James Woodward & Sons Rook rifle Complete Specs and Full Gun Specifications

James Woodward & Sons side lever Rook rifle with walnut stock with checkered wrist and forend, frame lightly engraved with foliate designs and color case finish, marked on the top of the barrel "JAMES WOODWARD & SONS. 64 ST. JAMES'S ST. LONDON. S.W.". James Woodward & Sons was gun maker from London, England who was bought by James Purdey & Sons in January 1949. Today Purdy makes shotguns under the Woodward name. A rook rifle is an English single-shot dropping block or break-action small calibre rifle for shooting rooks and rabbits, developed in 1883 by the gun-makers Holland & Holland. The original rifle was .295 bore, with an 80 grain bullet (1100 fps = 215 ft/lbs), but slightly larger bores of .300 and .320 were also made at the time.