doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rook rifle barrel re-lining

Has anyone had any experience in relining a double rifles barrels? I have the opportunity to bid on a .380 caliber double barrel hammer rook rifle with average bores and I was wondering how complex or costly it would be to have the barrels relined to original, or a similar caliber. I think an uncommon English gun like this would make an excellent project and shooter assuming the barrels can restored.
Any information and experience on barrel relining would be greatly appreciated
cheers Rhys

Rhys,
This is your gun to do with what you will, but I reccomend you resist the temptation to reline the barrels now.Most 380 Rook rifles shoot poorly because of using improper bullets.I suggest you try handloading before relining.
Mike

Mike,

I am not even sure how easily you could locate a .38 liner of the proper length. I had 1 22lr single shot relined some years back. So I do understand the urge.

Have you even tried to fire the gun? How accurate is it in it's current state?

Pete

Track of the Wolf has a wide selection of rifle liners. Others do as well. You can get a lot of information on thefiringline.com forums and other rifle oriented boards. Low pressure cartridges are a must for this type of alteration. The liner is the real barrel, that is held in by solder or epoxy. Any voids in the epoxy creates a weak spot. Solder never goes from end to end so it has even more voids than epoxy. Too high pressure would cause the liner to distort which would ruin the liner for accuracy. So you can not place a .225 liner in your double gun, the pressures would be too high. Select your caliber according to this type of limitation.

Before you go down that road I would try the barrels as they are. You are looking for a plinking gun not a match rifle. Hand loading could help. I have been thinking about taking one of the Rook rifles that has been converted into a shotgun and have them relined back to a rook rifle. Economics of the job just makes it a money pit but that has not always stopped me before.

Good catch on the Track of the Wolf reliners... Though the OP may not be able to get one from there, he is located in Australia. Some one down under must stock them.

Pete

Yes, proper loads and bullets should enable it to do well.


But also, I like Redmans

http://www.redmansrifling.com/relining.htm

Fun reading
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?34724-Info-on-380-Rook

and

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?38362-380-Rook-heel-mould-arrives

Or if you want to go to 38 Special you can go here
Contact Mike Sayer of T.J.'s liners 859-635-5560.
Mike has liners way over 3 feet long that he cuts to length.

Mike

Another idea
Might trim the 38 Special case to about 2 inches
3.0 grains of Bullseye
Hornady HBWC
http://www.hornady.com/store/38-Cal-.358-148-gr-HBWC/

Mike

What about .22 Magnum (WMR)?

With kind regards,
Jani

38/357 is an attractive alternative but you have to think ahead. Pistol type calibers I think will become much more regulated in the future. An older obsolete cartridge might fly under the radar. 25-20 is a modest, but fun round, based off the 32-20, the 218 bee was the small bore version. I would pick a low pressure cartridge with plenty of cheap brass and a good selection of bullets to load. .38 and 9mm seem alternatives but again I worry about the connection to pistols cartridges and what the future will hold.

I was keeping the pressure WAY DOWN as the original cartridge
was a black powder cartridge and the 3 grains of Bullseye
is also a mild load. I would not even shoot factory 38 Specials
in a relined barrel but only mild reloads.
Well maybe Western .38 Special Super Match, 148 Grain Lead Mid-Range, 38SMRP.
I shoot it in my blow back Colt 1911.

Mike