Even a blind rabbit sometimes finds a carrot T.LOSEY TOMAHAWK

[ddoyle]

Caught a flash of half this rifle in a bad cell phone picture and took a punt on it.  To be upfront about motives I am not a rifled percussion guy and my idea was that maybe if it was a dud I could do a flinter conversion (improvement) or find someone who would trade for a left hand flintlock.    

Well box showed up today and after sawing thru 4 rolls of duct tape I was greeted with one of those rare and pleasant surprises that seem to come so infrequently these days.

Some quick google research tells me that T. Losey Was a gun builder and rendezvous host from a place called Tomahawk Alberta. Info from the seller says he came by it in an inheritance from a man named Freddy who's shooting career was cut short by head and neck injuries.

If anyone has any insight on it I'd love to hear about it, per above my real interest is left hand flintlocks so if you have something of similar quality in a trade gun, fowler, smooth rifle or moose capable rifle maybe we could chat.

Each component is neatly stamped with a 10. .58 cal i am told.

FYI the Rabbit is about blind, pushing 15 years old which is 130 in human years.
Enjoy

[ddoyle]

Found some more of Mr Losey's work sounds like the kind of fellow who might have an eye for detail and history! examples of his work:

Archaeological Investigations: Fort Victoria, 1974

Losey, Timothy C.; Vickers, J. Roderick; Douglas, Janice; Gerhart, Gail; Prager, Gabriella; Pyszczyk, Heinz; Lubell, David


Alberta Culture, Historical Resources Division, Edmonton, Alberta, 1977. Soft cover. Book Condition: Near Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. [ix], 342pp w seven appendices, twenty-six indexed tables and fifty-eight indexed figures. Illustrated wrapper clean and w/out wear. Binding square and sound. Historic Sites Service, Occasional Paper No. 2. Additional shipping may be required - 28 x 21.5cm Abstract: Excavations were conducted by the Archaeology Field School of the University of Alberta's Department of Anthropology at the site of Fort Victoria during the Spring of 1974 under the auspices of the Historic Sites Service of Alberta. This Hudson's Bay Company site, occupied in the period 1864-1897, is located about 70 miles northeast of Edmonton on the North Saskatchewan River. Excavation revealed portions of the dairy, trader's shop, and southwest pallisade. The large artifactual and faunal assemblage recovered was analysed after the field season within an activity area framework. Although this was found to be less sensitive that originally hoped, it is a useful adjunct to the descriptive Historical approach. This preliminary report should serve both as a description of the work completed and a 'working report' for subsequent research at the site.

Archaeology of the Cormie Ranch Site: An Interim Report

Losey, Timothy C.

Published by Archaeological Society of Alberta, Edmonton AB (1972)

Preliminary Archaeological Study Mackenzie Corridor. (Second Report).

Cinq-Mars, Jacques. Appendices By Paul F. Donahue And Timothy C. Losey

Published by Environmental-Social Program Northern Pipelines. (1974)

[Algae]

I'd say you lucked into that one!! Very nice workmanship!

Al J.

[smokinbuck]

Looks like a nice rifle, how about some specs.
Mark

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Well, I haven't heard that name for a long long time.  In the 70's, my wife and I used to travel to Tomahawk, Alberta, to attend an annual rendezvous that Mr. Losey hosted on his land.  It was always a great weekend with good competition and camaraderie.  I once traded with his wife for a box full of moose leg tendon sinew for a half skin of saddle skirting weight leather.  Tim also gave me a pattern for my 1847 Walker Colt (Uberti) revolver, taken from an original.  Those were 'shinin' times!  I have a photograph of my tipi snowed in at one of those shoots, after a blizzard passed through one evening.

Thanks for awakening those memories for me.  And congratulations on your great acquisition.

[ddoyle]

Taylor glad to be of service! canvas tents get nice and snugly when the snow flies eh.

Mark,

My calipers are flashing a need for batteries and a kid is doing her best to shiny up the stock monkey style but as I measure so far:

9.5 pounds to the grain. Balances 1 inch behind the rear sight.

Barrel is 1 inch along the full length and measures 32 inches from the standing breech to the uncrowned muzzle.

There is a small amount of cast you gotta look hard to see it with out a straight edge but when shouldered it is obvious it fits.

LOP to the front trigger is 13.75 and the rear trigger LOP is 13.0. Room for a jacket I think. When set the trigger breaks real nice, not stupid light but scaled well to the weight of the rifle.

Now for the bore. From bottom of a groove to bottom of a groove, (see above caveat about tool and circumstance) I measure/guesstimate .602. I was not able to hold the operation still enough to count grooves.

Feels like a moose gun to be sure.

If character can be lumped with empirical measure she is a beaut. Never layed out a rifle that held so true so easy. Might have to tuck it away against inevitable future palsy.

Will recheck this evening and report any gross variations.

[smokinbuck]

Doyle,
Thank you for the update and specs. Sounds very interesting. I also shoot LH and have several LH guns and rifles. What kind of value are you placing on your rifle for trade purposes?
Mark

[ddoyle]

well what I want is a LH trade gun or fusil  type gun with a quality lock and quality barrel and well inlet-ted/shaped stock put together by a person who gave a hoot about doing a decent job. .54-.75 cal. Fantasy land has a Rifle Shoppe lefthand french lock and walnut ;)but a caywood lock in maple would not be shunned. If the octagon aint tapered I probably would balk.

per above something of similar quality but in flint and preferably smooth bore.  If you got something like that even if you think it is worth more then my gun and you need me to kick in cash let me know. I am not against parting with a few more bucks.

