Ed Harper rifle on the blog

[Mike Brooks]

There's one of Edward Harper's rifles on the bolg today. That guy sure could build a funkadelic gun! I actually like his work, weird, but refreshing. Does anybody else but me think this gun was built as a caplock?
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/

[Shreckmeister]

Well it looks like the wood was burned away in typical Caplock fashion on the front edge of that lock Mortise and the lone lock bolt. But the cameo carving at the wrist reminds me of older guns. Maybe it was converted and used for many years and then re-converted. What do you see?  The faux wooden sliding Patchbox also makes me think of earlier rifles

[Shreckmeister]

One things for sure that's a sweet rifle

[Big Wolf]

You never know what to expect from those North Carolina boys. You would normally think it started life as a percussion gun, but because it's North Carolina, who knows. Interesting rifle for sure.

[EC121]

Those Harper rifles have a personality that grows on you.  Something different than the usual Pa./Ky. assortment.  Since most people probably never used the patchbox, he gives the impression without all the work.  Didn't even bother with a buttplate.  Can't see if it has the hole lined or welded up and drilled for reconversion. 

[Dennis Glazener]

Does anybody else but me think this gun was built as a caplock?

Mike I am curious as to why you think it was built as a caplock? Could have been percussion but single lock bolts were common with late flint rifles in the south.

I would expect more erosion around the flash hole/nipple area if it had bee shot a lot as a cap lock.

I can't see well enough to see if a notch has been cut for the flint cock, would like to see the wood around that area.

Dennis

[Eric Kettenburg]

I also think it was likely a cap lock originally.  Also - "original flint lock" I call b.s  "Original" Siler parts, maybe...

[Mike Brooks]

Does anybody else but me think this gun was built as a caplock?

Mike I am curious as to why you think it was built as a caplock? Could have been percussion but single lock bolts were common with late flint rifles in the south.

I would expect more erosion around the flash hole/nipple area if it had bee shot a lot as a cap lock.

I can't see well enough to see if a notch has been cut for the flint cock, would like to see the wood around that area.

Dennis

Oh, the single bolt doesn't bother me. it's more the shape of the lock plate that gives me a "percussion feeling". I saw a Lehigh area barn gun yesterday that was pert near "as new" with it's original percussion lock with the identicle lock plate that this one has.. It of course didn't have any corrosion at the breech. (cool gun, didn't even have a trigger guard) I'm thinking this gun may have not seen alot of use as a caplock either by it's condition. I suppose an in hand inspection would lay the question to rest. Who knows, at this point what difference does it make?

[Mike Brooks]

Just took another look at this gun. It doesn't look as if any of the exterior lock screws have ever seen a screw driver and the style of the cock really doesn't go with this late of lock. There is also a long wood repair ahead of the lock. Just sayin.....

I'm going to have to repop this gun after I retire. I doubt anyone is nutz enough to let me build one for them.....

[gibster]

The rifle came up on auction not long ago and I actually did some bidding on it. If the pictures were as clear as I see now, I would have kept bidding. When sold at auction, it was a percussion.

[sqrldog]

Old Ed had a penchant for building this style of rifle. Two different similar rifles by him in Ivey's book. While they remain percussion the lock plates appear to have once been flint. I suppose he was just salvaging lock plates but then who knows. His son John also building in a similar style left two flint rifles shown in Bill Ivey's book. Interesting style but there are others I like better. Tim

[Mike Brooks]

The rifle came up on auction not long ago and I actually did some bidding on it. If the pictures were as clear as I see now, I would have kept bidding. When sold at auction, it was a percussion.

Imagine that....

[Mike Brooks]

Old Ed had a penchant for building this style of rifle. Two different similar rifles by him in Ivey's book. While they remain percussion the lock plates appear to have once been flint. I suppose he was just salvaging lock plates but then who knows. His son John also building in a similar style left two flint rifles shown in Bill Ivey's book. Interesting style but there are others I like better. Tim

This guys work has really grown on me, unusual  to say the least. I wish I knew what pills he was taking to produce this sort of stuff.
I wonder how much of this style of work he did in his career? 100's?

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks guys, I didn't doubt the rifle was percussion when built I just wanted to out how to determine that other than the things I mentioned. I am not that up on locks and what cocks should go with what plates etc. Guess I had better study them more.
Dennis

[okawbow]

Anyone know what kind of wood that is?

[Mike Brooks]

I assume it's wally-nut.

[louieparker]

I think its a very cool rifle and on first look thought it was original percussion. But if you will enlarge the photo and look at the lock border line it terminates at the frizzen spring screw .  Which is normal for most late flint plates. I doubt that whoever made that conversion  changed it. LP

[gibster]

Ok guys, time for me to eat crow and apologize. I did bid on the rifle when it came up at auction and when this topic came up, from memory, I thought that this was a percussion when it was auctioned off. But the gentleman that bought the rifle contacted me and sent me pictures from the auction site and I have to admit that my memory was wrong.  He also told me that the touch hole shows no evidence of having been plugged, welded or bushed. Based on the pictures that he sent from the auction site (see below) and his information on the touch hole, I have no reason to think that it wasn't made as a flint. Memory is a strange bird. I have to apologize to the current owner of this rifle. I should have went back and checked the auction pictures before I said anything. Anyway, based on the better pictures of the rifle, I should have stayed in the fight for this one.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Well there's really no use in debating the issue based upon photos alone.  To make such determinations with real veracity, it's often necessary to have the piece in-hand.

It is quite possible to plug and camouflage a percussion drum hole and realistically age it to match if you know what you are doing.  Fact.  Would need an x-ray or bore camera to verify.

Whether or not this lock was original flint, the cock at the very least looks to be 100% Siler and I suspect some of the other exterior components are replacements also.

About the engraved lock plate line:  I take your point but I have seen quite a number of guns - some very nice - which were built as original percussion guns using locks made from older flint lockplates.  At least a handful of them did not even bother to plug the exterior spring/frizzen holes, no s**t.

[louieparker]

I agree with Eric that  flint plates were sometime used to make percussion rifles.
All I can actually say is  it has a flint style plate. I certainly can't say it started its life being a flintlock rifle or for sure with this plate.  But in  my opinion all the external parts are modern.  Sometimes on conversion like this  the tumbler will not have the half cock notch.