Modern Rook rifle

[Buckshot Bill]

I've wanted a rook rifle for a long time but they are usually too expensive or chambered in some obscure caliber. This is one I built in .32 S&W long. I made the stock and forend from black walnut a friend gave me from a tree he had removed from his yard. The barrel is a 9/16" TJ liner. It shoots quite well with both factory and handloads. Best 50 yard group so far is .727" CTC for 3 shots. Best 25 yards is .620" CTC for 5 shots. It likes 1.8 grn of bullseye under a speer 98 grn HBWC.

This is a straightforward project for someone with the right tools.

Plenty good enough for letting the air out of squirrels, bunnies, groundhogs and other tasty critters.

[EMC45]

One of the coolest things I have seen in a long time! I am a .32 S&W-L addict.

[Outpost75]

Bravo Zulu!

Delightful!

[richhodg66]

Very nice. WHat action is that built on?

I have a ruined .30-30 barrel for a Savage 219 I plan to do something similar with one day.

[GhostHawk]

I believe that is the Yildiz folding 12 ga action from Academy sports.

They sold for about 100$. Although in theory you could do it with most single shot break action shotguns, H&R etc.

Nice stock!

[Buckshot Bill]

Thanks men!

It's a chiappa little badger, formerly a very inaccurate .22 WMR. Not a tank of an action but I wanted slim and lightweight. And it has held up fine so far with factory pressure loadings.

[Marshall]

@Buckshot Bill,


Thanks men!

It's a chiappa little badger, formerly a very inaccurate .22 WMR. Not a very strong action but I wanted slim and lightweight. And it has held up fine so far with factory pressure loadings.

That may be because the SAAMI MAP for the 22 WMR is 24,000 psi and the MAP for the 32 S&W Long is only 14,500 psi (and most commercial ammunition is downloaded from that because of all the weak break actions in this caliber).

Marshall

[richhodg66]

I believe that is the Yildiz folding 12 ga action from Academy sports.

They sold for about 100$. Although in theory you could do it with most single shot break action shotguns, H&R etc.

Nice stock!

Those little Yildiz .410s would be just the platform for something like this if the trigger pulls could be made good.

I love the whole Rook Rifle concept. My Savage 219 in .22 Hornet comes pretty close, I love to squirrel hunt with it. A .32 might be a bit better on small game and would have the ability to interchange ammo with a good trail gun as well.

[richhodg66]

Just googled Chaippa Little Badger because I didn't know what they were. Man alive are those ugly. If nothing else, you sure improved the looks of that one.

Something to consider, a while back gnoahh tald me about some quality 3/4" tubed scopes being imported that are clones of the old mini Redfields. Just the ticket for some dimunitive rifles, and I've been wanting to get one for a .22 Hornet I want to keep slim and light. I'll so some looking around and see if I can find a link to them again.

[fred2892]

Something to consider, a while back gnoahh tald me about some quality 3/4" tubed scopes being imported that are clones of the old mini Redfields. Just the ticket for some dimunitive rifles, and I've been wanting to get one for a .22 Hornet I want to keep slim and light. I'll so some looking around and see if I can find a link to them again.
Do you have any more information on these scopes? I'd be interested if you could find a link.



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[richhodg66]

Ebay link here;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rimfire-4X-rifle-scope-3-4-tube-GruBee-Wolf-Pup-Duplex-Reticle-/222327015921?hash=item33c3b909f1:g:D4MAAOSwHMJYOdt J

Was meaning to get one for a Winchester 72A I have, that short little action would be nicer if it had a scope that was the right size.

[725]

Love the idea of a Rook Rifle. You made a dandy there.

[gnoahhh]

That is a wonderful little scope. I have two now, mounted on dainty little single shots that would have been dwarfed by any "modern" scopes. Excellent optics- better IMO than the discontinued Redfield it was cloned from. Positive repeatable adjustments, little or no parallax, sharp image from edge to edge- what's not to like? Made in China troubles you? Know this: Chinese optics manufacturers will give you a crummy product or a first class product depending on what you ask for/expect from them. I got the impression from the entrepreneur who had these made that he rode his Chinese guy hard to get the quality he was looking for, and it paid off.

I'm going to get yet another one just to salt away in case they disappear from the market.

[Buckshot Bill]

Ebay link here;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rimfire-4X-rifle-scope-3-4-tube-GruBee-Wolf-Pup-Duplex-Reticle-/222327015921?hash=item33c3b909f1:g:D4MAAOSwHMJYOdt J

Was meaning to get one for a Winchester 72A I have, that short little action would be nicer if it had a scope that was the right size.
\Might have to try one of those eventually. I'm spoiled by illuminated reticles for low light shooting.

[tranders]

That is such a neat little rifle.

Well done!!

[Artful]

Very Cool, thanks for sharing

[Whiterabbit]

instead of a .75" tube scope, I'd put more stock into an EER scope. in .75" if you could find one of course. But folded, the scope sticks out too far IMO. An EER scope would be just the ticket. Depending on how the balanced shifted when unfolded.

