AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: CentrapPADan on July 06, 2024, 07:28:15 PM
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Hello,
I have an interesting piece here. From what I can tell, which is very little, It has at the least B. Losey barrels. There are no other stamps on the gun except for the locks, which are Goddard Warranted. I believe the locks were imported from Europe by Goddard?? Maybe the entire gun was made by B. Losey not just the barrels??
It is a rifled barrel on top somewhere around a 36 cal, and the bottom is around a 28 gauge shotgun. Both measure about 36.875". They are both octagon for about 10" before going to round. It has a set trigger that I believe will fire whichever hammer is cocked, not sure if it will fire both if cocked. It is missing the ram-rods and one side is missing the bottom portion of ram-rod holder.
The gun does function after a complete tear down and deep clean, I would not be afraid to shoot it.
I'm hoping someone here can help me unravel this gun, and give me some specifics on it. It definitely a cool piece. Thank you in advance!!
(https://i.ibb.co/ZcSjk19/bloseydouble1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bNF08Rt)
(https://i.ibb.co/TrnX9Fm/bloseydouble2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LvqwV2n)
(https://i.ibb.co/C9b60pc/bloseydouble3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PWcMCsL)
(https://i.ibb.co/vjsSqS7/bloseydouble4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9rw7g7F)
(https://i.ibb.co/Nn12vV4/bloseydouble5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TqKMfvC)
(https://i.ibb.co/0CKc0RM/bloseydouble6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1rMLCtq)
(https://i.ibb.co/qR5r6VV/bloseydouble1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nDCLptt)
(https://i.ibb.co/44wfZx0/bloseydouble8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GCfJvjr)
(https://i.ibb.co/b5jJZVh/bloseydouble9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TMDLSGX)
(https://i.ibb.co/f9zZrDf/bloseydouble10.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NrdfWT5)
(https://i.ibb.co/bb2GnJ9/bloseydouble11.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XY3GT8R)
(https://i.ibb.co/fxFVbkr/bloseydouble12.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NyCgX9W)
(https://i.ibb.co/YT0wNCR/bloseydouble13.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cXYVyBg)
(https://i.ibb.co/c6k5rf4/bloseydouble14.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HtBvHw5)
(https://i.ibb.co/Vps2cQZ/bloseydouble15.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Csfh3MZ)
(https://i.ibb.co/9G6SYHc/bloseydouble16.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QXLtmvp)
(https://i.ibb.co/dQrgj2j/bloseydouble17.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vJHYVPV)
(https://i.ibb.co/Kqvq789/bloseydouble18.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/t2F8jN0/bloseydouble19.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8xt6vRy)
(https://i.ibb.co/GCBky2P/bloseydouble20.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NWQp5jY)
(https://i.ibb.co/5KVXcLs/bloseydouble21.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GHjfPRC)
(https://i.ibb.co/2kGjPq7/bloseydouble22.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4VhjMWZ)
(https://i.ibb.co/k5Nh7cG/bloseydouble23.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jbnLN48)
(https://i.ibb.co/LQZqsr1/bloseydouble24.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xm7crY6)
(https://i.ibb.co/CBgDyz8/bloseydouble25.jpg) (https://ibb.co/H763yV4)
(https://i.ibb.co/VQtmrK9/bloseydouble26.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WP6tqT5)
(https://i.ibb.co/L0w2gp6/bloseydouble27.jpg) (https://ibb.co/VLyPCBD)
(https://i.ibb.co/MPdXzFZ/bloseydouble28.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6DQdKjr)
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Although there are a few guns tentatively attributed to Benjamin Losey of Motts Corner, NY, his commercial barrels are usually found on percussion guns from south-central New York State and Northeast Pennsylvania. According to Frank Sellers, Samuel A Goddard of New York City "imported locks from his factory in England" around the 1858 time period. Your over under gun PROBABLY was made by a small gunmaker in this region. Made from store-bought components, you'll probably never determine the actual maker. But, the long tail on the tang is distinctive on an over under gun and the cheekpiece drops quite low on the stock, so some other collector might help you to better identify this unknown gun builder. Your gun is a mid-level quality, using bolsters instead of the cheaper "drums" to support the percussion nipples. After a careful check-out, it will probably be a good shooter (I've fired MANY similar guns after verifying their integrity)
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Oh, I forgot to mention that the term "mule ear" is typically associated with guns having the hammer(s) swing out to the side rather than your normal back action locks (your left lock's hammer is often called an "elephant trunk" type).
(https://i.ibb.co/BfJdgxq/Screenshot-2024-07-06-at-2-16-01-PM.png) (https://ibb.co/j8YBL2g)
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I love this gun, but doubt it would be a real shooter unless the barrel was checked out and recrowned, it looks like somebody tried to beat a rock down the barrel with a single jack.
Hungry Horse
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I love this gun, but doubt it would be a real shooter unless the barrel was checked out and recrowned, it looks like somebody tried to beat a rock down the barrel with a single jack.
Hungry Horse
Hungry Horse, thanks for your comments. I agree with your check-out comment (including the bore condition). You also made me take a better look at the photos...the nipples are mounted on drums, not bolsters as I first thought
(https://i.ibb.co/VMt7Hzv/Screenshot-2024-07-06-at-4-42-34-PM.png) (https://ibb.co/NWs81JL)
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Oh, I forgot to mention that the term "mule ear" is typically associated with guns having the hammer(s) swing out to the side rather than your normal back action locks (your left lock's hammer is often called an "elephant trunk" type).
I don't know how or why but SASS members seem to have started calling rabbit ear shotguns mule ears. I never heard the term applied to rabbit ears until I joined SASS about 20 years ago and everybody there was calling them mule ears.
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This gun brings up a question I’m sure someone here can answer for me. Although many antique muzzleloaders are crowned at the muzzle, many are not. And this seams to be more prevalent on multi barreled guns, does anybody know why?
Hungry Horse
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The muzzles of original gun were coned by carefully using files to open up the grooves and lands to accept a ball and patch without the use of a starter.
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Thanks for the replies. I believe I saw a similar double configuration and they called it a mule ear, so I went with it.
So, even though it looks beaten, the crowning on the rifle barrel was intentional with the rounding of the groves/lands?
The molding on the trigger guard, lack of refinement/mold marks, had me thinking it wasn't made by a big name gunsmith. I think it is well made, just lacks the attention to detail.
I haven't really seen this quarter stock (?) before. Was this specific to a region or time period?
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MANY years ago I had a single shot muzzle loader that was marked "Losey&Lull".It was a rifle but I can't remember the details about where it was made.Has anyone heard of this name combination?
Bob Roller
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MANY years ago I had a single shot muzzle loader that was marked "Losey&Lull".It was a rifle but I can't remember the details about where it was made.Has anyone heard of this name combination?
Bob Roller
Bob, Swinney's book on the NY STATE Firearms Trade has major write-ups on the Losey and the Lull gun barrel making operations in Mott's Corner, NY. The various family members and their partnering was not certain when Swinney's data was compiled around 1992, but there are several listings for various percussion guns with the "LOSEY & LULL" stamping
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Thank you for the clarification and I wish I could remember details about that rifle or if it was shootable or not.
Bob Roller