Need Help Identifying This Rifle

[randalburnett]

Greetings All,

I am new to this forum and novice to identification of antique American longrifles.  I recently inherited a very rough old percussion half-stock (see photos).  The barrel is massive and bore is in the low 30's.  There is a maker's stamp on the lock plate which depicts a dog and plant.  I've not found any other marks or proofs.  Based on my rudimentary online research it has the appearance of a J.O. Robson rifle.  Any guidance toward identification is greatly appreciated.

[Tanselman]

Check the top flat of the barrel several inches behind the rear sight, so see if any trace of a name or initials remain of the gunmaker. These later half-stocked rifles are hard to identify when unmarked, unless more highly decorated so we can see the abilities of the maker. Your rear sight has been moved back toward the breech, indicating the barrel has been shortened to "refresh" the breech area a time or two, and at times the gun maker's name is lost when the gun is shortened. So check out barrel and let us know if anything, even a trace, is still there.

Do you know what state your ancestor lived in back when he would have owned this rifle, perhaps 1850s or 1860s? That might help narrow the search, if no name/initials are present.

Shelby Gallien