Information on Kentucky Long Rifle

[junkman]

This percussion rifle was found in a cottage in Eastern Ontario Canada. The barrel is marked Remington. The barrel and lock plate are marked J. Sweeney. I can find no information on this person to date. The rifle is around 5 ft long and has a full wood stock. I would be interested to know where and approximate date it was made. I collect Pre WW1 Canadian military rifles so I'm out of my element on this one. I have included several pictures to help with identification.

[Steve Collward]

The maker is most likely John Sweeney.  Some information on him can be found in Vol. 4 of the NY State Firearms Trade (Swinney & Rowe).  It is noted that John Sweeney was born in 1804, and worked in Geneva, Starkey, Bloomfield, and Dundee, N.Y.  In 1833 he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. (apparently became an innkeeper). He died in 1886.
  The rifle pictured is certainly a nice example of an early (ca. 1830) full stock New York State percussion rifle. 
Thanks for the photos.
Steve Collward

[Ky-Flinter]

Was this rifle originally flint? 

In the close up picture of the lock, there looks like what could be the remains of a pan fence.   Can't see evidence of attachments for the feather spring, but the holes could have been plugged and filed flush.

What say you?

-Ron

[Dave B]

I can see the evidence of the lock having been once flint and converted to percussion. The plugs for the frizzen and feather spring are just visible. This is no guarantee of the rifle being originally flint but it could have been.

[Curt J]

Without even looking it up (I have the Swinney/ Rowe books too) it is a classic New York State rifle. I suspect that the lock was converted to percussion prior to becoming part of this rifle. During that transitional time period it seems that a lot of makers did this. Perhaps a flint lock was cheaper for the gunsmith to purchase than a new percussion lock.