"Barn find" guns

[Jackie Brown]

Just looking for thoughts on my "barn find" style guns as to documentation.  I'm getting some questions asking for documentation of the stocks with worm holes.  It seems so simple as not to need documentation because it is something that could happen to any gun, old or new.  My explanation is, "if Jeremiah had come along in late summer and found 'Ol Hatchet Jack, all he would have found would be a pile of bones and a worm eaten hawken gun."  Now, would he have left the gun as junk because worms had gnawed at the stock or would he have rubbed on some linseed oil (or bear fat) on the stock and went along happily? 

The "barn find" style is certainly not for everybody but for the scruffy old mountain man or longhunter it seems to fit just like his old worn out moccasins that he still wears.

Any thoughts about it's authenticity?
Jackie

[tallbear]

Absolutly correct for a "Corinth Style" Longhunter

[Jackie Brown]

That was my thinking. 

[tallbear]

Actually there are plenty of original longrifles out there with Powder post/worm hole damage on the stocks.The big question is when were the holes created.

Mitch

[Jackie Brown]

Ah yes!  There comes the Personna interpretation.  That's what I'm aiming at.

[Jim Kibler]

There's a big difference to the look of a stock shaped from worm eaten wood and a stock that has been worm eaten after shaping.  Holes versus open channels etc.  Not the same thing.

[Jackie Brown]

I couldn't get the worms to eat a finished stock in a timely manner. 

[bgf]

Most of the deterioration on old rifles seems to me to have occurred after they were retired, given to the kids to play with, left in a shed, etc., although some crack and wear (around the pins or tang) may have occurred during their service life.  The few pictures I've seen of late Southern mountain men, it always looks like the rifles are well cared for if not new (relatively).  

I'm not sold on the notion that people left valuable rifles sitting in their barns, for that matter, regardless of trim level.  I know we always had problems (real and imagined) with kids and "hobos" (a word my grannies always used) going into barns no matter how remote -- wouldn't want to provide a stranger with a weapon to have an accident or use against you when you could just keep a gun close.  That is just my take -- is the "barn gun" really something that people had for the purpose of keeping in the barn, or are they just cheaper rifles that people bought, and that possibly got tossed into the barn when they were obsolete?

PS. Does no one ever "portray" an 18th century itinerant ne'er do well ?

[Jackie Brown]

My thought is that there is no such thing as a barn gun.  I think old or obsolete guns were stored in the barn, corn crib, or smoke house just to get the out of the way.  There the received in the dry deterioration and worm damage.  Many were lost in the woods and found later.  There they got wet weather rot or insect damage.  My thought is, they were given a quick refinish and put into service again.

[bgf]

A random thought -- maybe a good place to look for examples/documentation of that is the "revival" chunk guns?  Perhaps some of them were ignored for a long while then refurbished.

[duca]

A random thought -- maybe a good place to look for examples/documentation of that is the "revival" chunk guns?  Perhaps some of them were ignored for a long while then refurbished.

Hmm, Very good point bgf...

[David R. Pennington]

I don't know the answer and not even real sure I understand the question but I have a rifle I'm working on now out of a blank that I got very reasonably because it has some worm holes in it. The curl is very nice and were it not for the worm holes I probably couldn't have bought it. Southern iron mounted. I forged a butplate and triggerguard and will make the rest of the hardware. I think the worm holes give it character. The only other flaw I see in this one is that the curl sort of changes a little right ahead of the lock like there was a little knot just below it or something. I can't wait to see how it looks stained.

[rich pierce]

Having grown up in a barn; yes I have seen barn guns.  Old 30-30's, 22 rifles, 12 ga single barrels kept there "just in case".  My father in law was fond of keeping the 30-30 there in case a deer showed up at the edge of the lower pasture.

[Jackie Brown]

Rich, you're right.  We've all done that.  I keep a gun or two standing in the corner of my shop for social events. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Mud daubers like a muzzle for a cozy nest. 