I like it. and VERY impressive given no lathe. I'd like to make something similar. But I have a lathe.

[richhodg66]

I have one of the old Redfields with the EER, not sure what to do with it. Was thinking it might eventually be good on a break open single shot.

[rking22]

There was a Burris 5/8 tube pistol scope I think 80s. I have one mounted out front on a Sheridan blue streak. Wish I could find another.

Great job on the rifle! Massive improvement to the appearance too! 32swl just rock!!!!

I have one in 32SWL on a Yildiz, thinking a lighter mainspring could do wonders for the trigger. I can accept it as is. But it really would be more fun with a decent trigger pull. It's smooth enough just HEAVY. The mainspring was designed for shotgun primers, lots tougher cup than a special primer, gotta find that rountuit and see what I can do.

Ment to add, I got one of the Redfield copies and it is a very nice scope, plain and simple,,, just right.

[Buckshot Bill]

There was a Burris 5/8 tube pistol scope I think 80s. I have one mounted out front on a Sheridan blue streak. Wish I could find another.

Great job on the rifle! Massive improvement to the appearance too! 32swl just rock!!!!

I have one in 32SWL on a Yildiz, thinking a lighter mainspring could do wonders for the trigger. I can accept it as is. But it really would be more fun with a decent trigger pull. It's smooth enough just HEAVY. The mainspring was designed for shotgun primers, lots tougher cup than a special primer, gotta find that rountuit and see what I can do.

Ment to add, I got one of the Redfield copies and it is a very nice scope, plain and simple,,, just right.

I'd love to see yours, the yildiz look like much higher quality than the hatfield I was planning on using for my 45-70 liner

[308Jeff]

Love it!

[TexasGrunt]

That's sweet. If I had the ability I'd do one in .22 Hornet.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

That is a beautiful little rifle, and should be highly practical for its intended purpose. I'd much prefer it to a .22WRM or the .17 rimfires. I think the reference above to weak break-open firearms was to break-open revolvers, and you would have no difficulty at all with SAAMI maximum pressure and any sound .410. So with slower than pistol powders you could get slightly higher velocity. It will be easier to reload, with inexpensive tooling and components, than the heel-bullet original rook rifle rounds.

The lightened stock takes me back to the first firearm I ever handled, a light Belgian .410. It might have benefited with slightly more wood around the hole, for how heavy is wood anyway? An inch or two more in the barrel wouldn't have made its folded length any greater, but those abodyre just details.

For me pistol and even Scout scopes are too far forward. Jeff Cooper's concept of open left eye doesn't work at all for me, as I don't have binocular vision. But for it to work really well for anybody, I think it has to be close to unitary power. If it doesn't, you just have a small picture.

I have a 2.5x Tasco Bantam scope, now discontinued but appearing occasionally on eBay, which was available in versions both tube-diameter and wider at the front end. It was inexpensive but one of China's better efforts on quality, and although it has a 1in. tube is short enough not to dwarf a small rifle. The great thing is that it has a 5½in. eye relief, which for me makes it about ideal for a small Martini or break-open rifle. I've seen apparently identical scopes on the market without the Tasco name (a thing about as common as it used to be in Birmingh am and Liège, but I don't know about the eye relief.

A couple of things about scope mounting become easier with this gentle little rifle. If you are lining an existing .410 barrel, you could drill all the way into the bore for scope mounts first. Or if a one-piece mount fits well, soft solder alone should hold it. This isn't a rifle you are going to get overheated.

[nekshot]

Looks great, a personal dream brought to completion! Boy do I want a bunch of those scopes!!!! Check book says NO.

[Buckshot Bill]

That is a beautiful little rifle, and should be highly practical for its intended purpose. I'd much prefer it to a .22WRM or the .17 rimfires. I think the reference above to weak break-open firearms was to break-open revolvers, and you would have no difficulty at all with SAAMI maximum pressure and any sound .410. So with slower than pistol powders you could get slightly higher velocity. It will be easier to reload, with inexpensive tooling and components, than the heel-bullet original rook rifle rounds.

The lightened stock takes me back to the first firearm I ever handled, a light Belgian .410. It might have benefited with slightly more wood around the hole, for how heavy is wood anyway? An inch or two more in the barrel wouldn't have made its folded length any greater, but those abodyre just details.

For me pistol and even Scout scopes are too far forward. Jeff Cooper's concept of open left eye doesn't work at all for me, as I don't have binocular vision. But for it to work really well for anybody, I think it has to be close to unitary power. If it doesn't, you just have a small picture.

I have a 2.5x Tasco Bantam scope, now discontinued but appearing occasionally on eBay, which was available in versions both tube-diameter and wider at the front end. It was inexpensive but one of China's better efforts on quality, and although it has a 1in. tube is short enough not to dwarf a small rifle. The great thing is that it has a 5½in. eye relief, which for me makes it about ideal for a small Martini or break-open rifle. I've seen apparently identical scopes on the market without the Tasco name (a thing about as common as it used to be in Birmingh am and Liège, but I don't know about the eye relief.

