Two weeks ago, I had tables at our local gun show (Sauk Trail Gun Collectors -275 tables) in Princeton, Illinois. On Sunday afternoon, a man came in carrying a zippered case containing a rifle that protruded out of the case, showing a deep crescent buttplate. As he unzipped the case and started to pull the rifle out, I was shocked and amazed to see a heavy fullstock Plains Rifle, that I instantly recognized as having been made by S. D. HINSDALE, our local Princeton gunsmith. He said that it had been found recently, in the hayloft of an old barn, being torn down for the weathered vertical "Barn board". The barn was between Toulon and Wyoming, Illinois, about thirty miles away. Without telling him more than I wanted him to know, I asked if it was for sale. He replied "everything is for sale". We promptly made a deal, and I became the new owner of a crusty and rusty S. D. Hinsdale rifle. I have spent the last ten days carefully trying to remove the scaly rust and dirt, without disturbing the patina that was beneath it.
I have owned a strikingly similar Hinsdale rifle for several years. The "barn gun" is stocked in maple, whereas the one I had is straight-grained walnut. The barrel dimensions are the same, width-wise, 1 3/16" at the breech, 1 1/8" at the muzzle, but the barrel on this one is 37" long, 2 1/2" longer than the walnut-stocked rifle. Both are approximately .46 caliber. Both have the slightly unusual trigger guard that all of Hinsdale's rifles seem to have, and both also have poured pewter nosecaps, a bit unusual on a fullstock, with little "wings" that I have not seen on anyone else's rifles.
I have photographs of the two rifles together, for comparison, on photobucket. The walnut-stocked rifle that I already owned is pictured here in the Library. When you find my album on Photobucket, click on sub-album S D HINSDALE PRINCETON.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v76/astuteobserver/
