Question about a rifle by E C Green - Cheltenham - Gloster

[G.O. West]

I have acquired this single shot break open rifle. On the top of the octagon barrel is stamped E C Green - Cheltenham - Gloster. There are no other markings visible. It is a centerfire with a straight wall chamber. It looks like about 30 caliber and a 32 Long Colt chambers nicely in it. The 32 S&W case is too large a diameter. Does anyone have any idea what cartridge this may have been made for?

 

[Jim Watson]

CAVEAT: From print and www, I haven't got one. A friend does, but it was Parker Rifled (lined) to .22 when the odd small calibers were discontinued.

Probably a .300 Rook (H&H called it the .295, Kynoch .300)
Case is longer than .32 LC.
Standard load in the day was 10 grains black and an 80 grain bullet; later modernized to 4.5 grains of smokeless, Unique works.

Buffalo Arms catalogs dies, brass and bullets, none in stock. Expensive to load for an odd old cartridge.

You might slug the barrel and see what its actual groove diameter is and whether it might take a standard .32 bullet instead of the original .300".

 

[G.O. West]

Thank you for that Jim Watson. I will slug the barrel as you suggested.

 

[jcj54]

.300 Rook is the most likely.

.300 Rook and .310 Cadet are the same cartridge. It is a slightly tapered case that uses a.321 diameter heeled bullet, the heel being about .314. Case length is 1.075 long and .32-20WCF cases can be used, sometimes requiring the rim to be thinned.
Bullet molds for the correct bullet are available.
I use 4 gr of unique in my Cadet rifle. Dies are available from CH and Lee.

 

[Jim Watson]

Not what COTW and BA say.

 

[Idaho 45 Vaquero]

Could also be a .300 Sherewood which is a little longer than a .300 Rook.

 

[jcj54]

.300 Rook

And .310 Cadet are not the same, my apologies.

 

[taylorce1]

While you're slugging, you could dona chamber cast as well.