Another Unknown Rifle

[powderpatchnball]

I picked this rifle up at a flea market in Rogers Ohio 25 miles dead south of Youngstown. The barrel is 35" to the tang and the rifle has a total length of 51" It is a .44 caliber. It was converted to percussion. There are no makers marks on the barrel. Just real curios to see if anyone had ever seen a gun with these initials on it. Hoping that might be the maker. Seems the vendor I got the gun from was from Pennsylvania. Anyways here are a few pics.

[Avlrc]

The long tang looks Southern, as does the long comb. However I think the patchbox looks like some of those found on Pennsylvania Rifles. Wonder if Buffalo means NY, or the Animal? Neat looking old rifle.  I am sure some knowledgeable person on here can tell you something. Thanks for posting.

[awol]

Except for the breech-plug tang, it looks like a NY rifle, because of the cheek-piece, key escutcheons, loopy trigger-guard, and 2 piece patch-box without rolled hinge.  It could be a re-used flintlock (converted to percussion & then stocked on this rifle).  It's a nice rifle.

[galamb]

I don't believe that the lock was converted "on" this rifle. It looks more like it was re-purposed/re-used.

You can clearly see where the forward lock bolt hole was filled in on the lock plate (along with the some repairs resulting from the removal of the frizzen).

However, there is absolutely no evidence on the sideplate side to show that a forward lock bolt was ever on "this" stock.

If it had of been converted on the rifle the forward lock bolt would have been kept in place, or at the very least, there would be hole through the panel revealing where it was.

Given the mish/mash of parts on this rifle you might never be able to determine where it came from. It may not be as old as it appears, but instead may be simply a collection of older parts cobbled into a rifle.

[Tanselman]

I'd lean toward a New York origin for this rifle, despite the long tang. It has a number of NY features already pointed out, plus the checkered wrist. With the cheek inlay with initials and the word "Buffalo" below it, I'd be checking census data and county histories in Buffalo, NY circa 1850 and 1860 for someone with "W H W" initials as the probable owner, probably someone with a few bucks. I'd also check the set of New York firearms trade books for makers around Buffalo that did work similar in appearance to this gun.  Shelby Gallien

[baxterdavid]

Great riffle . i love these types of riffle and i want to see more riffles like this in this thread.

[JCKelly]

Swinney says there was a William H. Walker who invented & patented a bullet making machine in Auburn, NY,1857. One might have to do some searching to learn if he ever worked in Buffalo.