Need something ID'd.

[704338]

My uncle was showing me this a little while ago and I told him I bet I knew some fine people that could help me identify it. It has a name on the gun itself but I'm wondering if I could get a little history behind the name, location, and all that good stuff. The rifle details very intricate work as well as a name, if memory serves me right, it's Claude Lomax M.P. or M.D. [maybe?] I do believe it's a Kentucky styled rifle. I know it's a flintlock. There seems to be a half moon on the cheek rest with many other very interesting, very intricate designs on it. Thanks for all your help and here we go..

http://i44.tinypic.com/14vqwsn.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/w8paa8.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/1239k7l.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/vpixpy.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/x21nhc.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2e3xvkh.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/idaamo.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/jkvsrn.jpg

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Claude Lomax, M.D. was likely an owner of the gun.  The style of the buttstck suggests a maker in the "Upper Susquehanna" school after 1820. I wonder if Lomax was a later owner as I did not think a "Doctor of Medicine" degree ( M.D.) was awarded that early. I will try to check. Likely someone will be able to identify the maker by the patchbox design.
Hurricane
 

[704338]

Thanks for the incite as far. The bottom of the trigger has some awesome carving work that I couldn't get to focus at all. It's a simple stick drawn landscape of a couple of mountains with a sun and deer going through the middle of it. Someone on another forum mentioned the buttplate and the stock profile looked like it was from the Lehigh School of Architecture. I'd love to get as much information on this rifle as I could. Again, thanks so far and I can't wait to see more of your ideas.

[T.C.Albert]

Was  a "Claude Lomax M.D." listed as an early member of the Red Ferris "Friendship" crowd? (Could maybe check the very early Muzzle Blast news letters to see ?) If he was the amature folk song collector as indicated on a quick web search  ( wonder if he was related to Alan Lomax the famous early folk song collector?)  then maybe his interests naturally crossed over into muzzle loader shooting etc? The time and the location may be right if he is the Claude Lomax from Indiana etc...?

Doesnt identify the gun, but could explain why his name is now on it. I think those early shooters used alot of shootable old originals then...
TCA

[Don Getz]

It would be nice to see a full length picture of it.   Many things about look like an "upper susquehanna" gun....butt shape,
trigger guard, carving behind the cheek piece, but the sideplate doesn't fit in.   Is there no signature, or even initials, on
top of the barrel?     Don

[Bill of the 45th]

Don beat me with his guestimate, I would venture maybe a Baum.  The carving behind the cheek, looks like his work.  A full in focus pic would help.  Is there anything on the top barrel flat.

Bill

[Bioprof]

There is a rifle in Schumway's "Longrifles of Note" by John Dreisbach that is shaped similarly and has carving behind the cheekrest very similar to this rifle.   He attributes it to the Sunbury school.

[Don Getz]

The carving pattern is very common in rifles from the Snyder/Union county area.   Joe Long used something similar, as did
Samuel Baum, and others.   The general shape of the butt fits in quite well with this area, even the half moon on the cheek piece is common.  The side plate is unusual for this area, but, who knows...............Don