AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: Eightball on October 08, 2023, 03:52:41 PM
-
Hello all and good day to you. I recently inherited an antique percussion cap rifle and I was curious if anyone could shed some light on it. I have looked it over extensively and cannot find any stampings or makers mark. If there was one it has literally been hand polished off from being handled so much as even the etching in most places has been worn off. The patch box is spring loaded with a push button to open. Any information would be greatly appreciated and if someone could ballpark me a value on it that would be fantastic as I have someone who wants to pay me full price for it.
Thanks and enjoy
(https://i.ibb.co/MDYkr46/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PZ7GKnQ)
(https://i.ibb.co/3cpw20N/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/L1xMmCt)
(https://i.ibb.co/c6V5XYm/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Wkj9pVT)
(https://i.ibb.co/ggphyXv/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cTHVJpb)
(https://i.ibb.co/F3SrRSg/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QQ2gy2r)
(https://i.ibb.co/K92s2Fh/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YtcdcpQ)
(https://i.ibb.co/TY0K6x0/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NtN15dN)
(https://i.ibb.co/VVrL3NL/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kKkGMyG)
(https://i.ibb.co/R6Zr9YB/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SmWYP5d)
(https://i.ibb.co/MRXcbxj/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/557rdgz)
(https://i.ibb.co/bRGT4qc/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Fqd2QNR)
(https://i.ibb.co/S0gF5cX/IMG-4369.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7VDsjQJ)
-
Plenty left to ID it by, but it sure is worn. Someone will recognize it. It was nicely engraved.
-
The trigger guard and the barrel tang would lead me to believe it is from the south.
-
I first though the initials on the barrel that is visibly identifiable was an H, but after enlarging it, I see it as an M. Looks also like an L at the end.
There also appears to be an obliterated name in front of the M.
Changed my mind again. I now see it as an H.
(https://i.ibb.co/F3SrRSg/image.jpg)
-
In person and under magnification they don’t appear to be anything other than gouges as if the rifle was dropped on something or vice versa and coincidentally it just happened to land in the spot where these rifles are usually branded
-
Eight all,
The lock and side plate panels have real crisp edges. The stock was either really worked over and cleaned up or it’s a restock. It’s a beautiful piece of wood but I’m leaning towards a restock of original parts. That’s not a bad thing if in fact I’m correct, I’ve owned a couple of restocks and had no issue with them knowing what they were. Still an attractive piece.
Buck
-
Thanks Buck
I believe the stock is original but I could be wrong. Unless they are made like this both sides of the stock towards the end of the barrel have cracked at some point and someone did a really amazing job repairing.
(https://i.ibb.co/FbqYZMP/IMG-4454.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BVK6Wx1)
-
The stock looks good to me, but it appears like new wood has been added above the nose of the lock, and above the lock plate behind the breech. The front sidefacing's rear end has sharper than expected edges, but the wood looks OK and it may have been reworked a bit when the two splices were fitted, smoothed, and finished.
If I were guessing where this rifle came from, I'd think western PA with its commercial "key hole" style patchbox and moderate barrel length. The side plate is odd, with its two little "horns" that stick up along the top edge. It almost looks like a later replacement for a smaller, simpler lock bolt washer with its color variation from the brass guard, and its seemingly smooth, almost unblemished surface that sits pretty high off the original surface for a percussion rifle.
Shelby Gallien
-
I'd agree with Shelby above; Western Pa.
And with its issues, I wouldn't expect to get more than about $750 for it.
John