[Jackie Brown]

Sugar Maple, you're 'xactly right.

[T.C.Albert]

Honest to goodness farmer kept "Barn" guns are for real...it was common well into the late 1970s in the country side where I grew up. In fact there was an old scattergun stashed out in the machine shed on the farm where I grew up...having to run back to the house to fetch a gun if needed must not have seemed like a good idea in time of need...I also know of several honest to goodness barn loft found long rifles here in the Midwest...they got there somehow...maybe well after the day of long guns, but the age of the barns doesn't preclude the possability that they were put there in the mid 19th century either. When a hay mow was filled to the top, things were naturally stored up in the roof rafters and upper timbers...then months later when the mow was emptied, some of those things just seemed to get forgotten and left in those rafters high above the loft floor...usually it was tools or empty bottles...but don't rule out an old rifle too.
That said, I expect they were generally cheap or obsolete guns when relegated to the sheds and barns, and likely did not have worm holes when put there or for years after. The smell of 2-4-D alone in the machine sheds I remember would about preclude that.
tca

[Shootrj2003]

Hi all, brand new here an just finished my intro, I just happen to be resuscitating an old single bbl.shotgun looks to be by the English proofs a early 19th century flint that was converted to percussion the stock was eaten away  by something and then filled with plastic wood by someone ,but,the lock works, the barrel is usable although rough no major pitting inside or out ,when I bought it had half a wooden cleaning rod in it I had to pull the plug to remove it,I'm making a cherry stock for it,    it does have some issues I would talk about if anyone is adept at these baby,s ,I am quite sure that I, AM NOT ruining any great historical piece,it,s only the fair condition of the barrel that gives it any value,and   so far I haven,t done nothing that could not be reversed .Oh,It cost me 50.00

[Shootrj2003]

,Hello to all I haven't been here  for awhile ,ive had a lot going on this year between floods,flooding,smalll earthquakes,palagues of locust's...[just joking!] and working on my vehicle rest. AND horns and a couple of bags but the season is here and I'm getting the BP bug stirring in me so it's time to get to serious stuff agin!
 I have I'd'd this critter as far as I can so chime in if it's familiar to ya,it's a 12 ga. almt actually my bore tool say's about 18 ga. but it's close,the 2 proofs are British difinitve bp proof for Birmingham, eng. between 1813 and 1904 [crossed pikes under the crown  B on the left sideC on the right side and under the pikes P,the other mark is the British insp. mark.for Birmingham,Eng. [Crown over crossed pikes with a V under the pikes. This is a halfstock with a wooden wedge holding it where a metal wedge seemed to be at one time the lock is percussion marked 'Phillips',However there are 4 small holes near where a pan and frizzen would be so I think it has been converted from a flint.The barrel is about 37.5 in. long with a ring under it for a carrying strap.only the ramrod ferrule is left of the fttings -it is brass. The trigger  guard is gone but was pinned on.the stock is walnut with extensive filling and repairs.AFTER I cleaned it,  removing part of a wooden rod and a crude bore brush it still looked like a sewer pipe but it in reality could probably shoot . It was not however, loaded! The barrel was,to the tipof the stock octogon then an ornamental ring about1/4 wide[engraved around thecircumfrence] then round to the muzzle where a brass bead was affixed. it also had an underrib back to the stock tip with a brass buttplate.the only other marks were the top half of of the letters of a name  maybe N D O N  then part of an S MAYBE ,just the top curve any help would help give a more complete history for this gun ....it's interesting.

   This is a description of this shotgun as posted by me over at TMA,as you can see my BP work and hobby was put on hold for a while but I would like to get back to it and this and a horn and pouch for my brother in Utah are first on my list,I would really like to breathe life back into this old girl.

[T*O*F]

Your NDON on the barrel is what is left of LONDON.  Also, the gauge should also be stamped somewhere around your proof marks.