A new one to me

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I am just restoring a neat little half stock percussion rifle for a friend.  What is new to me is that the single lock screw enters from the lockplate and threads into the breech plug bolster.  No cross bolt from the sideplate side, and there is no evidence that there ever was one.  The screw is a countersunk screw with typical machine threads.  The often seen through hole in the breech plug bolster is threaded.  Has anyone else eve seen this arrangement, it is surely new to me.

Jim

[albert]

I have a rifle that I am restoring that was made by Bernard Sells that is made the same way

[mountainman70]

Hi Y'all,are either of these locks marked Golcher?I have a new left hand perc that is set up same way,countersunk plate.Schrecmeister had a thread recently saying he has a rifle that fits up like this.Cheers!Dave

[WadePatton]

Sounds like a good mtn po boy trick.

sometimes you learn one thing too many.

[Dphariss]

Guys,

I am just restoring a neat little half stock percussion rifle for a friend.  What is new to me is that the single lock screw enters from the lockplate and threads into the breech plug bolster.  No cross bolt from the sideplate side, and there is no evidence that there ever was one.  The screw is a countersunk screw with typical machine threads.  The often seen through hole in the breech plug bolster is threaded.  Has anyone else eve seen this arrangement, it is surely new to me.

Jim

Not unusual but not common either. I suspect that these breeches and locks came as sets from England.
J&S Hawken used at least one on the silver mounted Hawken.




Dan

[Bob Roller]

Like Dan said, not common but certainly not unknown.
With tight inletting,it's a solid way to secure the lock.
 Bob Roller

[gunmaker]

Somewhat  common on English guns, the Ferguson rifle is like that. I've used that set-up few times...Tom 

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Another interesting, and new to me, feature of this gun is the wedge that holds the barrel & stock together.  The gun is a half tock with a single wedge having the typical two escutcheons, German silver.  The set up does not use a barrel loop at all, the wedge is itself cut to fit the dovetail tightly, so what holds the barrel & stock together is the "lips" of the barrel dovetail bearing directly against the wedge that is shaped to fit tightly into the dovetail.  The escutcheons appear to be cut with trapezoidal holes for the "weird" wedge.  Let me know if you guys have ever seen anything like this.

Jim

[Acer Saccharum]

I've seen this style wedge on heavy bbl target guns, where a loop would deepen the stock too much.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here are some photos of the gun with the "new to me" features.  Can somebody out there tell me some information on the style/origin.  It does not look Pennsylvania to me.  The stock clearly has a convex lower line - perch belly, and a very short forestock.  My guess is New York/New England c 1850-1880.  Thanks for any help here.

Jim

[Acer Saccharum]

Golly, it looks a little New Yorky in profile, but there are some Ohio-ey features, and some St Louis-ey features. Neat gun.

You should post this in 'Antiques' for more reviews.

[galamb]

Yes, my immediate reaction was Ohio "fish belly" style, but with that short forestock it looks more like New York as mentioned.

I have a few pics of two New York builders (W.A. Greer and E Loomis) which are quite similar - fishbelly, almost square lines on the buttstock, very short fore-end fastened to the barrel with a key (or two keys).