AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: hypodroid on January 08, 2015, 06:33:32 AM
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My grandfather won this gun in a card game, just interested in what its all about.
here's a link to a gallery w/ pics
http://imgur.com/a/YO9Im
lettering on the gun says H.E. Leman, Lancaster P.A., Warranted
What I've gotten so far, from other sources
Henry E. Leman, 19th century gunsmith out of Lancaster Pennsylvania. He built a number of weapons around the time when people were just figuring out things like interchangeable parts. There are a few other rifles by him bouncing around. It looks a $#*! of a lot like Leman's "Plains Rifle" in .56 caliber. It is a percussion-cap muzzle loading rifle, made in the 19th century, at some point after 1830. If I had to guess, I'd say 1860s or 1870s? I could be wrong. It's caliber is probably .54 or .56, as that's where Leman tended to make his guns.
An actual, very unscientific measurement of caliber is .375
one more interesting thing, the barrel is 21 inches while it seems a lot his rifles were a good bit longer, so it may be a sawed off or a fake. I also got the theory that it may be a youth rifle.
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if you could get some pic of the muzzle as well . if is the cal you guess it sounds closer to a .38 to .40 cal a .54 would be around .54 or there abouts most shoot a .530 round ball on the small side.
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Obviously cut down, looking at the position of the ramrod pipe that close to the muzzle.
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First... pointing the muzzle in a safe direction... I recommend carefully lowering the hammer if possible. Second... immediately after doing that place a rod down the bore and mark it at the muzzle. Remove the rod and lay it along the outside of the barrel with the mark even with the muzzle. Check to see if the other end of the rod lines up with the breech. If not the gun could still be loaded and may fire.
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Looks like a Wurflein Rifle from Philly.
Buck
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I lean towards Philadelphia as a likely manufacture point as well. I have seen guns made by Andrew Wurflein, and Edward Tryon, that show this general style, and this patchbox. The checkered wrist also is common to both builders. The only part that looks Leman to me is the triggerguard.
Hungry Horse
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Is the Leman name, etc on the lock, barrel, or both?
Leman made and sold a lot of locks that were used by other makers
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the writing was on the barrel
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I have one also marked on the barrel by Leman that is almost identical, except that mine has a barrel 42" X 1" across the flats-
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Could that be one of those much joked about canoe guns\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/ ;D