Wheatcroft 2 grove rifle

[Dan Fruth]

   I found this little piece while surfacing the web. Very nicely done early 19th century English rifle.
http://www.aagaines.com/guns/wheat.html

[Majorjoel]

Interesting that they claim the stock wood to be of sycamore, but it sure does look like curly ash to me.

A very nice "take down" stock design as well!

Thank you Dan for sharing this very nice unusual rifle with us!

[Hungry Horse]

Very interesting. The Templar cross, and the Masonic compass, do appear to share the top of the barrel. The origins of this piece, and the history of when,  where, and for whom, the barrel was produced would certainly interest me. Thanks for Sharing.

  Hungry Horse

[okawbow]

Interesting that they claim the stock wood to be of sycamore, but it sure does look like curly ash to me.

A very nice "take down" stock design as well!

Thank you Dan for sharing this very nice unusual rifle with us!

Acer psudoplananus,  is called sycamore in England. Sycamore maple in the U.S. It is a slightly softer maple sometimes used in violins.

[Joe S]

Acer psudoplananus, is called sycamore in England.

I was curious, so I looked it up, and learned that "In Scotland, sycamores were once a favoured tree for hangings, because their lower branches rarely broke under the strain."

Huh. I suppose any tree that's good enough for a gallows is good enough for a gun stock.

[Robert Wolfe]

What we call a Sycamore Tree would be called a Plane Tree in the UK.

[Pukka Bundook]

Joe,

When they ran out of rope, they would hang folks in the forks of trees. Maybe sycamore was good for this, as the branches fork evenly.  We favoured them for catapults. (slingshots)

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

No one asked me, but I'd say it is ash as well.  A very interesting piece, in light of our English fowling piece thread.

[smylee grouch]

Would that two grove barrel be considered the Brunswick style of rifling even though its only a 40 cal?

[Pukka Bundook]

It has to be ash in my mind.

Smylee, Hard to say about Brunswick, as this may have been made  before the Brunswick was issued.  (most likely)
The stock shape gave me pause.   Inspired by someone who had been in the Americas  it would seem.

Most odd!

[n stephenson]

Thanks for posting, very neat piece. That rear sight is something !  Is the front sight being so close to the muzzle normal?  Nate

[Scota4570]

Very nice rifle.

Interesting that they claim that the pan was brazed to the plate at the time of manufacture.  Supposedly it was to eliminate the need to forge the plate with the pan as one unit.  If I were doing it that way the pan would fit over the plate like a Siler and the joint would be invisible.  Instead a part of the plate has been replaced with a joint that shows in the middle of the plate.  The boss where the lock bolt goes appears original to the lock.  That would have needed to be forged with the plate, so why braze on the pan if you can forge that boss?  The whole thing looks recently polished. 

Could it be a well done re-conversion?

I still think the price is fair either way.