Unknown Long Barrel half stock flintlock

[mscoble]

This rifle has no makers marks except an Ashmore lock. The barrel is 48 inches the total rifle length is 65 inches. The rifling looks early 7 narrow and deep grooves and wide lands but the barrel does not appear to be damascus. The ram rod looks original with a wormer but I have never seen a flintlock with this long a barrel and certainly not a half stock. It has a set trigger and a round brass patch box. I am assuming, as I can find nothing in my reference books, it is an old barrel which was restocked in the 1830-50 period. But really that is a guess.  I will post a couple photos to help. Thanks for your comments.

[Tanselman]

The gun looks like a New York rifle to me. The lock is a bit puzzling. When blown up, it looks pretty good including the pan, but I don't like the darker, almost burned look underneath the pan compared to the rear end of the lock that's lighter colored. Sometimes torch work leaves a more burned or darker appearing surface. I also don't understand the cutout in the stock wood above the lock plate, usually done for a single throat cock that hangs over and contacts the top of the lock plate as a stop, as opposed to the present double throat cock that stops on the top of the pan's rear shield...the current cock doesn't need the cutout in the stock wood above it for clearance. The frizzen appears a little thick or heavy to me for an original one, but perhaps it is OK.

The guard is a somewhat later style for a New York rifle with its double spurs...not what I would expect on a flintlock gun. However, others can perhaps assess the originality of the lock better than I can...and perhaps it is simply a percussion era gun made as a flintlock for a demanding first owner.   Shelby Gallien

[mscoble]

Thank you for you comments. I know little about New York Rifles so time for some research. You did not comment on the 48" barrel/half stock combination. Does that seem potentially OK or was my original thought that it was restocked or the orignal stock cut down seem sensible?-Matt

[Tanselman]

A 48" barrel is very long for a half-stocked New England rifle. If the gun was originally full-stocked, you should be able to see a very faint line running out along the barrel, on each of the two side flats, where the extended forestock covered the lower portion of the flat, while the upper part of the flat was exposed to air above the stock line. Usually above the faint line the barrel is slightly darker, or more rusted with greater patina, due to longer exposure to the elements. Similarly, below the forestock line the barrel should be slightly lighter and smoother, from being protected under the forestock wood for a number of years before the forestock was shortened/cut back to a half-stock configuration. Not all rifles will show this faint line if cut from a full-stock to a half-stock, particularly if the barrel finish has been messed with or cleaned. But a lot of such rifles do have a faint line. I can't tell from your phots if this line is present, but I do agree that a 48" barrel is a little odd for an eastern half-stocked rifle. I doubt your barrel is from an earlier rifle and restocked...the edges of the barrel where the flats come together are too sharp and clean to be from a reused barrel. If it were an older barrel, the edges would be more worn and smoothed. Shelby Gallien