Dickert?

[mony]

I've had this rifle for several years. It is a 45 cal percussion that has been apparently converted from flint. The story was that the barrel, not the whole rifle, had been carried in the revolutionary and the civil wars. Until I joined this forum, I had never thought about it much. I shot it some back in the day when I got it from my grandfather, but not for several years, now. It is staying in the family, so just curious.

[Shreckmeister]

All the possibllties. She’s sure seen a lot of history.

[louieparker]

Mony .... Its a Dickert barrel that has been shortened at the breech . Can't tell if other Dickers parts are used in the rifle.. I have seen several rifles with Dickert barrels..  Also complete restocked Dickert rifles.. No doubt that barrel has a great story to tell....LP

[mony]

Yes, it appears to have been shortened from the breech, as you said. Thanks for the input. I'm not all that adept at taking or posting pics, but will try some more.
The bottom of the barrel from the breech, then the lock and triggers. It is now a half stock.

[louieparker]

Mony....The photo is at an odd angle and don't show a good view of the guard.  But I think the guard and triggers are Dickert and go the barrel..  LP

[mony]

I’ll try to get a better picture.

[mony]

[mony]

Any ideas on the current lock? I could find no maker’s marks on it.

[hanshi]

That's definitely an interesting heirloom.  Well preserved, too.

[JTR]

I agree with Louie on the trigger and guard.
Here's a link to the Library here, showing a nice Dickert.
Don't get confused on the first initial; it looks sort of like a D, but is actually a very fancy J. 

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22664.0

[mony]

Thank you for the link and the comments. I see what you both mean about the trigger guard and triggers. What do you think about the toe plate and the sights?

[louieparker]

Mony... The front sight is probably Dickert.. But I couldn't say for certain.. The rear sight I feel sure is not Dickert.. Nor is the toe plate... Not saying all his sights were alike, but posting a photo of one  that is Dickert....LP.

[mony]

Thanks for the info and the pictures. I really appreciate it. Is there any way to date the conversion to percussion by the lock or anything else on the rifle?

[JTR]

I'll agree with Louie again, as he's right most all the time! ;-)
As far as when the work was done, to help date your gun, no way really to tell definitively.
However, the lock isn't a Dickert era lock, in fact is an original percussion lock, say 1840-ish, and I think the drum was new along with the lock. So your gun could have been made around then, or a good bit after that as well.
The pic showing the under lug at the breech end looks to be the original Dickert type lug, just moved up the barrel by some inches. If you measure the distance between the old lug position and the new one, that's the amount that was cut off from the rear of the barrel.

Here's another Dickert signature on a cut down barrel.


Any way you look at it, it's a nice gun to have passed down!
John

[mony]

I appreciate your input, John. Thank you.

[Clark Badgett]

I would highly question the Civil War usage. While some did bring their arms early on, they were replaced in short order with military arms, yes even in the Southern Armies. At that point, it would have been turned in and would not have been sent home. At which point in the south it would have been bored to standard military caliber if possible and fit for a bayonet and issued out to last ditch effort troops.

[mony]

That makes sense. There is no verifiable documentation with this rifle; just the story. There was a letter somewhere about it. It's not my story and I'm not sticking to it. Thank you.