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.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2020-Ausgabe von The Field.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
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