Gentleman's Old Rifle II

[KirkD]

Gentlemen, I have some bad news and some good news. First the bad news. This morning I went to the owner's home and took another set of photographs, more detailed, including full length views of both sides. When I returned home to load the photos on my computer, to my shock the files seem to have been corrupted somehow and there was nothing to load!

The good news is that I did see what looks like a signature between the rear sight and the rear tang and very carefully drew it on a piece of paper. I also went back to my original photos and lightened up the shadows somewhat so more details could be seen, and I also saved them slightly larger this time. The owner also gave his permission for the American Longrifle Association to save the photos in their photo museum.

I took a photo (now lost) with a measuring tape beside the barrel. If I recall correctly, the barrel was 31 or 32 & 1/2" long.

The signature was quite faint and I copied it as accurately as I could. It was so faint that for some of the marks, I was not sure if it was part of the signature, or just an old light curly scratch, but I copied it anyway.  The first letter (that looks sort of like a 'W') I re-did and drew it below the box in the photo. The ends of the box were done in finer squiggles than the top and bottom of the signature box, which was more wavy. Edit: Not knowing which end is up, I've posted it both ways. The squiggles forming the box are not precisely drawn, but the contents of the box, especially the writing, was very accurately drawn.




The gentleman remembered, since we last met, that the extra object forward of the trigger was not a 'hair trigger' but a safety. Up until just recently, the side hammer was properly oriented on the nipple and the gun could be cocked, but would not fire until the safety was moved (forward or backward, I cannot recall). Just recently, the hammer appears to have been bent down a bit and jammed between the nipple and the external hammer spring.

Trigger area .....


Left side of stock showing engraving ....


Left side of receiver/lock area ......


Right side of buttstock ...


A small sliding button on the brass buttplate opened the patchbox ....


Oblique view of lock ...


Top view of lock ....


Right side of forestock ...


Right side of muzzle ....


Underside of forestock ....


Top of wrist ....


Top of buttstock ....


Wider view of right side of lock area ...


Rear sight ....


Underside of buttstock ....


Muzzle showing dovetailed front sight, missing blade ...

[Majorjoel]

Just an observation Kirk, but your "W" first letter just might be an upside down "M" and the Morrison attribution some have been talking about.

[Ryan McNabb]

Fiercely cool rifle.  What incredible sheet metal work.

[Loudy]

Kirk,
 
In my humble opinion, your recreation of the barrel signature reads S*M.  An attribution to gunsmith Samuel Morrison would be tough to dispute.  Samuel Morrison was born about 1787.  He worked in Milton, Northumberland County ca. 1820-1840.  Researcher Curt Johnson found documentation that led him to conclude that Samuel Morrison later moved from Pennsylvania to Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois where he died.  See Curt Johnson's book entitled "Gunmakers of Illinois 1683-1900", Volume II, pp. 323-324.  In this book Curt included several photos of a similar Samuel Morrison attributed rifle equipped w/ a mule-ear lock. 
 
A little work on the lock hammer by a skilled restorer would be the only thing I would do to this rifle if it were in my collection.  Very nice gun.  Thanks for touching up your original photos.

Mark Loudenslager
           

[KirkD]

I've added a rotated photo of the signature, since I might have posted the first one upside down (not knowing which way was up).

Question: The owner has no idea of what sort of value his rifle might have, and I don't either so I'm afraid I cannot advise him. Can the forum members give him an approximate range within which the value of his rifle might fall? He is following this thread.

[Spotz]

That looks like the narrow, script "M" I referred to in the other thread that is commonly encountered with rifles from Samuel Morrison of Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.  Pictures are the only way to confirm it.     

[nord]

As to the signature on this rifle...

I suspected that my own mule ear was a Morrison for many years but believed it unsigned. Two seasons ago I took the gun to Lewisburg as part of my table display. Somehow the light caught the barrel just right and I could detect a very faint signature under the patina. I rubbed a bit in an attempt to bring it into better view but decided not to destroy a century and a half of history.

In any case I'd concur with Mr. Spotz in that Morrison did not seem to engrave deeply into the barrel. Years of wear and patina can make the signature all but invisible as with my rifle.

Given the photos of this rifle and a copy of the signature I believe we have a Morrison, but I'm not fully convinced that it's totally a Morrison. I'd rather expect a Morrison to be signed S * M or possibly *S M*.

This rifle appears to have that troubling "&" in the signature which leads me to suspect a second hand in the making of the rifle. Given some of the features I see I keep coming back to a Joe Long connection.

As others have pointed out a good photo of the signature are is necessary to really determine a reasonable answer as to who really made this rifle. The one thing I'll say is that I believe it reasonable to conclude that Morrison signed the gun given that old Joe seemed to be a bit more enthusiastic when it came to displacing metal in the signature area.

[Z. Buck]

you can see a small portion of the signature box in the "rear sight" photo posted above, im sure its been noticed but i didnt notice it on the first couple go arounds,  might help get a feel for what it looks like in metal. beautiful rifle, outstanding inlay work