unknown fowling piece/shotgun

[Thumper]

Greetings folks, I have recently found a rifle with an octagonal to round barrel with a G. GOLCHER lock in Walnut wood with an unknown barrel signature. Reading from the open end of the barrel to the stalk, I can see the letters BLEI? on the top of the barrel? Looks to be a shotgun with a fairly thin metal thickness on the open end. There is a metal squirrel on the left side of the stock and a small brass inlay on the top behind the back of the barrel where the thumb would rest. I am a collector of all things old and this is my first antique rifle.
I always like to figure out how old things are and who made them.  From the posts I have read there are some really knowledgable folks here who may be able to tell me what kind of rifle this is. Thank you in advance for your interest and any information would be much appreciated.

This link will show the photos: http://s1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd446/Picbucket44/

[rich pierce]

Hi Thumper, Golcher was a maker of locks in the 2nd third of the 1800's and thousands of guns used them.  Chances are according to your description, you do not have a rifle, or a longrifle, but a fowling piece or shotgun.  "Rifles" must have rifled barrels, and most folks mean "fullstock rifle" when they use the term "longrifle".

There is no way to directly upload your pictures here.  You must first upload them to a site like photobucket, then get the URL for each picture.

[Thumper]

Thank you Sir for your quick response. I found the way you suggested of uploading the pictures and now there should be available 4 pictures of this gun. Much obliged.

[rich pierce]

Looks 1840's, stocked in American black walnut, in decent shape.  Hard to say where it may have been made but the cheekpiece is unusual on most American shotguns of the period.

[Thumper]

Thanks again Rich. I will try to clean the top of the barrel and see if I can read the lettering and get some pics posted. I would really like to find out who made this or whose signature is on the barrel. I have been using regular gun solvent to clean but it takes time. What would be the best method for removing rust and cleaning without harming the metal? I also wanted to clean up the wooden parts and any thoughts on this would be appreciated too.

[nord]

At the risk of taking a good kidding from Shelby... A NY gun.

If a thin walled barrel then a fowler. If a heavy barrel with the forward portion in the round, then a rifle. The cheekpiece and guard speak of the Mohawk or Hudson Valley as does the walnut stock and cap.

In any case a late gun with very little artistic merit. Certainly a signature or initials would help.