W. Pennepacker

[Gary/CO]

I'm cleaning a squirrel gun right now.  It has an P53 Enfield lock, crescent iron buttplate and triggerguard,  grease hole and one brass thimble/pipe.  The octagon rifled barrel is sub 45 caliber (I don't have a caliper with me) and is bored slightly off centered. After scraping off some rust from the barrel, I found, "W. Pennepacker" stamped on it.  Can anyone share any information on him?  I'll post pictures when the director downloads them for me.

[mr. no gold]

Sounds like a Pannabecker barrel gone south. They were gunmakers and barrel makers up in the Berks county region and one of them went down to Lancaster where he built some pretty fine rifles. Look in Joe Kindigs book, "Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in the Golden Age" to find some photos of a truly grand Panabecker rifle.
The name was spelled in a variety of ways: Pennypacker, Pannabecker, Pannepacker, and others. I have a swivel breech rifle with barrels marked Pennypacker and they are done by a stamp. Have to wonder then, why so many spellings of the name? Makin a stamp wasn't easy.
You don't say which flat you found the namer on; top flat or bottom? Not certain, but this could be an example of a barrel reuse if the rest is southern.
Send photos, and you might get in touch with Eastwind here on the ALR as he has quite a store of information on those up country barrel makers.
Dick

[Gary/CO]

Thanks.  At your suggestion, I found the entry in Kindig's book.  I now believe that Pennepacker made only the barrel.  There is nothing in the styling of the gun to suggest that it is from PA. 

Even the brass stock pins were bent and it was with some difficulty that I could get them out of the stock. 

BTW, the lock's mainspring was broken.  I have to see if the museum will pay for another one, pay for me to make one, or just leave it as is.  Interesting this is that there was a piece of rubber that was wedged between the leafs, as if to keep them apart?  It had broken a long time ago (no shiny parts where it broke).

I'll get pictures posted after the director shares them with me.  I used the museum's camera but don't have access to the internet there. 

[eastwind]

Mr. No gold--Dick is right.

 It is undoubtedly a barrel made by William Pannabecker - the son. William senior made complete rifles and barrels, but his son William (active 1835-1878) was one of the many barrel makers along the Wyomissing Creek near Mohnton, Pa 7 miles below Reading. We see William Senior barrels on many Wolfgang Haga rifles---Kindig has about half of his Hagas with Pannabecker rifles.

William Junior was a prolific barrel maker, even managed a barrel factory in Trenton, NJ during the later part of civil war. Returned to Mohnton and rented the house next to my GG Grandfather another barrel maker trained by Henry Deeds, a major barrel maker on the same creek. From 1750 on through until the 20th century there were almost 30 barrel makers on a three mile stretch of the Wyomissing Creek, a few of their dams still exist and one mill still stands.
I assume your barrel mark is on the lower flat, but I've seen Pannabecker's name (a stamp) on the side flats as well on John Derr and Upper Susquehanna rifles. The other Pannabeckers, Jess and Samuel made rifles almost always seen with script signatures on the top flat. A few other brothers made barrels and rifles but we rarely see their products..

Sorry, for offering more than you probably cared to hear...

Patrick Hornberger
EASTWIND

[jdm]

I have a J. Drepperd rifle .  Marked on the lock and on barrel.  Pannabecker is on the bottom flat with a stamp.
JIM