Mid-West Half stock percussion ID?

[rennikselum]

Any information to era/maker/build region greatly appreciated:

[Bill]

does the lock say "Truett bros"? hard for me to tell.
Beautiful wood and some really charming features, the rear sight, wood appears to be very nice, with a very nice nose cap!
Where did you find this little beauty?
Oh, what caliber?

[alyce-james]

Outstanding find. Appears to have a high dollar rifle in its hay day. Thanks for sharing. Jim

[Fullstock longrifle]

I can't tell you who made it, but I really like the condition, just the way you want to find them.

Frank

[smokinbuck]

Although locks were shipped all over the country, your lock is from Philadelphia. It could be a Penn rifle but if there's no name, or markings, it's all speculation. Nice rifle, I especially like the tang.
Mark

[mr. no gold]

Good chance it was made somewhere in Ohio. The spur on the T'guard and the monte carlo cheek rest are found on many rifles from that state. Nice gun; thank you for showing it here for all to see. Like others have said, don't clean it, or otherewise alter its surface. It might be a good idea to stabilize the areas that have active rust, as it will continue to work deeper and wider into the metal. Thank you, again.
Dick

[rennikselum]

I purchased the piece in Ohio. The lock does say "Truitt Bros & Co"

Here are some measurements:
Barrel length:38"
Caliber: ~ .38-.40

When was the back action lock introduced or better yet any idea on when the "Truitt Bros" locks were available? Would it be safe to say late 1800's early 1900 for the age of the gun?

Any tips on trying to see if there is a name on the top flat without damaging the patina?

Thanks,
Jeff

[smokinbuck]

Truitt Bros. werein business from 1847 through 1863. I would place your riflein the 1850-1860 period, perhaps a little later, but not as late as you are thinking. I agree that the trigger guard appears to be like those used on Ohio rifles but the overall architecture says western Penn to me. You might try to do a rubbing on the barrel to possibly bring out any name or other markings. If you remove the barrel you may also find a barrel makers name on the bottom side. That is not a firm indication of where the rifle was made but would give you additional information to follow up.
Mark

[Curt J]

What an honest "untouched" rifle!  You just dont find many like that anymore. Based purely on appearance, it could have been made anywhere from western Pennsylvania to Missouri or Iowa.  However, since it turned up in Ohio, I suspect it was quite likely made there.  I would try to do some careful, non-invasive cleaning on that top barrel flat, to see if there might be a name lurking beneath the patina.

[JCKelly]

Curt is the expert on such mid-western rifles.

I'd like to add that "non-invasive cleaning" means no sandpaper, no steel wool.

Using your favorite penetrating oil and a piece of copper or brass can remove some rust without damaging the iron or whatever original finish might have been there.

I used the bronze wool meant for kitchen cleaning, it was available in grocery stores. Worked well.

Over the last few years some kind of metal-plated plastic wool from China has taken over here in depressed Michigan. I did get some honest-to-gosh bronze wool thru the internet so my shop is equipped again.

No, I would not use aluminum wool - the metal is soft enough but it will have a layer of aluminum oxide on it which is hard and abrasive.

[rennikselum]

I took the barrel out with extreme caution...all went well. The bottom 3 flats were rusted quite heavy. I took a piece of brass scrap I had and scraped the bottom 3 flats. No name found. I have looked at mutiple angles with different lights and still nothing.
I did find an unused mortice and upon inspecting further I found what appears to be another beneath the underrib near the muzzle.





I'm guessing this barrel could have started life in another gun, or were these possible mistakes by the maker?

I will be putting the gun back together and leaving as is with no intention of further cleaning/inspecting the piece.

Thanks,
Jeff

[JTR]

I’ll agree it’s a nice old gun in nice mostly untouched condition, but remember that active rusting is not patina, it’s just rust. Same with years of dust stuck to the stock, it’s just dirt. 
If it were my gun, I’d oil the dickens out of the iron and rub it down well with brass wool of a green kitchen scrubber, or some such thing to try to remove the active rusting. Just be careful not to rub through on the edges of the barrel flats.

It wouldn’t hurt to run an oily patch or brass brush up and down the bore a bunch of times either!

Don’t polish or buff the brass, just a damp cloth to take off the dirt.

For the wood, I’d take a damp cloth and run it over the wood. Just use cold water, no soap, and don’t scrub it. Buff the wood dry with a clean cloth then give it a light coat of clear drying cabinet makers wax.

It’s not surprising that the barrel has been reused. At that time period (1850-60s) lot’s of old gun parts were recycled into inexpensive guns for all sorts of uses, and I expect that’s the case with yours.
As such, it represents the beginning of the end of the muzzle loading era, with all sorts of new fangled breech loaders being invented during the civil war!

Thanks for posting the pictures!
John

[smokinbuck]

Jeff,
Good decision to not touch the rifle. The most I do with a lot of the antique rifles that I have is to wipe them down good with D&L Handcleaner. Rub on a good coat and then wipe it off with a soft cloth. It will take off a lot of crud and dirt but will not hurt any original finish or patina that may be lurking . It will also put some life back into dried out wood.
Mark