old style scope and mounts

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Hi Guys

Have recently purchased a westley richards rook rifle with now .22 hornet barrel it is an old piece and I would like to get a set of mounts and a scope that would be better on it - not so bulky and perhaps blued metal or something near


Any got any info or knows somewhere to ask

Phil
 
Hi,

You almost certainly have an interesting and collectable rifle there and will need to maintain its originality and value by using suitable mounts. Is it a martini type or a break down. If its a martini you will have to be extra careful with the length of the scope you select, as you may have trouble with eye relief as the mounts will have to be on the barrel and hence quite far forward. If its a breakdown type mounting will be easier.
Ideally you should use period mounting blocks and scope mounts, such as the old blued steel, Parker Hale type, which are good quality, secure and not too hard to find. There are some beautiful german mounts availiable too but these can be very expensive and will require skilled fitting.
Post some pics or more detail of your rifle and will look into it further.
Cheers
 
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Hmmm I have a selection of P-H steel scope blocks like those used on the Martini Internationals these could be sweated onto the barrel an 3/8" dovetailed rings used. P-H used to fit these to the old BSA bolt actions like the Sportsman and the early Super Sport Five before they added the dovetails to the action.
 
Hi Guys
Greatly appreciated, will be looking in the right direction now

It is a side lever with a spare .410 barrel as well by the maker. shoots 1 1/2 inch group at 100 m off bench, Have found an original wr leather case for it as well

It has a permanent fixed rail for a scope

If someone can tell me how to put pics on I will try and upload some pictures on the mounts etc

Thanks once again

Phil
 
Hi Phil,
Sounds a beauty, especially in .22 Hornet with the spare barrel too. I was hoping to find a converted rook rifle or early falling block in .22 hornet, but economics and good fortune led me to a very rare winchester bolt action :D
Does the scope rail say we1 on it ?
Cheers
 
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The 4x36 and similar 1960's/70's era steel bodied Schmidt and Bender, Zeiss, Khales scopes etc all have superb optics, period looks and aren't fiendishly expensive, though often have the german no.1 three piece recticle.
 
funny enough i have a brand new carl zeiss zf 4x32 in the box,by the way when i say brand new it is but its 15 years old with a german no.1 three piece recticle,if your intrested get in touch and we may do a deal!!
 
Hello Philip,
I have just purchased a Westley Richards rook rifle and wondered how you have got on in your search for suitable bases, rings scopes etc. Very important not to spoil the looks or the value! Mine has been parkerifled to .22rf but i intend to have it rechambered to 22 Hornet. Could anyone recommend a gunsmith to do that for me.
Regards Jeffrey
 
Hmmmm best check the rifling is suitable and although conversions have been done the pitch and dimensions of the .22 L/R and .22 Hornet are not the same I believe. Also need to check if there is enough meat in the liner to ream for the chamber.
 
Hello Philip,
I have just purchased a Westley Richards rook rifle and wondered how you have got on in your search for suitable bases, rings scopes etc. Very important not to spoil the looks or the value! Mine has been parkerifled to .22rf but i intend to have it rechambered to 22 Hornet. Could anyone recommend a gunsmith to do that for me.
Regards Jeffrey

The Parker-Rifled barrel liner is a "period" modification and I don't think it affected value at all. Rechambering to Hornet, however, would certainly effect value quite a bit. It would also be a short lived pleasure as the PH liners are, if I recall correctly, choke-bored and thin. You would shoot it out in a short amount of time. All the PH lined guns I have shot were exceedingly accurate. I'd keep it in .22LR.~Muir
 
Muir and Brithunter, thank you both for your input, duly noted. The last thing I want to do is to b---er it! I know that a lot of rook rifles were converted to Hornet, in fact my main reason was purely nostalgia, the first centre fire I ever fired was just like this. It belonged to an uncle of mine who, in those unenlightened times, used it to control Fallow deer in a local deer park!!
 
It might be possible to have it re-lined with a C/F .22 Hornet liner .................................... but that woudl:-

1) Not be cheap

2) Certainly alter the rifle as it would not be really period

3) Option expensive .......................... but doable, but very expensive to do, would be a new barrel in .22 Hornet made up to fit the frame.

I knew a chap who had a nice Vickers Francotte Martin sporter that had been re-chambered to .22 Hornet but that one was not re-lined so it was a re-chamber and alter firing pin/breech face.
 
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