Long Rifle with signature G_H or G_W id

[severnphoto]

This is my first Long Rifle that I got at an estate sale.  There was no real info given to me other than it was said to be a flintlock that was converted to percussion.  The signature is pretty hard to read but seems to be G. _ H. or G. _ W.  The middle is very hard to make out.  There is also what appears to be circles around the signature.  Any info would be very much appreciated.  I am looking for maker, date, and place of origin.  Thank you all.

[Nate McKenzie]

Being a half stock and having only one lockbolt, I'm certain that it was never a flintlock. Also their is no evidence of holes for a frizzen spring or frizzen. Looks like a later half stock plains style rifle to me. Nice gun though.

[Tanselman]

This is a somewhat odd rifle, with a fowler type butt plate and what appears to be a rounded shotgun style toe, or lower butt edge. None of the pictures show the back side of the butt, so we cannot tell if it has a shotgun style butt without a cheekpiece (which I suspect), or a rifle style butt with a cheekpiece. The barrel appears to be an octagon-to-round barrel. Despite the owner calling the gun a rifle, and having rifle sights, it would be nice to confirm the barrel is actually rifled, and not a smooth bore, on this gun.

The guard style, single trigger made of brass, football shaped lock bolt washer, and even the octagon-to-round barrel all strongly suggest the gun was made in New York state.  This gun is an example of where having simple guidelines describing the preferred "standard" photos could have assisted us in understanding the gun better. Shelby Gallien

[severnphoto]

I would agree that a nice set of photo guidlines at the top of this forum would be helpful.  

As for your questions....  The backside of the butt has NO cheeckpiece.  Shotgun style butt I guess.  It is indeed a half round barrell.  The caliber is smaller than .50, but I haven't determined the exact caliber yet.  The barrell is a smoothbore, sorry for calling it a rifle.  In the pictures below I also included a picture of the inside of the lock since I already had it apart.  I thought it might help in dating it.  The gun is apart and will be for the next few days so if any other pictures of the "inards" help, just let me know.

btw Barrell length is 37 inches

Brandon Severn




backside of the butt with no hardware attached to it




part of the butt plate that couldn't be seen in previous pictures

[severnphoto]

Let me expand on what I mean when I say smoothbore.  Like I said this is my first gun of this age.  The rest of my collections is from 1903 to present.  Any of the smoothbore guns I have now are a 20's German shotgun, a modern in line muzzleloader, and a modern shotgun, they are just that.....smooth.  Completely smooth and circular.  This old gun on the other hand even though it has a round barrel, is octagonal inside.  There is no rifling at all, but it's not smooth like a more modern gun.  I don't know if being octagonal inside changes anything or even if that's weird considering the outside of the barrel is round.  Like I said, this is my first experience.  Thank you all for the info.

[Tanselman]

Your comment about the barrel being an "octagon" inside indicates it was/is a rifle, and you are seeing the remains of the rifling. The photo of the muzzle that you provided seems to show several light rifling grooves inside the muzzle. They were probably deeper years ago, but have worn almost smooth over years of use. Perhaps the gun was used as a fowler, or single barrel shotgun, later in life as the rifling wore away and all but disappeared, since the bore appears large enough for such usage, and many old guns with large bores seemed to end up used that way... often with the rifling reamed out to create a smooth bore.  Shelby Gallien

[severnphoto]

Thank you guys for all the info.  After a cleaning, it is a bit easier to see the signature.  It is G F H.  Does that mean anything to anybody?