New Member - looking for info on an L Robinson Percussion rifle I have.

[PhilR]

I have a percussion rifle marked L. Robinson Watertown.
Top of barrel is marked “L. Robinson Watertown”
Bottom of barrel near the Breech Hook is marked “Remington”
32 ¼” Hexagon Barrel outside Diameter approx .95”
Inside bore Diameter approx .178”
Overall Length 48”.
Weighs just under 12 lbs.

I would appreciate any information the Forum can provide. 
I can't find any reference to an L Robinson in Watertown.
What caliber would this be considered with an inside bore diameter of only .178"?
The nipple is too large for a No 11 percussion cap.  Were the earlier caps made in a larger size?

[Avlrc]

Watertown, New York, circa 1850. Hopefully, someone here with the New York books will have information on him and his work. Thanks for sharing.

[Daryl]

Cool!  just so's ya know, Hex. means 6. Oct. means 8.

[Bob Roller]

That IS a good looking rifle and get a caliper or a micrometer and snap gauge and see what the bore is. .178 is less than 3.16 of an inch.
Bob Roller

[OLUT]

The NY State Firearms Trade reference books by Swinney have short listings for "Charles L Robinson" and also "H. Robinson", but none for "L. Robinson. This specific gunsmith shows up in the 1850 census; born in Canada about 1822. From the dates and locations of his children's births, it seems like he moved to Watertown between 1846 and 1850. He must have died before 1865 as his widowed wife and son George are still living in Watertown in 1865. Note that the major gunsmith in Watertown during this period was Henry Stevens and your gun has "similarities" to Stevens' percussion rifles. For more (better?) information you might want to contact the Jefferson County, NY Historical Society.

[PhilR]

That IS a good looking rifle and get a caliper or a micrometer and snap gauge and see what the bore is. .178 is less than 3.16 of an inch.
Bob Roller

Thanks for your reply Bob. 
The inside measurement of the bore was taken with a caliper and is approximately .178 inches.  I'll need to see if I can find a snap gauge.
Phil

[Bill Paton]

Nice rifle, Phil. The rivited-on flash protector is interesting and new to my eyes. I like it.
A BB gun has a bore of .177” Is your bore really that small? A photo of the muzzle with a measuring tape for reference would give us a ballpark idea of the bore size. Can you see rifling at the muzzle?

Bill Paton

[PhilR]

Nice rifle, Phil. The rivited-on flash protector is interesting and new to my eyes. I like it.
A BB gun has a bore of .177” Is your bore really that small? A photo of the muzzle with a measuring tape for reference would give us a ballpark idea of the bore size. Can you see rifling at the muzzle?

Bill Paton

Bill Thank You for your response.  You got my brain working again and I realized I had posted the incorrect inside diameter and then re-posted it again without checking.  Your reference to a BB hit home.
The inside diameter is approximately .379.






Phil

[PhilR]

That IS a good looking rifle and get a caliper or a micrometer and snap gauge and see what the bore is. .178 is less than 3.16 of an inch.
Bob Roller

Hi Bob,
Please ignore my previous response.  The inside measurement of the bore is approximately .379 inches.  Sorry for the confusion.

Phil

[Longknife]

These barrels were often coned to ease loading. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual bore was another .020 smaller....LK

[Daryl]

If anything, that one is filed out on the grooves and perhaps the lands as well.
It is not coned as done today, unless those grooves are phony.