John Shell Rifle Barrel

[Bill-52]

I found the recent thread on barrel staples interesting and thought others might find this signed John Shell rifle barrel of interest.

Description:
- 42 7/16" long, .41 caliber smoothbore
- Straight tapered octagon, 15/16" at breech, 13/16" at muzzle
- Three barrel staples, muzzle staple is broken off
- Barrel is marked HW DEEDS.  Henry Deeds was a Berks County barrel maker who  operated along the Wyomissing Creek
- Barrel is also marker SHIFRIT, possibly the markings for the individual who actually crafted the barrel
- Likely percussion, based on the threaded drum(?) hole at the breech but I'm open to what others think about this.



It's hard to see but the breech plug is 3/8" deep at the sideplate side of the barrel but has been filed down to only 1/4" on the lock side:


The breech and middle barrel staples are intact:



The muzzle staple is gone, note the groove filed in the barrel to accommodate the barrel pin:


Deeds' mark is on the left; sorry for the photography:

[DaveM]

Bill, nice old barrel, I like the bold signature and decoration.  I don't know much about Shell, but I believe Deeds was primarily percussion era, and a quick check seems to indicate he was born in 1812. The current configuration you have is percussion.  Deeds may have had his own shop by the mid 1830's or later.  I'd guess your barrel to be 1840-1860.   The other name could also be 'Seifrit', tough to see in the photos but that was a common name in that area (another form is Seifert).  The groove at the staple is unusual and I've not seen that before.  the groove looks to be aged similar to the barrel finish.
dave

[Majorjoel]

Cool barrel Bill, probably always percussion but you never know. The large drum hole could have been drilled during a conversion from flint. I always love it when a barrel is signed by the maker and stamped with the barrel smith as well! Henry Deeds doesn't come along very often. I think this is the first barrel of his make that I have ever seen. Now the big question is for you........Where is the rest of this rifle?

[eastwind]

BILL: Seems I've seen this barrel before.
Seifrit is George Seifrit who worked for Henry Deeds as a barrel "finisher" along the Wyomissing Creek, Berks County, Pa very near to today's town of Mohnton, just south of Reading. The area for about 7 miles along the creek had near to 27 barrel makers from William Pannabecker (Haga used his barrels) until the demise of the last barrel factory of Franklin Schnader and his sons in the late 1800s. On of Schnaders factories still stands and the historic society of Mohnton has erected pewter signs along the Wyomissing Creek indicating the locations of various gunsmiths and barrel makers.
It was a most productive gun barrel area making barrels for early Reading gunsmiths, the Oley Valley makers, some Womelsdorf makers, numerous Upper Susquehanna gunsmiths, York and Lancaster County makers including Leman (who insisted on putting his own name on the barrels), the Great Western Co. in Pittsburgh, and Wurflein in Phildaelphia among many others.

Henry Deeds was trained by William Pannebecker II, was married to his daughter. His sister married William Hornberger whose son Cyrus Hornberger, was my Great, Great Grandfather who was also a barrel maker trained by Deeds. Deeds was a prolific maker, employed many workers and since I make it a passion to follow these Wyomissing Creek makers I've seen numerous guns with Deeds barrels...forgive the comment on the thread.Seifrit was apparently one of Deeds major finishers who also worked at Cornelious Richwein's factory on the Creek later in his career.
I'm still working on a small piece on the Wyomissing Creek gunsmiths, so if anyone has anything to add I welcome the information.
Patrick Hornberger

[mr. no gold]

Patrick, thank you for bringing some great information to the Forum on the barrel makers of the Wyomissing Creek region. By any chance, was I. Scholb involved with this group?
This barrel has quite a pedigree and while one may lament that it is no longer part of a complete rifle, it tells a pretty great story. Not so sure that it needs a rifle to make it a fine piece of history.
Thanks to all for photos and comments.
Dick

[Bill-52]

Patrick, Indeed you have seen this barrel!  Thanks for adding your comments and background.  It completes the barrel's history.   I'll be very interested in your Wyomissing Creek research when completed.

Joel, The rest of the rifle?  Lost to the ages, I'm afraid.  Though I thoroughly enjoy the barrel alone for what it is.

Bill

[eastwind]

Mr. Gold (Dick) yep I. Sholb was also a Berks County barrel maker. But he seems to be working further North - more toward Kutztown, not on the Wyomissing Creek. I had a Sholb barrel in the Berks County Long Rifle Exhibit back in 2009--I may still have the barrel somewhere.

I think I smell turkey...better get going.

Patrick Hornberger