AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: Bill Weedman on March 19, 2023, 07:43:37 PM

Title: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 19, 2023, 07:43:37 PM: Anyone know the maker of this rifle. Signed LHM between set of dots. Lock is T. Davidson, Cincinnati OH who was in operation 1850-53.
(https://i.ibb.co/Bj7VrV4/ED69-D862-FE9-F-4-D3-A-BDD9-91756850-D8-A9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TRnBbBK)

(https://i.ibb.co/6t5mnww/83-E2-FC8-D-4-DF7-43-A1-B9-B4-6-F76-BAAA9-E3-C.jpg) (https://ibb.co/my7GDTT)

(https://i.ibb.co/yh6hQyb/F50-CA0-C6-20-B4-46-A9-B592-D0-EE7-A1-BCC4-A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4s8sVT5)

(https://i.ibb.co/KqTPp6S/E85-B0-D78-5930-4497-AFBE-C452-F6-BE6-A15.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FwRrL6C)
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 19, 2023, 10:16:19 PM: The rifle looks like Ohio, IN, IL. Ohio book has an L Morath, 1853 Directory, Newark. & an L Morrett, Columbus 1850.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 19, 2023, 10:24:36 PM: No doubt midwestern rifle. I am hopeful that someone recognizes the way the Rifle is marked. I have books on Missouri, Illinois and Indiana but none on Ohio other than the databases you can find online. The script initials and dot group on the ends could be distinctive.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 19, 2023, 10:53:06 PM: If you have deducted makers from IL, MO, IN, then I would think L. Morrett from Columbus, deserves a little research.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 19, 2023, 11:50:22 PM: I will check him out.
Thank you for your help.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Tanselman on March 20, 2023, 03:32:17 AM: Before anyone does a lot of research on the initials, I think they have been "deciphered" upside down. The middle initial is an "A" rather than "H" and when inverted I read the barrel inscription as "W A T," or perhaps "F" for the last initial. Can you provide a good image of the last initial, for better identification?

Shelby Gallien
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 20, 2023, 05:02:32 AM: Quote from: Tanselman on March 20, 2023, 03:32:17 AM
Before anyone does a lot of research on the initials, I think they have been "deciphered" upside down. The middle initial is an "A" rather than "H" and when inverted I read the barrel inscription as "W A T," or perhaps "F" for the last initial. Can you provide a good image of the last initial, for better identification?

Shelby Gallien

Good eye.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 20, 2023, 02:06:54 PM: I inverted it from the original configuration for you. I have trouble reading the faint script letters. I am glad someone has better eyes than me and is more familiar with the script letters.

(https://i.ibb.co/VxPKBLN/F721-B0-C6-E433-49-BA-8-E4-E-428-E0-C15-A762.jpg) (https://ibb.co/f9Pc0XS)
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: bama on March 20, 2023, 02:30:22 PM: Shelby you are correct, the letters read W. A. F, you can barely see the cross bar for the F but it is there. Good luck with your search on the maker, it's always nice to know this information.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 20, 2023, 03:35:27 PM: You guys are amazing. Thanks for helping me out.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 20, 2023, 06:06:14 PM: If the last name was a T, there is a William A Throckmorton, Ohio, but the gun pictured does not look like this one.
At least six gunmakers listed in the Ohio books with the initials W. F. But the couple I looked up had different middle initials.

Why all the lazy gunsmiths back then, could not even engrave their last name, :)
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Bill Weedman on March 20, 2023, 06:18:21 PM: There are so many possibilities that I don’t believe the maker will be found unless by chance. It would take some time to research each individual possibility and there would still be questions.
Thanks everyone for your assistance.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 20, 2023, 06:30:42 PM: Quote from: wweedman on March 20, 2023, 06:18:21 PM
There are so many possibilities that I don’t believe the maker will be found unless by chance. It would take some time to research each individual possibility and there would still be questions.
Thanks everyone for your assistance.

Ye of little faith. :) Are you sure that the last initial is an F?
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Hungry Horse on March 20, 2023, 08:44:28 PM: Am I the only one here that rubs a little chalk dust into engraved, or stamped name so they can be read easier?

Hungry Horse
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: bama on March 21, 2023, 04:45:53 AM: I have no doubt that if the chalk dust was applied it would probably help. I have saved and cropped the picture and then outlined what I see as a Capital F with a little flourish. It is very faint but once I point it out I think everyone will see it. Please see the attachments. I have no dog in this fight but I would hate for the OP to spend a lot of time looking for a wrong last name.

Jim
(https://i.ibb.co/Kxt08vx/83-E2-FC8-D-4-DF7-43-A1-B9-B4-6-F76-BAAA9-E3-C-croped-a.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)

(https://i.ibb.co/hBmf9W5/outline-of-the-F.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ByCN3ZD)
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 21, 2023, 04:55:00 AM: Bama, that helped a lot.
Title: Re: Help identifying maker
Post by: Avlrc on March 21, 2023, 06:24:31 AM: I just searched several of the makers in the Ohio book with W F initials. Even checked them out on ancestry & unless I missed something which is very possible, none of them had the middle initial A. Maybe more Westward.