So, it's a what?

[dannybb55]

Maybe the smith made her up out of parts that the shop had collected over the years. I does offer building possibilities with TRS selling a similar lock.

[Levy]

I can't see the engraving on the triggerbow too well, but my impression is that it is rather New Englandish to me.  I seems similar to some shown in Grinslade's book on fowlers.

James Levy

[JTR]

Danny, Levy,
I'm beginning to believe that anything is possible with this rifle

Danny, I looked at the on-line TRS catolog and didn't see that lock. Did you find it in the 'print' edition? I'd like to see what the hammer on their lock looks like.

John

[brokenflint]

So JTR  what's the game plan for this one    I don't see it in pieces yet !   Nice find congrats

[Tanselman]

At the Princeton, IL, gun show this week-end there was a fullstocked gun with identical patchbox, single trigger, checkered wrist in style of  New York guns, with barrel marked "R. Sterling Newburgh."

In looking through an old Jackson Arms catalog, I saw another full-stocked gun with identical box, barrel signed Wm. B. Fisher, Lynchburg Va." The rifle had a back action lock and double set triggers. This seems to show that the patchbox was in fact a commercial piece that really got around. Sheby Gallien

[JTR]

Thanks Shelby!
It does seem this box was used far and wide, but was still a new one to me.
Unfortunately I had to tuck the guns away in the safe, and come back to the ship to make some $$$.
About all I'll do to that rifle is replace the missing trigger, and look for a correct hammer for the lock.
Thanks again,
John

[Pete G.]

Since we are fairly sure that the lock is an older lock from another rifle, do you think that the hammer is an even later replacement or was it installed at the time of the original build? If it is original to the rifle in hand and the "correct" hammer is re-installed, it would be incorrect for this application, and would also remove a piece of the rifle's history.

[Dave B]

I ran across the photo of a restoration project I picked up a couple years ago. It uses the same patch box as your rifle. I was informed that it resembles other rifles out of NY.

[JTR]

Pete, If I honestly thought the hammer was an in use item I'd of course leave it, but it looks more like a recent addition as it has none of the 'patina' of the rest of the lock. The lock is original flint, as there's no signs of a reconversion, so perhaps the original hammer was just somewhere along the line. This one isn't far from what it should look like, mostly just the spur behind the jaws is shaped differently. If I can't find a good replacement, this one will still do nicely.

Dave, Before I bought the gun, I don't remember seeing this box before, and now they're coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches!
Do you have any pics of the finished restoration on that rifle? Fixing that gun would simply be a labor of love, like I like to do!
Thanks for posting the pictures.

John