Tell me about my octagonal barrel with seven-sided twist heirloom.

[stageman]

Been in the family for over a hundred years. I believe the mold I have goes with it. The bore measures ~.35. Thanks!

[Stoner creek]

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that was re-stocked later in it’s life as a productive firearm. 7 grooves in the bore is not terribly unusual.
Thanks for posting 

[stageman]

Can you make a guess on the age? Who could have made it? It was probably from Albany ,Georgia or thereabouts. 

[Stoner creek]

I’m going to defer that question on to some of the other members. I will ask; is there a signature or initials anywhere on the barrel? If it was signed your best chance to see it will be between the breech and the rear sight. You can learn volumes from a signature.

[stageman]

I’m going to defer that question on to some of the other members. I will ask; is there a signature or initials anywhere on the barrel? If it was signed your best chance to see it will be between the breech and the rear sight. You can learn volumes from a signature.

I can't tell if it is a signature or my imagination...

[Stoner creek]

Sorry but I can’t see it.

[stageman]

Just behind ( to the left) of the sight. Script Ny or Ky ? Very faint. Could be random scratches

[Dennis Glazener]

I agree with Stoner Creek that it looks like a restock using old hardware.

I downloaded the photo and greatly enlarged it and it looks to like there is a signature there but I can not make any of it out.

If you can not make it out with higher magnification you might see someone that collects coins, many of them have chemicals that "raise" dates on coins. I would not do this on an all original gun but probably will not hurt the value of this one and who knows who the maker might be.
Dennis

[stageman]

I agree with Stoner Creek that it looks like a restock using old hardware.

I downloaded the photo and greatly enlarged it and it looks to like there is a signature there but I can not make any of it out.

If you can not make it out with higher magnification you might see someone that collects coins, many of them have chemicals that "raise" dates on coins. I would not do this on an all original gun but probably will not hurt the value of this one and who knows who the maker might be.
Dennis

Thanks for the insight. My Grandad told me 50 years ago that it was originally a flint lock post revolutionary war. Others have cast doubt on that as the lock plate doesn't show signs of a removed frizen, etc.

[stageman]

Here is a pic that my son has enhanced the contrast. If you look sideways, something seems to be there... 

[mbriggs]

I believe we are looking at a late Jamestown School Longrifle, made after 1870 in Jamestown, N.C.  The stock looks to be straight grained maple.  The stamp behind the rear site would be matched with a stamp on the top flat of the bullet mold sold with the rifle.  Please post a photo of the barrel tang, which I expect to be three to four inches long and have three screws in it.

Thanks,

Michael

[stageman]

I believe we are looking at a late Jamestown School Longrifle, made after 1870 in Jamestown, N.C.  The stock looks to be straight grained maple.  The stamp behind the rear site would be matched with a stamp on the top flat of the bullet mold sold with the rifle.  Please post a photo of the barrel tang, which I expect to be three to four inches long and have three screws in it.

Thanks,

Michael

Here you go. The tang measures 3.69 inches from point to breech. Two screws though. The mold appears to have some stamped writing on the handle but is too roached to see. Thank you! This is so interesting.

[Mike Brooks]

I believe we are looking at a late Jamestown School Longrifle, made after 1870 in Jamestown, N.C.  The stock looks to be straight grained maple.  The stamp behind the rear site would be matched with a stamp on the top flat of the bullet mold sold with the rifle.  Please post a photo of the barrel tang, which I expect to be three to four inches long and have three screws in it.

Thanks,

Michael

That's my opinion as well. Unfortunately, somebody sanded the bejeezus out of it.

[stageman]

I believe we are looking at a late Jamestown School Longrifle, made after 1870 in Jamestown, N.C.  The stock looks to be straight grained maple.  The stamp behind the rear site would be matched with a stamp on the top flat of the bullet mold sold with the rifle.  Please post a photo of the barrel tang, which I expect to be three to four inches long and have three screws in it.

Thanks,

Michael

That's my opinion as well. Unfortunately, somebody sanded the bejeezus out of it.

Alas, I don't know if my dear departed Dad, Granddad (Ol' Pap), or his father did the "cleaning".
 

[stageman]

What can the single, as opposed to double, dovetailed brass sight tell us?

[okawbow]

I’m going to defer that question on to some of the other members. I will ask; is there a signature or initials anywhere on the barrel? If it was signed your best chance to see it will be between the breech and the rear sight. You can learn volumes from a signature.

I can't tell if it is a signature or my imagination...

I see 1826 about 2 inches behind the sight. Probably an old barrel that was restocked.

[Hungry Horse]

 The bullet mold looks like an old revolver mold. I don’t recall seeing any small caliber longrifles that used a bullet, instead of a ball. Most muzzleloaders in smaller calibers that shot a conical bullet were very late period target rifles.
 The furniture is consistent with some Southern longrifles, but the stock work doesn't look like the work of a professional gunsmith, which leads me to believe it is a restock.

  Hungry Horse

[mbriggs]

I still believe the stock is original to the rifle, but has seen a very hard life.  I have seen many of them in similar condition.  The local term we have for a stock in this condition is "skint".  It is obvious all of the wood around the barrel tang has been replaced. 

The barrel tang is not Jamestown school like the rest of the rifle, but is Davidson School.  The Jamestown School largely put many of the other N.C. gunsmiths out of business in the 1840 - 1850 period.  I have seen several late Henry Ledford signed rifles with this stock architecture and a Davidson school barrel tang. This rifle was likely made by one of the 19 Davidson School gunsmiths in the Jamestown school style.  I have also owned and sold rifles made in Alamance, Caswell, Rockingham, and Mecklenburg Counties that copied the Jamestown School just to stay in business.

The bullet mold used is a pistol mold, but does have a cavity to make round balls.  I would guess this was used after the bullet mold that came with the rifle was lost.

As to having a single brass dove-tail front site, only 70% of the Jamestown rifles I have owned or sold have double brass dove-tails on the front site.  30% of them are just like this one.  If the rifle was made in Davidson County, as the barrel tang indicates, I would expect it to have a single brass dove-tail front site.   

Best of luck,

Michael

 

[stageman]

I still believe the stock is original to the rifle, but has seen a very hard life.  I have seen many of them in similar condition.  The local term we have for a stock in this condition is "skint".  It is obvious all of the wood around the barrel tang has been replaced. 

The barrel tang is not Jamestown school like the rest of the rifle, but is Davidson School.  The Jamestown School largely put many of the other N.C. gunsmiths out of business in the 1840 - 1850 period.  I have seen several late Henry Ledford signed rifles with this stock architecture and a Davidson school barrel tang. This rifle was likely made by one of the 19 Davidson School gunsmiths in the Jamestown school style.  I have also owned and sold rifles made in Alamance, Caswell, Rockingham, and Mecklenburg Counties that copied the Jamestown School just to stay in business.

The bullet mold used is a pistol mold, but does have a cavity to make round balls.  I would guess this was used after the bullet mold that came with the rifle was lost.

As to having a single brass dove-tail front site, only 70% of the Jamestown rifles I have owned or sold have double brass dove-tails on the front site.  30% of them are just like this one.  If the rifle was made in Davidson County, as the barrel tang indicates, I would expect it to have a single brass dove-tail front site.   

Best of luck,

Michael

 

Thank you for your research and insight. At least I can put together a plausible story to pass on to my kids.