Newbie with Flea Market Find

[KGW]

http://s1098.photobucket.com/albums/g375/pasmall/
Hello, Thanks for letting me join this site, been following post for a couple of weeks. Very interesting site. I’m posting link to a flea market find. Gun was bought in York, Pa area. Only mark is on the lock. P. A.& S. Small, this was a hardware store in York from early 1800’s to early 1900’s with ties to the Civil War. 34” barrel, @ .580 bore, 4’ overall length. Forearm has bad crack and repair in front of lock.  With my limit knowledge I believe this was a Flint lock with a store bought upgrade to percussion. Any thoughts on this gun would be very welcome. Regards, KGW     

[Shreckmeister]

Interesting rifle,  I'd like to see the patchbox and cheek side of the
butt of this  rifle and a full shot of each side.

[flintriflesmith]

Interesting rifle,  I'd like to see the patchbox and cheek side of the
butt of this  rifle and a full shot of each side.

I believe you will find that it is a shotgun -- not a rifle. No patchbox and no cheek piece.

[nord]

Almost certainly a fowler. Signed by any chance?

[Dave K]

To me, it looks like a flinter that has been percussed, plus a full stock that has been 1/2 stocked. Could be a good find to enjoy!

[msmith]

Could be a good gun to restore...Would be nice if it has a signature....Thanks for showing us...

[beast44k]

The lock on it was never a flintlock, there is no signs of the frizzen spring holes having been filled, and it's very uncommon for the whole lock to be changed out.
Plus the furniture appears to be mid-late 1700's.
My guess is the barrel and furniture are salvaged from an old fowler and restocked with a new lock in the 1830-1850's.

(Sounds like I'm playing Clue...I wonder where Professor Plum fits in here???)

[Ian Pratt]

  Not sure I'd agree with that asessment - take a closer look at the lock.

 The barrel is ill fitting, perhaps due to a replaced breech plug (look at the top view) or maybe the barrel doesn't belong with the stock.

 I wouldn't say it's all that uncommon for locks to be switched out, either during the period of the gun's use, or at a later time for various reasons 

[flintriflesmith]

I believe the lock was a flintlock. The remains of the pan fence at the top edge of the plate show where the pan was cut off and, to my eye, there appears to be a plugged hole where the frizzen spring screw was located.

A picture of the inside of the loock should make it easy to tell.

Gary

[Dave K]

Yes, there is a definite evidence of a fence, along with the 2 screw side plate. The long tang on the butt plate and it's engraving, the trigger bow style and it's finial. Of course all of these could have been used from a older gun, but there are just too many things going on here for me to say it happened. It looks to me, if it were mine, I know what I would do with the missing wood, etc.  Fortunately for those agaist restoration, I don't own it.

[Ian Pratt]

  You can also see where the frizzen screw hole on the bolster was plugged.

 Regardless of the lock's condition, anybody have any thoughts on whether or not it is original to the gun?

[KGW]

Thanks for all the interesting information. Guess what I was trying to learn was since lock was from a York Hardware store and gun was found here in York PA. could it have been build here? Also age and weather to fix into a shooter or not mess with it. I'm going to take it to the Gun Show in York this weekend and see if I can find more about it. After that I'll put some better picts up if anyone wants.
Thanks for everything, Jay

[beast44k]

Ah shaw....I do see a plug hole right next to the main spring pivot, but I still don't see a frizzen spring pivot point.
I did see the remnents of the pan, and should have deduced from that.
However, I'm still leaning towards a restock with a new lock.