AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: underhammer on February 27, 2020, 03:02:54 AM
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Picked this up a few days ago from a estate in southern Ontario Canada. 54 cal I have not checked to see if round ball or slug twist yet.
No makers name other than on the brass side plate
PVG No1 with bullet starter, 15.2 lbs non orig front globe sight.
I did some digging on google found another..... identical side plate PVG No2 some where in Buhl Idaho owner has passed on not sure where rifle is now.
I was able to remove the barrel from half stock and after cleaning the bottom flat from very old oil I found the makers name
N.Lewis Troy NY..... found some interesting info on google
Lewis, like all the old-time gun makers, has a surprisingly small number of machines in his shop as the major part of the work in making a gun or rifle was done by hand. A boring machine for smoothing or reaming the bore of the barrels and a "rifling bench" with "rifling guide" were practically all the machines found in these old rifle-makers shops on those times. Lewis bought his barrel blanks from E. Remington & Son, using the cast steel for rifle barrels which he smooth-reamed inside, rifled, finished, fitted the lock and stocked in an excellent manner.
Lewis always cut his rifle barrels with a gain twist and absolutely refused to accept an order for a rifle to be made with a uniform twist. His "standard" type of rifling was equal width of grooves and lands and both cut with square corners.
I have examined several Lewis rifles that were rifled with quite wide grooves and narrow lands, but these are exceptions - not his regular standard rifling. If the rifle was a target gun with false muzzle, Lewis ordered the blank to be sent from the Remington factory with the pins fitted before it was sent to him and thus, in his case, the nice snug fitting pins that hold the false muzzle in place were fitted by E. Remington & Sons - not by Lewis. Lewis did not even have a lathe in his shop, but all such work as making bullet swages, bullet starters, threading the patent breech, and end of barrel was done by "Bill" Hart in his machine shop which was near Lewis' shop.
(https://i.ibb.co/VmJz353/B1-E27-B0-E-64-B5-453-A-9624-D55-B97401-C81-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Sr5MJGJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/w78Mygm/A19-DEE2-F-1135-4-A2-B-8258-652-CFB9377-EF-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1MB8ZQW)
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Can we see a picture of the back side of the butt with rear side facing and lock bolt washer? Also a picture of the pewter nose cap from slightly underneath so we can see one side plus the bottom. I have 3 AUERS and have handled a number of others, and I doubt this is his work...but seeing the reverse will help clarify if this might be his work. Most mid-to-late 1800s schuetzen-inspired target rifles are marked, either on barrel or lock...anything on lock plate? Shelby Gallien
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Elegant match rifle for sure.I have an identical hammer to the one on this
back action lock.I thought about making a 4 screw lock from it at one time.
I wonder if the is a round ball gun,picket ball or elongated bullet either lubed
or paper patched?
Bob Roller
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more pictures of PVG #1
(https://i.ibb.co/0FtRrxd/6-DB590-AC-4178-4-BB6-8-EF9-A91-E883-DF866-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wwsF4fx)
(https://i.ibb.co/j371MND/2-B68-E3-A5-2-A2-A-43-A9-BC23-E088134546-F6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/p4C9z7d)
(https://i.ibb.co/B3T3jnB/1250913-F-61-F3-43-D7-9098-60-BD7-D31226-C-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jf3fGJD)
(https://i.ibb.co/V272FSj/8-F75-AF82-52-A2-4286-A9-D3-81-DB8114-E4-EC.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Chkhj71)
(https://i.ibb.co/8409KdL/8-A7-B9427-F6-A7-472-F-8-E58-21-D1-CD3-E3637.jpg) (https://ibb.co/x8D6Cft)
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Very nice rifle! Looks like it is a picket rifle. I have handled and fired a number of the Lewis rifles over the years. Your statements are correct: Nelson purchased his barrels with patent muzzle installed from the Remington Co. Barrels fitted that way were always of Cast Steel, expensive, and always provided unrifled. The muzzle had to be attached to the barrel for rifling, and and both pieces were rifled together. Will you shoot your rifle? Again, very nice, thanks for posting!
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I will shoot this one for sure.. The nipple came out without a problem , I will replace with a new platinum lined one. I still have to find out the rate of twist and find all my 54 cal moulds and see what one should work.
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I think it's kinda unusual to have his name on the bottom flat , I have three of his rifles , and they are all marked on top flat , I wonder if the breech plug was reset , or was made like that. In the gun builders of New York ,the chapter on him all are marked on top .
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Mr. Lewis certainly made an elegant, beautiful rifle! Love the style, the checkering, etc.
This is one that I'd love to take to the range and set up the 200 yard targets. Looks like everything would just want to jump into your hands and be used all day long.
Many thanks for showing it. One day I would like to own one like it. Not going to try to build one.
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Picked this up a few days ago from a estate in southern Ontario Canada. 54 cal I have not checked to see if round ball or slug twist yet.
No makers name other than on the brass side plate
PVG No1 with bullet starter, 15.2 lbs non orig front globe sight.
I did some digging on google found another..... identical side plate PVG No2 some where in Buhl Idaho owner has passed on not sure where rifle is now.
I was able to remove the barrel from half stock and after cleaning the bottom flat from very old oil I found the makers name
N.Lewis Troy NY..... found some interesting info on google
Lewis, like all the old-time gun makers, has a surprisingly small number of machines in his shop as the major part of the work in making a gun or rifle was done by hand. A boring machine for smoothing or reaming the bore of the barrels and a "rifling bench" with "rifling guide" were practically all the machines found in these old rifle-makers shops on those times. Lewis bought his barrel blanks from E. Remington & Son, using the cast steel for rifle barrels which he smooth-reamed inside, rifled, finished, fitted the lock and stocked in an excellent manner.
Lewis always cut his rifle barrels with a gain twist and absolutely refused to accept an order for a rifle to be made with a uniform twist. His "standard" type of rifling was equal width of grooves and lands and both cut with square corners.
I have examined several Lewis rifles that were rifled with quite wide grooves and narrow lands, but these are exceptions - not his regular standard rifling. If the rifle was a target gun with false muzzle, Lewis ordered the blank to be sent from the Remington factory with the pins fitted before it was sent to him and thus, in his case, the nice snug fitting pins that hold the false muzzle in place were fitted by E. Remington & Sons - not by Lewis. Lewis did not even have a lathe in his shop, but all such work as making bullet swages, bullet starters, threading the patent breech, and end of barrel was done by "Bill" Hart in his machine shop which was near Lewis' shop.
(https://i.ibb.co/VmJz353/B1-E27-B0-E-64-B5-453-A-9624-D55-B97401-C81-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Sr5MJGJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/w78Mygm/A19-DEE2-F-1135-4-A2-B-8258-652-CFB9377-EF-1-201-a.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1MB8ZQW)
Well I have decided to part ways with this and it is up for auction on Icollector if anyone is interested. going back to flintlocks
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Elegant match rifle for sure.I have an identical hammer to the one on this
back action lock.I thought about making a 4 screw lock from it at one time.
I wonder if the is a round ball gun,picket ball or elongated bullet either lubed
or paper patched?
Bob Roller
Close to my thoughts, Bob.
I also thought picket, but patched in cloth.
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Well I have decided to part ways with this and it is up for auction on Icollector if anyone is interested. going back to flintlocks
Which auction house?
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Icollector is the auction site
Myers Auctions from Arden Manitoba