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General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: hurricane on August 11, 2009, 04:09:22 AM

Title: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1854
Post by: hurricane on August 11, 2009, 04:09:22 AM

A wonderful  percussion typical of New York upper gunsmithing in 1854. Very unusual to have the family provenance so well documented as well a bit of the family genealogy and history.

Here is Chapin's gun that belonged the Chauncey Buell of Hudson County, New York.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=202.0

Hurricane

Title: Re: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1834
Post by: rich pierce on August 11, 2009, 05:44:36 PM

Terrific gun and provenance.  There was some mighty nice work done in NY in the 1830's-onward.

Title: Re: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1834
Post by: T*O*F on August 11, 2009, 06:47:34 PM

Quote

The lock is marked "Steele & Warren/ Albany".

A light bulb just went off.  In the gunbuilding section in the thread on "Thoughts on Old Guns" I show a simple smoothbore.  In that thread, I said the lock is marked

Warranted
Steel
Albany

However, I went back and examined the lock on that gun.  It says
WARR (rest unreadable)
Steel  (rest unreadable but there is a partial character after the L)
Albany

I wonder exactly how the lock on this gun is marked and in what order.  I believe now that both locks are by the same  maker and how they are marked might indicate age.  Any thoughts?

Title: Re: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1834
Post by: Steve Collward on August 11, 2009, 11:45:49 PM

TOF:
  Vol. 4.  of the NYS Firearms Trade (Swinney/Rowe) cite that "Steele & Warren, Albany 1830-late 1838 or early 1839)"  were "...wholesale hardware dealers..."  The entry also states that there is "No evidence has turned up to indicate they made guns..."
   I would think there little doubt that your lock is a Steele & Warren lock.
Hope this helps.
 

Title: Re: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1854
Post by: T*O*F on August 12, 2009, 07:50:16 PM

Quote

Steele & Warren, Albany 1830-late 1838 or early 1839)"  were "...wholesale hardware dealers..."

Steve,
I also found a listing for Warren & Steele, lockmakers.
What I was wondering is if the transposition of the names would be a mode for dating a lock, IF in fact they were stamped/engraved with the names in two different orders; ie
Steele & Warren
Warren & Steele

Title: Re: ALR Museum Gunsmith: A. H. Chapin...Earlsville,NY Cost $16.00 in 1854
Post by: Curt J on August 13, 2009, 03:51:28 AM

A very nice rifle with great provenance. This one has all of the typical New York details one would expect in that period, fishbelly stock, and a single trigger made of brass. Nicely signed, too!