Original carved butt stock any body's guess?

[Dave B]

I was blessed this day with a great gift from a fellow gun maker. The butt stock you see here. I have been trying to place it. It looks like a Beck style patch box had been installed, but the name that is stamped into the under side of the buttstock just behind the end of the trigger guard says  M. Beeman. There was an armorer in the Mass. Militia  by the name of Beman, same guy? What do you think?

[rich pierce]

Not a clue from the carving.  The shape looks like many guns from Reading west in Pennsylvania.

[woodsrunner]

The Three Pointed Floral design on the patchbox again, and the Half-Moon on the cheek piece..Hummmm.........

I concur with you, Rich!

[G-Man]

Maybe Christian Beck? - Maybe during his Martinsburg Va. years?

The butt architecture looks similar, and he used some of his dad's patchbox designs.  Not seen a rounded cheekpiece by him though.

The carving has a similar feel to several of his guns shown in Whisker's book.

Guy

[Dave B]

I was intrigued with the way they installed the patch box lid spring. It was driven in to a hole as tapered square nail bent then to come out from under the finial and curve up to lift the lid. Thats what the center hole in the finial is, not a screw hole. the release catch for the patch box was also driven in to the end of the butt stock to keep it in place. I think I need to check to see if that patch box opening will hold a snickers bar. A standard set by the late Ron Elert. also the wood at the end of the catch area is domed where the lid was left high to match a dome extention on the butt plate its self.

[Loudy]

Dave,

According to my new 2nd ed. copy of the late Frank Seller's "American Gunsmiths" there was a Martin Beeman the working as a gunsmith in Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio about 1831.  His source is listed as Gluckman & Satterlee's "American Gunmakers".  I also found a reference to Martin Beeman in my copy of Donald Hutlar's "Ohio Gunsmiths & Allied Tradesman", Vol. I, p. 208.  In this book there is a photo of a fullstock percussion rifle by "Martin Beeman".  Unfortunately, I don't see much resemblance between the rifle pictured in the book and what's left of yours.
Also referenced is a photograph of a fullstock flintlock rifle signed "M. Beeman" in the Association of Ohio Longrifle Collectors Newsletter, Vol. III, No. 1 (1981).  I don't have a copy of this newsletter.  Maybe someone else does.  The AOLRC used to have copies of old newsletters available on their website.  It looks like they're reworking their site and these old newsletters are currently no longer available online. 

Good luck,
Mark

     

[Dave B]

Mark,
Thanks for that information. I will make a note of it. I dont have those books in my library.... yet.