What Gun is this

[Gin 498]

Can anyone tell me anything about this type of gun. Callabre etc ?. Its fairly light-weight.

Marks are faint but look like,- Crown and a B, and a crown and a U

[andyf 144]

That is (or used to be) what was called a 'Rook Rifle', it's probably been 'turned' into a .410 shotgun in the distant past.

There are also many similar looking .410 shotguns still about, the reason I know yours used to be a rifle is that it has Iron sights on the barrel, shotguns made as such don't have sights, usually nothing or a single brass bead at the end of the barrel.

These guns were very common a 100/130+ years ago, and literally were intended for Rook/Crow i.e. vermin control, with a calibre of .300 + in several various sizes, relatively low powered and cheap to run, but the .22 rimfire came along and spoiled all that.

Don't worry about Firearms Certificate problems though as if it is NOT bored out as a .410, then it is classed as an 'Obsolete Calibre' and is therefore not 'Licenseable', so you can keep it as is without problems.

If however it is a .410 and it is not deactivated properly (yours doesn't look like it is), then you will need a Shotgun Certificate to have it in your possesion, and you should either put it on your certificate if you have one, or if it is not in a shootable condition saw it into bits and bin it, it's not worth anything, but could get you in all sorts of bother.

Having an old gun like this around shouldn't matter, but in the eyes of the Police and the Law it is a 'live' gun no matter how tatty, loose or pitted and if you have it without the requisite 'paperwork' you could be in deep doo-doo's if they find out.

Nice old piece though, (Note: the original rifles wern't much good, and a single .410 wouldn't hold the indians off for long).