Rook/Poachers Gun

[Cajun72]

Well I have only seen one, poacher's or rook gun before. I have found a 28ga UnderHammer version, with screw on 29" barrel. About 48" overall. Looks to be in decent condition for it's age. Does have some inside barrel pitting, but not too bad. You think it would be safe to shoot?
Adam

 

[Loyalist Dave]

What makes it a rook/poacher gun?

LD

 

[Cajun72]

From what I have read. Since it breaks down into 2 pieces, you can hide it in a backpack. Plus it fires by pulling the string you see.

 

[TraderVic]

So.....what's a rook ?

 

[Bighorserider]

A rook is a crow.

 

[Cajun72]

I think it's based off of a rookery. In Louisiana it's a small cluster of trees that birds nest in. Poacher's would approach the trees in a boat and shoot the bird's from underneath.

 

[TraderVic]

Interesting, thanks for answering my question. I'm aware of bird rookeries, I have never heard of a "rook gun" referenced in any discussions over many years. It's possible I wasn't listening, but I usually only do that with my other half

 

[Rudyard]

Every countryman knows ' If you see a lot of Crows together their Rooks' &' If you see two Rooks together their Crows' .In general the young Rooks where shot in quite tall trees in Springtime to thin out but to the delight of some Gormet's who enjoyed Rook Pie. Rook rifles tended to be small bore the idea being just enough to hit the Rooks but not being able to go far & cause damage since they where often shot in the middle of villages (I used to use a Webley 22 air rifle ) but the' Rook & Rabbit' rifles where the smallest rifles in UK use . Think of a 22 short sort of capacity ,or squirrel rifle. Cant say I ever heard of the OPs gun for Rooks but knocking off sleeping Pheasants that I can see . Keepers hated Guy Fawkes time as they likley took a gunshot for the fireworks about & sneeky Poachers knew it . The Crow isn' t a Rook the Rook is rather dull plumage and flocks gregariously while the Crow has much more colour variation bigger and nests in pairs some times in an old magpies nest . Both have a keen understanding of the ballistics of the common 12 bore load but we unlike modern folk can slip a ball in that upsets their reckonings but is mostly a futile guesture & to be remembering what goes up must come down ..
Rudyard

 

[GREENSWLDE]

So.....what's a rook ?

A Rook looks like a Roughed up Crow but has a Cream or White beak with White skin arond the base. Common in U.K. Young 'un's make good pies. OLd song--Four and Twenty Black birds baked in a Pie,When the pie was opened,the Birds began to Sing, Now wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a King..OLD DOG..

 

[Cajun72]

Great information on rooks. So would anyone be afraid to shoot this gun with a light load?

 

[new2bp]

There is even an unmentionable type chambering 300 Rook. 30 caliber rimmed straight wall case just under 1.5" OAL, 80gr bullet w/ 10gr BP for about 1100fps. Small light quiet pest control. Used to be kinda common in BSA Martini type actions

 

[deerstalkert]

since you can't reach through the inner web and choke me if it blows up on ya, i will venture that yes i would fire it!
i see no corrosion on the treads or in the breach.
first firing with it secured to a table or tire and fired via a string.
after that i would still load it lite. but it really doesn't need to be hotrodded.

 

[Treestalker]

Send it postage due to me on permanent loan and I'll get the results back to you, promise.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

In my dim and distant past I had a Belgian d/b .410x2" folding gun hammer gun that fitted nicely down my trouser leg. Provided much meat for the table between 1939--1949 when we had rationing. Mother was a WIZZ at Skinning Shushies. O;D..

 

[Cajun72]

I would love to find one of those here in the US. But they seem to be more common or available in the UK.

 

[52Bore]

Rook & Poachers rifles were completely different.
Poachers rifles were usually quite crude, drug thru the mud, beat up and only survived if the poacher survived.
Rook rifles shot in the UK used shooting at Rookery’s were anything butt. These seem to have occurred in the Breechloading era.
From about 2000-2010 many matches were held at a farm near Friendship, as many as 40 shooters attended.

 

[Colonial Boy]

52Bore,
I had a Rook rifle by Lancaster, .25 calibre with oval bore.
The round was no longer available so I rechambered for a .22 Hornet case shortened to the original chamber length.
Used it on rabbits, hares (and the occasional fox) for years until I got talked out of it.
This was a hammer gun with a side lever, later I had a hammerless .22rf by Hollis, which was a high quality piece despite that makers guns usually being down market.

 

[RAEDWALD]

Every countryman knows ' If you see a lot of Crows together their Rooks' &' If you see two Rooks together their Crows' .In general the young Rooks where shot in quite tall trees in Springtime to thin out but to the delight of some Gormet's who enjoyed Rook Pie. Rook rifles tended to be small bore the idea being just enough to hit the Rooks but not being able to go far & cause damage since they where often shot in the middle of villages (I used to use a Webley 22 air rifle ) but the' Rook & Rabbit' rifles where the smallest rifles in UK use . Think of a 22 short sort of capacity ,or squirrel rifle. Cant say I ever heard of the OPs gun for Rooks but knocking off sleeping Pheasants that I can see . Keepers hated Guy Fawkes time as they likley took a gunshot for the fireworks about & sneeky Poachers knew it . The Crow isn' t a Rook the Rook is rather dull plumage and flocks gregariously while the Crow has much more colour variation bigger and nests in pairs some times in an old magpies nest . Both have a keen understanding of the ballistics of the common 12 bore load but we unlike modern folk can slip a ball in that upsets their reckonings but is mostly a futile guesture & to be remembering what goes up must come down ..
Rudyard

My father was taught that ‘a rook in a crowd is a crow and a crow by itself is a rook’. Rook fledging squabs were an agricultural labourer’s treat if he could climb high enough. Soak the breasts in milk overnight to improve the flavour.

 

[nhmoose]

In my dim and distant past I had a Belgian d/b .410x2" folding gun hammer gun that fitted nicely down my trouser leg. Provided much meat for the table between 1939--1949 when we had rationing. Mother was a WIZZ at Skinning Shushies. O;D..

That has to be uncomfortable.