A couple of things about scope mounting become easier with this gentle little rifle. If you are lining an existing .410 barrel, you could drill all the way into the bore for scope mounts first. Or if a one-piece mount fits well, soft solder alone should hold it. This isn't a rifle you are going to get overheated.

That is an excellent observation. The barrel was initially 19" but I had an "oops" and had to set the barrel back to 16.25". I could have actually made it 20" but at the time it still had the wire stock on it which was shorter. When I drew up the wood stock I added about 1" to the length of pull for a better fit and so the barrel started looking shorter and shorter! Luckily I was able to salvage the project while staying legal and not having to purchase another $100 barrel!

There are a couple different loads in my manuals, with the max charge increasing by up to 2 grn. I tried the hottest unique load given (for S&W hand ejector) and the action began to loosen within 10 shots so I stopped, tightened the action and went with the lowest max bullseye load in my manuals. The bullseye was more accurate than unique in this gun anyway and it hasn't rattled the gun apart in 500 shots so I think we are good to go. Velocity is still in the 825 fps range with a 98 grn wadcutter boolit, that should be more than enough to crack a cranium out to 50 yds or so.

[sharps4590]

Gotta love a Rook & Rabbit rifle. My W.J. Jeffrey relined to 25-20 WCF stands next to my bed ready for lawn and garden vermin. The bore was a sewer pipe and someone had already cut the 255 Jeffrey chamber to 25-20 so the collector value was pretty much gone. I wanted to go back to the 255 Jeffrey but that was immensely cost prohibitive....for me. Loaded down the 25-20 WCF was easy to match the 255 Jeffrey ballistics.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Gotta love a Rook & Rabbit rifle. My W.J. Jeffrey relined to 25-20 WCF stands next to my bed ready for lawn and garden vermin. The bore was a sewer pipe and someone had already cut the 255 Jeffrey chamber to 25-20 so the collector value was pretty much gone. I wanted to go back to the 255 Jeffrey but that was immensely cost prohibitive....for me. Loaded down the 25-20 WCF was easy to match the 255 Jeffrey ballistics.

My Army and Navy rook rifle went just the opposite way. It had been converted into a .410, and I lined it to .255 Jeffery. It is easily done with the standard .25-20WCF reamer about a tenth of an inch short, if you cut the rim recess separately, and grind the same amount off .25-20WCF dies. It uses any standard diameter .257in. bullet, inside lubed if it is cast.

[BAGTIC]

Yes but the head area for the .32 is greater so the breech thrust will probably be higher too. I have often thought the 32 ACP would be a good caliber and its brass is designer for higher pressures.

[Buckshot Bill]

yes thrust is higher that's why I stay with factory pressure loads

[PerpetualStudent]

No lathe or mill intrigues me. Drill press to cut the chamber?

[Buckshot Bill]

Chamber was cut by hand, as was the crown

[1989toddm]

How is the liner attached? Epoxy? It looks like maybe held by set screws but I find that hard to believe..

[Buckshot Bill]

green Loctite and two hidden cross pins (factory method of attachment) I went with set screws in the factory drilled picatinny rail holes as well but accuracy suffered so I got rid of them.

[Outpost75]

My Army and Navy rook rifle went just the opposite way. It had been converted into a .410, and I lined it to .255 Jeffery...

My Army & Navy was originally a .255 but had a badly pitted bore. John Taylor relined and rechambered it to .32 S&W Long and Lucas Geiger did the exterior restoration after the relining was done.

194225

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Ah, the hammer ejector, four pounds ten shillings in their 1907 catalogue! Mine is the hammerless with top lever and tang safety at £8 or £10 according to finish, but I can see no advantage in use, and it doesn't have you beautiful refinish. I don't know if there are any competitions for rifles like these in the US, but I believe the presence of an external hammer, under as NRA Black Powder Cartridge rules, has the unusual property of changing the colour of the powder.

Both rifles were available as .250 or .300 (.295), and am sure the .250 was the .255 Jeffery. Cartridges were both black and smokeless, at four shillings (a fifth of a pound) and four shillings and threepence per hundred.

The Army and Navy Co-operative Society didn't make its own guns, but bought them in from the Birmingham trade, just as many genuine gunmakers did for part of their stock. Many were probably made by Webley. I don't know whether anybody could walk in and shop there, but it was a cooperative society of its shareholders, who received a dividend. They could be officers, warrant and non-commissioned officers, plus a fairly wide range of British and Indian civil servants and their dependents. About thirty years ago I was walking in Bombay and passed the then headquarters of the TATA industrial conglomerate, and saw the Society's name still engraved in the stonework. They recently restored it, and re-stored it into a department store again.

I dream sometimes of a really good English double .410, with the bore bad enough to be relined without vandalism, and cheap enough' to be worth replacing the short boy's stock most of them have. You would have to take a chance on barrel regulation, but a 2½in. .410 recoils very little, so it might be right. They aren't common, as it was more usual to start a boy with a 20ga. or eliminate your rats with a single. It is a hard fact that nobody really needs a .410.

[GARD72977]

Love to see the 32 cal rifles. Nicely done!