Resurrecting a Purdey rook rifle

After searching for a decade, the writer finally acquired a now-obsolete rook rifle. But could the Purdey, formerly the property of a 19th-century playboy, be adapted for muntjac?

- NEIL CROSS

The British rook and rabbit rifle enjoyed its heyday between 1880 and 1910, when these elegant little weapons were produced by virtually every gunmaker in the country. Most of these rifles were crafted by the Birmingham trade and many fine examples were retailed by the leading London names, where they provided a useful source of income to supplement the production of best guns. For example, in 1887, Holland & Holland sold 371 rook rifles, compared with 186 shotguns and only 30 full-bore rifles. The popularity of its rook rifles was clear and they accounted for 11 full pages of Messrs Hollands’ catalogue that year. The craftsmanship and finish of these miniature rifles was carefully controlled in order to ensure that they lived up to the name on the rib. Holland’s ‘Royal’ model was a hammerless ejector that happily earned its place in the gunroom next to the Express rifles of the same pedigree. Examples of these top-end rifles in their original calibres are now scarce and highly sought-after.