Possible Quattlebaum Rifle

[wildcatter]

I'm posting this rifle in hopes that there are enough features left to discern an opinion as to the possibility that this is a rifle made by Paul Quattlebaum. The trigger guard and butt plate look right, the breech treatment seems a possible connection but the pronounced drop in the stock architecture doesn't seem right in my memory. I lost the only pictures I had of the one on display in Lexington SC. Obviously this one has been limped along over the the years and isn't in the best of shape currently. It came to me with family provenance but it's unsigned. I always prefer to identify a connection through characteristics before just blindly saying, yes. Any help or opinions are greatly appreciated.   

Matt

[Dennis Glazener]

Matt,
Quattle who Sorry I am not familiar with him. Is he a SC builder if so coastal area or mountains?

I wondered if it was ever flint but see no sign of plugged holes for frizzen spring. Is that side plate a repair? Sure looks like it but can't see the break on that side but the screw down from top looks to be meant to stabilize one.
Dennis

[Hungry Horse]

 Very interesting, I can’t really tell if the nipple is in a patent breech, or a square drum. I wonder if the lock is a replacement or the original drum cut out just wasn’t filled. Very unusual gun. The wood is beautiful.

  Hungry Horse

[Dennis Glazener]

Very interesting, I can’t really tell if the nipple is in a patent breech, or a square drum. I wonder if the lock is a replacement or the original drum cut out just wasn’t filled. Very unusual gun. The wood is beautiful.

  Hungry Horse

I think its a patent breech, look at the second photo.
Dennis

[wildcatter]

Dennis.... hahaha, yep SC maker from the Lexington/Batesburg Leesville area west of Columbia towards August GA. Quite a family, I do think this one was always percussion. The side plate certainly looks to be a stabilization effort, and the breech is definitely a hand made attempt to keep the gun in working order. I'm wondering if at some point it blew up in that area. I have lost my pictures of the two rifles on display at the Lexington county museum. I think the trigger guard is a pretty good match, the cheek rest, and the two piece butt plate look to be close but the stock architecture doesn't look right and it has a mix of pins and keys to hold the barrel in place which isn't right either according to my notes but that could just mean its been restocked or the barrel was shortened and reworked. I was hoping someone might come along and have some info to help justify what I think is right or remind me I'm way off base.  Dennis, hope you are well and Happy Thanksgiving.

Matt

[Dennis Glazener]

Dennis, hope you are well and Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks Matt, stay safe over Thanksgiving (probably a safer time for you than during the school year!).
Dennis

[AZshot]

I have some pictures of Quattlebaum rifles that I'll try to post.  A guy on another forum went to the Lexington museum for me and took them for me a couple years ago.  General Paul Quattlebaum is G-g-great grandfather, on my mother's side.  Lots of information on him, and his family, and the gun making they did before and during the Civil War.  I guess for long rifles I'm kind of lucky, the Allen's on my dad's side worked for Gillespie, and on my mom's side they were pretty famous Confederates and rifle makers too.

Upper rifle, it's Placard reads "...made and signed by Paul Quattlebaum..."


Another shot of it, from a different time:

[AZshot]

Lower is an Elijah Hall (originally from NC) rifle.  The Hall family lived close to the Quattlebaums and according to decedents, engaged in lively debates about slavery. My contact had some anecdotal evidence of some rifle-making connections between the two also, but I have to find it. 

[wildcatter]

AZShot,

Thanks for posting the pictures, I had a bunch of angles of both of those rifles and lost them. I have a rifle by Elijah Hall. The one I posted here came with "family provenance" that it was a Quattlebaum,  I was skeptical but made the deal anyway because it was to good to pass up. I thought the stock profile was off and now that I see the pictures you posted I was right.

Matt