Long Barrel @ Auction

[Avlrc]

This one is pictured in Dillin's " The Kentucky Rifle". In the first edition it is following page 8 , #3 on Plate 14.
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/26716458_pennsylvania-long-gun-flintlock-smooth-bore-56

There is a Moll rifle @ this auction also.

[Robert Wolfe]

Interesting how it was crudely lengthened.

[Old Bob]

That's something you don't see every day. If anything they've been shortened. Don't often see what looks like a CVA Mountain Rifle capbox either.

[Shreckmeister]

There is a lot of weird going on with this rifle.  The triggerguard looks 1850-1870 but it's
flint.  It looks like you could remove the extension from the stock and slide the buttplate up and
it would go right into place.  The buttplate also looks later than flint.  Very weird.  I'd like to see
it in hand.

[Dphariss]

There is a lot of weird going on with this rifle.  The triggerguard looks 1850-1870 but it's
flint.  It looks like you could remove the extension from the stock and slide the buttplate up and
it would go right into place.  The buttplate also looks later than flint.  Very weird.  I'd like to see
it in hand.

My thoughts too. As well as its now being a smoothbore my version of Dillon shows it as 60 to the pound with 8 deep grooves.

Dan

[Avlrc]

Seems funny happening before 1924. A time when more people were actually using these for their intended purpose , than they were people collecting them. So the stock was lengthened, yes.  You don't think the barrel was lengthened do you? I mean I figure someone actually made a long barrel and put it on the gun.

Seems one time I read where two gunsmiths  were trying to out do each other by making the longest rifle. Does anyone recall such a story or did I dream it?

[jdm]

I once owned a rifle made by Stoffel Long . It is pictured in Dillons book as a flint lock. I believe it was part of the Locke collection. The rifle was a reconversion so this has been going on for along time.

[ScottEdvin]

Flintlock smooth bore 56 is a beautiful rifle. I think this rifle is at the time of 1850-1870.  I like Remington 870 (12 guage) in long barrel rifles. But in long barrel it create a long enough friction resistance to lodge the bullet inside the barrel. And also uncomfortable to carry these guns.

[Shreckmeister]

Seems funny happening before 1924. A time when more people were actually using these for their intended purpose , than they were people collecting them. So the stock was lengthened, yes.  You don't think the barrel was lengthened do you? I mean I figure someone actually made a long barrel and put it on the gun.

Seems one time I read where two gunsmiths  were trying to out do each other by making the longest rifle. Does anyone recall such a story or did I dream it?

   In Dr. WHisker's Bedford book there is a really long rifle that it took two people to hold and shoot.  I came across a fowler with a 66 inch barrel that goes from octagon to round and then back to octagon at the muzzle, it's a flintlock.

[JTR]

Seems funny happening before 1924. A time when more people were actually using these for their intended purpose , than they were people collecting them.

Avirc, You should get a copy of Dillon's book and read it, as it's pretty interesting! In one chapter he goes into acceptable restoration, and then the making of out and out fakes due to the resurgence of interest in the guns.

It was the pioneering effort on long rifles and has its share of mistakes, but it also has lot's of information that hasn't been touched on since. Don't buy it for the pictures as you'll be disappointed for the most part.

John

[Avlrc]

Seems funny happening before 1924. A time when more people were actually using these for their intended purpose , than they were people collecting them.

Avirc, You should get a copy of Dillon's book and read it, as it's pretty interesting! In one chapter he goes into acceptable restoration, and then the making of out and out fakes due to the resurgence of interest in the guns.

It was the pioneering effort on long rifles and has its share of mistakes, but it also has lot's of information that hasn't been touched on since. Don't buy it for the pictures as you'll be disappointed for the most part.

John

John, I do have the first edition. I have read it but it has been a few years. Need to go over it again. Sounds like they were faking stuff way back then. That seems so crazy, being it was so close to the time of use,( well in the scheme of things).

[JCKelly]

ScottEdvin, to see some long-barreled rifles look at a few of the southern gentlemen in Walter Cline's book, The Muzzle-Loading Rifle Then and Now Either they are very, very short men or there are quite a few 4 or 5 foot long rifle barrels there.

My 16th birthday present from Dad was a 12 gauge English flint fowler with a 4-1/2 foot barrel. When Young & Immortal I used it a few times. It did carry just fine, but near impossible to swing it through the southern Delaware briars. This pleased at least one rabbit.

Now I am tempted by this screwy rifle at the Thomaston auction . . . guess I can't afford it . . .

[Dphariss]

If we read Cline we will find they were doing a lot of modifying, especially reworking barrels to make shooters.

One must remember that the faking of Rev-War items SURELY started around the Centennial Year, 1876. Converting a percussion to flint would be an easy fake and few people at the time could accurately date a rifle. So its was a good "Rev-War" wall hanger with a little work. Powder horns are even worse.
So its hard to trust almost anything any more until its carefully looked at.

Dan