ADDITION:
I TOOK OFF THE FOREARM, A FRIEND SUGGESTED IT SHOULD BE EASY.
1) THERE IS NO SPLICE IN THE FOREARM, THE AREA THAT WAS MENTIONED BY HURRICANE HAD A REPAIR ON ONE SIDE, A SQUARE REPLACED SPOT, BUT IT DOES NOT EXTEND AROUND THE FOREARM, I HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS SHOWING THE ENTIRE AREA.
2) THE BARREL HAS NOT BEEN STRETCHED.
3) THE RINGS THAT THE KEYS FIT THROUGH TO ATTACH THE STOCK TO THE BARREL ALL MATCH PERFECTLY. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED ALL OF THEM, THE ESCUTECHEONS ON THE KEY HOLES ARE ALL ENGRAVED AND MATCH PERFECTLY.
4) THE TRIGGERGUARD IS THE ONLY METAL PIECE THAT IS NO ENGRAVED ON THE GUN, SO THE COMMENT THAT IT MIGHT BE REPLACED SEEMS TO HOLD MERIT.
Fellows, I have had this gun a while, I would like some feedback. If my description is correct and adequate, without being over embellished. It is not for sale right now, and has not been on my web site.
Pennsylvania Mountain Rifle, made by Henry Gibbs of Lancaster City, Lancaster County, PA. c. 1811-1843. This maker can be found in Whisker and Wood's book, ARMS MAKERS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. His guns are photographed on pages 103-105. Gibbs was a contemporary of Melchoir Fordney, who is described by Kindig as one of the best gunsmiths in Lancaster. Gibbs work shows the influence of Fordney, (According to Whisker). This gun is much more embellished than any of the guns in Whiskers book.
It has a Drepperd Lock, finely engraved Brass, German Silver and Screw Heads on lock and tang screws. This rifle was originally flint and expertly converted to percussion, with a barely visible line on breech end of the barrel. The top of the barrel has fine dot style engraving over most of its length that is very difficult to photograph. The carving on the stock shows some incised and small patches of raise carving, Pin point dot engraving on muzzle, a few expertly done stock repairs, one of which has come open and should be fixed. The ramrod is replaced. The stock appears of harder burl type wood with some faint false stripping. The four pin barrel attachments have incised Engraved German Silver Escutcheons. Engraved brass pipe base. The upper tang screw and both lock screws have engraved screw heads. German silver decoration within the highly engraved brass patchbox. The barrel is 40 3/4 inches long and crisply rifled in .40 caliber with 7 grove rifling. This maker did much more engraving on his metal parts than almost any maker, other than Fordney. Fine overall, it has the repair that has come loose, I plan to get this send out to get fixed. But I am looking at a recommendation on that. I have no western gunsmiths that I have seen their work on Mountain Rifles before.
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