This one was a challenge!
The first picture shows it as found at a local gunshow, and the second picture shows it pretty much as I bought it from a friend.
Basically, it was a pretty neat old gun. And an early for sure, with its 2 inch thick butt and simple carving. Maybe Rev War with the hole in the trigger guard for a sling swivel.
The brass furniture is very similar, though not exact, in shape and engraving as that on gun # 71 in RCA, as is the simple curled trigger. The furniture is no doubt probably made, engraved and imported. The butt plate on mine has a small BB cartouche stamped into it, but I have no clue as to who or where BB was.
When I got it, the old lock had already been found as a replacement, and seemed very appropriate. The modern non-injun brass tacks were long gone as was the modern lock and leather wrap around the lock area.
Pictures 3, 4 and 5 shows what I had to work with as far as the lock area….. a bit of the lock molding remained on the front, and most of the tear drop on the back, though it’s hard to see in this picture….. and with the two holes under the barrel, it’s had at least two locks previously.
Picture 6 shows the piece of wood I glued in for the new lock mortise. I did clean up the edges of the old hacked hole so to have a tight fit for the new wood. The new wood only covers the hacked away part of the hole and not the interior of the lock cavity, so that area remains original.
Somewhere along the line, I’ve lost the pictures of fitting the replacement lock, so the next one is of the gun finished. Also, and I’m sure you’ll notice, that I had added several feet of barrel, fore stock, thimbles, ramrod, etc, as well!
I still have the old gun and still enjoy it. At the time it was the most extensive restoration I’d ever attempted, and I learned a lot in doing it!
Comments and questions welcome, of course.
John