I can't really guess at a cash value price. Before I found it I know it sat on two gun show tables and got not one look at 10 percent of what builders need to charge to pay themselves 10 dollars an hour!

I am not into this too deep I kind of won a lottery and if at the end of the day I ended up with a gun that I can be proud of in a type/cal that I have hunting use for I do not mind sharing the lotto proceeds.

 Sad to say but trouble with it for me is anything I would chase with an open sighted .58 cal is too important to my family economy to not go after with a scoped 200 yard gun. Got 6 mouths to feed.  That said strolling with kids and a 20 bore would be a swell way to kill a pile of grouse with a couple RBs in a pocket for the extra stupid bear or the happen chance deer.

If you got something that interests me there might be a member on here with more of a rep as gun judge then me that you might be able to arrange  with to have them eyeball it for you. That would be a PM area tho.

[smokinbuck]

You put an interesting scenario on the table, let me think about it. I will look through what I have and see if there is something that might interest you. If you wish to pm, I can be reached at; papamh44@gmail.com.
Mark

[ddoyle]

Mark will do.

Last night our local library loaned me a copy J.D Baird's Hawken Rifles The Mountain Man's Choice and I have been enjoying comparing the T.Losey gun to ones shown in the book. only disappointment so far is that I can not find an example of a 'real' Hawkin with a radius in the poured nose cap. Been noticing lots  of neat things tat are true to form though. One thing that jumped out was the exact reproduction of the font in the builders name/location stamp.

Let me tell ya my old Lyman sure seems toyish now lol

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You cannot compare a well built even though plain hand made rifle with a Lyman GPR.  In order to make them for what is essentially, the cost of the parts, they have to cut corners.  This shows up in parts selection, inletting, and the use of a slack sander for final shaping and finish.  That being said, I believe the Lyman GPR is arguably the best production rifle available to a mortal.

[ddoyle]

Agreed, my older Lyman (deerstalker not even a GPR) made me fall in love with BP! Only (non milsup)  firearm I own stocked in Walnut, is 10X the rifle of  most modern CF offerings, bluing quality is second to none, bore is like glass and just wont hold fouling, lock sparks like everyone else wishes thier's would and it starts to drive tacks at 60 grains of FFG and continues to do so up to the point I am blowing powder out on the snow.

I would not pass up buying any left hand Lyman flintlock of the same era of manufacture. Super bargains on the used market. Eventually I'll have one for each of the lefties in the house.

My only wish is that I could find one in poor enough  shape so I could try filing off the aggravating 'faux' engraving on the lock, replacing the aluminum trigger guard and over sized  ram rod ferrules.

 Hope I did not sound dismissive of a tried and true rifle more then capable of serving a family for as long as they maintain the bore. I am new to actually holding a decent custom rifle and was just trying to note the difference. Truth is if I had to choose between the two rifles to take to the bush I'd pack the lyman but I have also been known to leave a Sako  mounted with Kahles best optics at home and hunt caribou  with a sporter  SMLEs   and once chose a no5 carbine  and can-tire factory ammo for a 3 week goat hunt (with no regrets).  No points for pretty when packing a freezer.

[ScottH]

Doyle,
 That's a fine rifle you picked up. I'd be proud to own it and I shoot right handed!
Take it out and shoot it!
 

[ddoyle]

Yeah I hear ya, Sure would be nice to look down that barrel at a bear munching dandelions. I am just so sure I want to completely break with fulminate dependence though.   

[mountainman70]

What a sweet bunny wabbit!!nice rifle,too!Have a great one,Dave F

[ddoyle]

Yeah he is a good fella. Been part of the family for a long time. 3 times as old as an old rabbit usually gets.

He earns his keep as a Guard animal. Better then a dog as an alarm.When I am sleeping  if ANY thing or anybody comes with in 20 yards of the house  he stamps the floor loud enough to wake the dead.

I would not want to rely on him in a fight (LOL) but there is something to be said for having those ears on your side.

5 or 6 years ago I finally figured out that he can't see a thing and I am really not sure that he ever could. Never stopped him from finding the lady bunnies though man he lived up to a rabbits reputation in that regard

As an example of his prowess at knowing his environment some years ago in the middle of a snow storm that put a foot of snow on the ground a deer cut across the back yard and parked himself under a spruce tree. The rabbit went ballistic, woke me up and would not stop hissing and stamping.  Deer moved on with the activity of me trying to figure what was up. Next day in the light the tracks and bed told the story.  What kind of ears can hear a deer napping thru an R60 wall in a snow storm!

[mountainman70]

Them sum Good Ears.When we were kids,we called 'em rabbit radar ears.Nice to know sme bunnie loves you!!!hahaha.This is cool.Thanks for sharing.What is wabbits name?Dave

[ddoyle]

Well it took a few years to realize he was a pet and not a just a "stud" so like any good farmer I called him "Brown".

LOL yeah some days a guy just needs to know that someone in the house cares a little bit. Keep in mind I feed him well enough that he is 10 years into immortality so I think the "love" is more based on quality hay and fresh dandelion then any appreciation for my personality. What ever I'll take it.