. This liner will be going in a Ballard so I can keep the original barrel and caliber, 40-63.
Bob

Carl,
I didn't understand the rifle still had a shootable barrel. I absolutely would recommend handloading and shooting it in the original caliber now. Original Rook rifles are harder and harder to find. Common 38 Special cases can be shortened to fit and proper bullet molds as well as loading dies for 38 Long Colt are available. At the worst, you might have to size the heeled bullet from .380"+ to .360"+. Somewhere in these forums our old friend Wayne Goree described in pretty good detail his experiences handloading for both .380 and .360 Rook rifles, including bullet diameters.
Mike

The funny thing is, on the original portion of the lever, there is a very clear stamp.. 380. I wonder if it is actually a 380? My confusion is the mold casting measures less than .380 and my very knowledgable friend who checked it out said it is definitely a .360. I am not an expert on bullet casting, even that is an overstatement. I know nothing of how to determine proper calibers from a casting. I bought the gun because it is cool looking and I like single shots and it was very affordable. There you go! The rifling is worn but my friend said it is clean and shootable. That was my conclusion on a visual inspection too.
Mike, a rook gun is more like a powerful sling shot, right? I want it to be a target rifle even if it is for shorter distances, and maybe a varmint gun. not something that lobs lead 50 yards. Is that too harsh?
Carl

I would (re)load 38 Special brass (if it fits the chamber length,,or trim it down to 38 Long Colt length which is likely the proper length for the orig caliber.
Then load 'Mid Range Target' loads using cast or swaged 148gr Hollow Base Wad Cutter bullets.
These are standard .357d but the soft lead and hollow base will expand upon firing and engage the rifling of the 360 bore size no matter what it happens to be at this point.
It's a common load used by shooters with S&W Victory revolvers rechambered to 38Special but still having the 38S&W bore bbl on the gun with their slightly oversize (for 38Spec) bullet barrel.

You can try 38S&W cartridge in the chamber and see if it will chamber...they are loaded with a lead bullet that is likely just right for the 360 Rook at .361/.362d.
The old Brit Military 38S&W load was a 200gr bullet (38/200) meant to do everything the heavy .455 Webley was capable of doing. But that's another story.

The 38S&W case is slightlylarger in dia than the 38Special/38 Colt, so it might not chamber,,but it's worth a try.

If it doesn't,,then I'd simply go to the load above and see what kind of results you can get.
The Mid Range TArget Load (3.5gr Bullseye/ 148gr HBWC Lead) was and still is a standard Bullseye target pistol load in competition and used at 50and 25 yds to shoot 1" groups.

In a light weight Rook Rifle I would welcome a cartridge that would do that and not knock the snot out of me.
Easy to load,,brass all over the place as well as bullets and powder choices.

A 25-35WCF would not be too pleasent to shoot more than a few rounds in a light weight Rook.
The 25-20,32-20 and others in that range would be fine but would take work & $ to do a conversion.

I'd at least try the 38 Special/148gr WC bullet angle first and see where it goes. Nothing lost if it doesn't work out and then you can go to re-lining, re-bbling, etc.

Just my thoughts,

So when you say "light weight" you are not talking about the barrel size or weight of gun, you are referring to the light weight charge in the bullet, right? Cause this rifle is not a light weight. It has a tapered barrel but it's like a modified bull barrel. Anyway, I do think I will mess with existing modifications first and see how things work out. Thanks for your thoughts.
Carl

Carl,
Now it seems you have a bullet mold with your rifle. Do you have loading dies also? It is a lot easier for us to help if we have all the information. My cousin has a Martini type Rook rifle on 380 Rook. We tried the HBWC trick, but it didn't work at all, it seems smokeless powder doesn't obturate the skirts very well. However, I had a bullet mold for a 36-caliber percussion revolver(.375"+diameter) conical bullet. This bullet has a very short "heel" section and no lubrication grooves, but by lubricating the bullets with ALOX and handling the loaded cartridges carefully the accuracy was very acceptable. A proper heeled bullet mold would allow normal handling of the cartridges.
Mike

Mike, I’m a novice at reloading. No, I’m not even at novice level. I did reload my 12 ga SKB a very long time ago but when I said I’d mess with various options with existing, I am talking of having my smith advise me on my best possible substitution, not doing it myself.
If it’s going to be tough to get ammo to work with gun, I will most likely have existing barrel sleeved for 25-20 or 32-20, which ever is most available?
Sorry if I mislead you.
Carl

Carl,
As an owner of both 25-20 and 32-20 guns I can testify that ammo and components for neither are especially available now, in fact if I were not a packrat and hoarder of old cartridge cases I could not shoot a lot of my guns. My best advice is to shoot it like it is, but it is your rifle, and you can do with it as you will, if you insist on modifying a useable original rifle, my second-best advice is to have it lined to 38 S&W Special and shoot abundantly available target ammunition loaded with 148 grain hollow-base bullets. Be sure to save your spent cases, against the day you decide to load your own.
Mike

Good advice, thank you.
Carl

Projects are interesting to me, but all these cartridges will be more advanced reloading exercises, that will get pricey and likely have learning curves. Why not go back to the smith that requested pictures? Explain you'd prefer easy, maybe something available off the self? That smith has probably done the conversion countless times, including minimizing extractor work?

That is what I intend to do. After a thorough check, I’m leaning towards .357 if the rolling block is strong enough. If so, I will have my smith sleeve it.
Thanks,
Carl