H. Albright rifle

[jim meili]

Through a friend this rifle recently came to light. His father has owned the gun for many years and he is trying to determine if the maker is Henry Albright of Lancaster and later in Ohio or someone else later on in the family. There were many Albrights and as you can see it is a pretty plain piece.












Thanks for any help on this.
Jim

[Buck]

Jim,
Looks like a restock.
Buck

[JTR]

The H Albright signature on the barrel is correct for the excellent PA maker Henry Albright, but the rest of this rifle doesn't match his workmanship. I have to agree with Buck on a restock.

John

[mr. no gold]

It appears that this gun has had a long life. It most likely started out as a fine Lancaster rifle, or since Albright moved some, out of that school. The furniture does not seem to be Albright although the trigger guard may be his. The original rifle probably broke down somewhere out west, (Ohio?), and parts were taken for this gun.
The inlays suggest an Ohio origin for this piece. Too, the stock is walnut or related wood; the architecture doesn't tell us much about a school though. The Spies lock is a secondary lock in this one, as the previous one had a pointed tail.
Thank you for posting the photos; it is a long appreciated gun that deserves the same today.
Dick

[jim meili]

Thank you gentlemen for your comments and thoughts. I will see this rifle again today and maybe can get it apart some so I can see if the tennons have been moved or if there was a front lock bolt, etc. The lock is definitely a replacement in its later years. It is hard to see in the photos but there was a good amount of wood replaced in front of the lock high up. This kind of tells me that it was used heavily before this lock was ever installed. Very possible it was a restock or maybe Albright made it in his later years in Ohio but if so would he haved signed it so elegantly? It was probably built up from a mixture of parts by someone farther west and from its condition and signs of wear has distinguished itself well in a second life. It is due all the respect of a great tool used to support a family and help settle this country.