A very rare cased “Baby” Whitworth rifle.
This is a Whitworth Hexagonal Bore “Baby” rook rifle with a hexagonal 1/15 twist bore. It is a 300 calibre miniature rifle or rook rifle.
The lock plate is engraved with Whitworth’s wheat sheath and coronet coat of arms together with Manchester Ordnance & Rifle Co. The serial number, F665, is engraved on the trigger guard tang and the underside of the barrel. The overall length of the rifle is 39” with a 24” barrel which is round and engraved with the Whitworth patent.
The rear sight consists of a fixed 50 yard sight with three folding leaves marked 100, 150 and 200. In addition this rifle is fitted with its own miniature long range sights. The stock is finely figured Walnut and has a pistol grip with fine chequering on the grip and a horn cap with a steel buttplate and vacant silver escutcheon. The forend is also chequered and there is no provision for a ramrod.
