A.M. Osterman rifle

[snapper]

Can anyone tell me more about A. M. Osterman?

This rifle is a .45 cal.  With perhaps progressive rifling.

thanks

fleener

[Avlrc]

Looks new.  Do you think it may be a contemporary?  Nice rifle. 

[snapper]

well, it makes we wonder as well, but it was described as an antique.

I have not put my hands on the rifle yet.

Fleener

[snapper]

I am told the following "Includes an article/advertisement about the Osterman Estate Rifle noting that their rifles are all handmade other than the untooled barrels"

So, I am assuming that it is not a modern made rifle and I am told that the finish is original.

Fleener

[Avlrc]

They was a Charles Osterman gunsmith in Missouri, mid to late 1800s.

[Dave B]

I am sure this is piece made by Allen Osterman and his son. They are from Southern Oregon they are amazing craftsmen. They made a mistake in making a cannon for a guy that let the kids play with and one youngster put his face over the touch hole when it was lit off and was blinded. They were sued and lost everything, as I was told. They quit making guns. They now make scale miniature machines, lathes milling machines etc.... I own one of his bench mills that he traded to Joe Williams of the gun works in Springfield OR.

[Mike Brooks]

Sure looks new to me. Exceptionally nice gun.

[snapper]

I bet your right.

Here is a web link to some of his machine work.

http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Osterman.htm

I bought this rifle on auction and have not picked it up yet.

It looked fairly new to me as well, but either way I like the look of the rifle. 

Fleener

[Seth Isaacson]

Definitely a modern gun. It is classified as "antique" because that is how it is treated under federal law. Albert Merle Osterman passed away last year.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/page/gr/www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=161721667 (added)

He and his son also did miniatures as others have noted. (added)

[Ron Scott]

I met Al Osterman about 1990. He was living up the McKenzie River, which is east of Eugene Oregon. Prior to that residence,  Al lived outside Eagle Point, which is in southern Oregon. Al had copied a unique percussion lock with enclosed internals and used in on a limited addition group of half stock rifles. Al rifled most of own barrels, did restoration and was an all round talented man. When I last communicated with him he was in his 90s.

Joe Willians at The Gun Works was a close friend of Al's and would be able to furnish many details about the rifle you purchased.

[madmtmike]

Very nice looking rifle.
I like it.

[snapper]

I just picked up the rifle.  I like it, very much.  I will post some pictures and more info most likely tomorrow.

Got a friend coming over soon to pick up a ML I picked up for him in March when I went to Oakridge to shoot.


Fleener

[snapper]

The rifle has all silver hardware.  It is a .45 cal, the only markings under the barrel is from the maker and is marked .45 cal.

I got a note with the rifle that it has progressive twist rifling, and that it has never been fired.   I can not find any proof of it being fired. 

I dropped a bore light down it and it does look like it could be progressive twist.  I tried a jag and patch, but need to do a tighter one tomorrow.

Interesting lock.

Now I got to figure out what I am going to do with the rifle.  I bought it to use. 

Dont know when it was made, but I am guessing 1980's or before?

very nice rifle.

Lock was color cased.

Someone make me an offer I cant refuse, and I just might ship it off to you.



fleener

[madmtmike]

The gain twist rifled barrels are somewhat popular in BPCR shooting, especially among the Canadians. But they are shooting a grease grooved or paper patched bullet. I've never heard of it being used with the round ball but I'm curious to know if anyone else has had any experience with it.
madmtmike

[Mike Brooks]

That wins the weird lock award! I have heard of gain twist in RB barrels, I don't recall any in the winner's circle.

[snapper]

well, if the rifle stays unfired the gain twist will never be an issue

does make me wonder why one would do that with a RB rifle.

I will have to run a tighter patch down it today and see for sure.

when I pulled the lock, I was a little surprised.  Did not know that Roller made a lock that looked like that 

Fleener

[Eric Kettenburg]

That lock is weird all right, but it sure looks like he came up with a super fast way to allow for machine/routed inletting while retaining a fairly stable lock mounting all the way around the plate.  Seems pretty clever.

[Don Stith]

I won the cross stick match at Friendship one year using a gain twist barrel made by Jim Mclemore.  That was back when I could still see open sights

[Bob Roller]

well, if the rifle stays unfired the gain twist will never be an issue

does make me wonder why one would do that with a RB rifle.

I will have to run a tighter patch down it today and see for sure.

when I pulled the lock, I was a little surprised.  Did not know that Roller made a lock that looked like that 

Fleener

It's the first one I ever laid eyes on. Unique and the whole rifle is a fine job.
HOW can the gun maker or cannon maker get in trouble because someone let
a kid stand close to the vent?Tragic for sure but why blame the maker.

Bob Roller

[Bob Roller]

I just looked at these little machines.This man was in a class unto himself like the watch makers of
Switzerland back before batteries. I had a Swiss DIGITAL pocket watch made in Schaffhausen,Switzerland
in 1873.Two windows and it changed every minute and every hour on the hour. The mechanism was a
marvelous thing like these little machines and both way beyond any ability I will ever attain.
Gain twist barrels.N.G.Whitmore,Potsdam N.Y. and Mansfield Mass. made 12 groove gain twist barrels that out shot
any and all competition using picket bullets.They WILL work with round balls.I all but begged Bill Large to copy this
Whitmore system but he never showed any real interest. Jim McLemore's barrels have been at the top for quite a while
but I don't know how active he is now.His wife.Margaret was very ill for a long time and he was not able to get into
shop. The last time I talked to him he was working on Rigby 451"s for someone.

Bob Roller

[nosrettap1958]

I'm tempted to make you that offer Fleener because that is one beautiful rifle.  Does that rifle follow any lines from an original Illinois maker?