Rook and rabbit rifle

[RaceBannon]

I'm looking at a handsome little 19th century .22 listed as a rook rifle. The rifle appears to be functional, but the bore is rusted with a trace of rifleing. Have you guys had any luck with rusted out bores when it comes to accuracy?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have friends that have relined the barrels. There are kits from Brownells in 22 and 17. Hurts value, but a useful rifle is always worth more than one that won't shoot straight. One guy I know, found a rare 22 with a shot out bore, when he started to clean it up, the barrel had 80% rifleing; the gun was so leaded it looked like a sewer pipe. The rule of thumb on 22's is that once thet start to lead, they will always do so. Some 95% barrels can be lapped back but not often. Ivan

 

[jrm53]

I have used a .22 liner from Numrich arms, if you can find a 5/16" drill to drill the barrel with that is long enough, the drill will pretty well follow the bore and you can epoxy the liner in it will have to be chambered and I used a carbide reamer to chamber the barrels I did and the epoxy or Accurglas will hold up fine, mine went through a hot bluing bath and never loosened. Jeff

 

[2152hq]

Anything is possible. You really won't know till you put it on paper.
I've seen some pretty sad looking barrels shoot great.
But as a rule what you see looking thru the bore is a good indication of the performance you'll get shooting it.


Relining back to 22rf is done a lot. There're some good liners available now. The hammer forged ones from TJ Enterprises are about the best IMHO.
Brownells liners used to come from Redman's Reboring in Washington State. Don't know if they still do. They're pretty nice quality too.
How the work is done has a lot to do with how it shoots of course.
Old school was to soft solder the 22 liner in place. Then the use of epoxy was popular since the 70's or so.
Now most are using LocTite compounds for the job. One in particular is used often that is made specificly for holding shafts and bearing together,,not a thread locker type. Quick, easy and extremely strong.

Many of the little Rook & Rabbit rifles that are in 22rf can be converted to low pressure cartridges like 32S&W Long but there's extra work in converting from RF to CF breech.
A re-bore /re-rifling is done in those instances usually but liners are available in most any caliber & twist rate.
The outside diameter of the original bbl dictates what you can do as well as what the breeching system can handle.