Help With An Iron Mounted Rifle

[GrampaJack]

Here are pictures of an iron mounted rifle that has been on my bench for almost a year. It is now to the point where I probably won’t take it any further. The rifle was in poor condition when I got it with some crude work done in the lock area and some splits along the barrel channel glued. Again, very poor job.  The stock was extremely dry with many small cracks. There was virtually no finish remaining on the stock.  The barrel was moderately pitted except for the last foot or so at the muzzle where the pitting was very heavy. It is rifled, I’ll call it .40 cal. and in pitted worn condition. It appears to have had 7 lands and groves but they are pretty well worn away at the muzzle and it is hard to see.  There is no signature that I can see but may be just rusted away.  The lock was badly corroded to the point where I wasn’t sure it could be saved.  Almost all the internal parts were either badly rusted or missing.  With the understanding that I am a sucker for long skinny guns it came home with me.  The stock responded very well to treatment and came up quite nicely.  I didn’t do much to the barrel.  After a lot of stoning the lock came back to an acceptable level and a few parts from the lock parts bin and it now at least clicks up and the set triggers work.  I don’t know if the lock is original to the gun but it fits the mortise, seems to be the right style and vintage, and it appears to have been with the gun a long time. The amount of corrosion on the lock matched that found on most of the barrel.  It could be original; I wasn’t there so I don’t know for sure.  I believe the barrel is original flint but I did not pull the plug so that remains just my opinion. If it was welded it was an excellent job.  Also, the touch hole is only 5/16th from the breach so I don’t think there would have been room for a drum. All the mortises for the barrel lugs are in the original position and there is no evidence that they have been moved, thus I believe the barrel is original to the stock as are the rest of the furniture which is all iron.  I don’t expect to get much as far as identification but I would appreciate opinions as to possible geographic area(s).  Anything would be more than I have at this point. Thanks, Jack  PS It seems that I got most of the pictures but there are a couple missing.  I'll try and figure out which ones are left and post them.  For now, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.

Barrel:  47” straight about 40 cal. Rifled.
 
Lock: 4 ¾ length by 1” flint. (I replaced the roller and did extensive stoning.

Thimbles have 5 flats showing and are pinned.  The entry thimble appears to be 2 pieces although I did not remove it to check.



























j

[GrampaJack]

I think these were the ones I missed.

[galamb]

Ok, I'll take the first guess.

Being iron mounted, with that style of trigger guard and side plate I'll say from the Carolina's

[mountainman70]

What a sweet ol mountain rifle.Reminds me of the one John has on here that he bought off'n ebay.Look further down the list here for ebay rifle.I like building this style.Thanks for the pics and sharing it with us.Dave

[GrampaJack]

I have been following John's Ebay adventures. I think he has a real treasure there that will be a great gun when it's done. $#*!, it already is. I should have documented the restoration but it never occurred to me.  It sat on the bench for almost a year and I would pick at it every week or so. I finally decided I better get the thing done while I could still find all the parts.  I did not know the fella I got my gun from but he said that it probably came from the south eastern part of the country and he was told the Carolina region was the best guess so this is getting interesting. That would be very cool if it turns out to be true. My interests are pretty much all Ohio guns so this one is not something I know a lot about.  Like I said, I'm a sucker for long skinny guns.  Thanks, Jack 

[smokinbuck]

Jack,
Looks like a good one that suckered you in this time, good job on the retoration.  I would have to agree to either the Carolinas or eastern West Virginia. Just a plain honest mountain rifle.
Mark

[mike e]

I've seen a twin to this rifle. It was percussion with a patent breech. Barrel had been cut back to 45 inches probably when converted to percussion. The owner lives just west of Nashville. May have come from that area. Same trigger guard, side plate etc....the owner had had a lock installed by Dixie gun works back in the 60s. They put in an old shotgun lock that was too small and filled around it with filler.

This rifle is pictured on page 83 in Notes on Southern Long Rifles Vol 2 by Jerry Noble. He said it was unknown and unlocated. The trigger guard screws into the trigger plate like a Hawken doesn't it?

I sent pictures to Steve Bookout at Toad Hall Rifle Shop. He posted the pictures on his site.

[GrampaJack]

Mike, you are correct about the trigger guard.  It has a stud under the front of the loop that screws into the trigger plate like a shotgun.  Interesting. Thanks, Jack