hopng to identify barrel

[DarryH]

Well this is uncommon for me. I often read in this part of the forum, but seldom post.
I know a bit....but I remain awed by the knowledge many folks here posses.

I just picked up a barrel, and now I hope to identify it.
Of course it is octagon, 3/8 across the flats, 35 inches from muzzle to back of barrel, not the tang.
There is a threaded hole that shows me it was a percussion barrel.
There is rifling, which while dark, looks useable. I have lightly brushed it with a 40 caliber plastic
brush on my cleaning rod. There is contact with the barrel, but not hard. I assume the barrel is 44 or 45 caliber.     When you look at the bu sines end of the barrel, it has distinct rifling, and is decorated around the muzzle.
The rear sight is a simple, buckhorn type, looks like it is almost welded in place.
The front sight might be brass or German silver, it is very low, narrow, and long, as most I see are.
There are two brass?? thimbles? for a ramrod, and one very narrow spot for a wedge.
Both of these MAY be later additions or repairs.
The tang is about 2-2 1/2 inches long, with one screw hole.
I do not know how to describe, or what to call the decoration of the barrel.
It is a double row of diamonds on the top of the barrel, in front and in back of the rear sight, and in
the back of the front sight. It looks like something you could do with a nail,
but I am told it was made by rocking the engraving tool.
The only mark I can find is J.S
This is on top of the barrel.
The J is different, as it looks like you would normally write it, but then, and the top
of the J, you took the pen back down to the bottom of the J .
I will try to get picks very soon.
I picked this up at an auction, and the auctioneers said the sellers didn't know anything about it
One frustration, the tang was in good shape before the auction, but some jerks kept leaning against the wall,
sitting on concrete, and the tang is not bent down near the screw hole.
The hole is now lightly cracked. It will need some repair.
The outside of the barrel looks like it could be restored easily.
The inside....just a maybe right now.

I hope somebody knows the J.S marking. Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks all.
Good Shootin!!
DarryH
Nebraska

[Avlrc]

Unless the J S is real unique that may be a real challenge.  Seems everyone back then was named John,James, Jacob & etc..  Then you have all of the S surnames.  I have a Jacob Sheetz rifle signed J S in script,  and another rifle signed J S that I wished was a Jacob Sheetz and even convinced myself a few times that it was. Lets see the signature....

[Don Getz]

Darry........since the J S is on top of the barrel, it probably is not the barrel maker, but is the gun builder.  If you want to
build a gun around it I would suggest you send it to Bob Hoyt and have him recut the rifling or do whatever it takes to
clean up the bore.........Don

[mbriggs]

A gunsmith named Jabez Stephens worked in the Jamestown Longrifle School from 1830 to his death in 1866.  He signed his rifles and triggers with a simple "J S".  If you will post photos of your barrel signature, I will tell you if it matches the one on the rifle I own that he made.

Michael

[mr. no gold]

It would be nice if you could post some photos of the signature. As others have said, there were a number of makers who used the 'J S' initials. My question is this; do the initials have a decorative cartouche around them? I know that Jacob Stoudenour signed most, if not all of his work with a 'J S' in such a device. It had a trapezoid shape with border lines and the engraved intials in the center. Not sure if your barrel has stamped or engraved name.
Dick