Author Topic: New England Flintlock Rifle  (Read 3496 times)

WESTbury

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New England Flintlock Rifle
« on: August 25, 2019, 07:18:35 PM »
Worcester-Shrewsbury School flintlock rifle.

Unfortunately, as with many of these rifles, it is not marked on the barrel or lock with a makers name, nor does it have any other markings for that matter.

The rifle is 56 inches long and weighs 8lbs 6oz. and has a hooked breech barrel. The barrel itself is 41-1/8 inches long and has eight groove rifling with squared corner lands and grooves. The bore is .54 cal, pretty typical for these New England rifles. As is the style of brass furniture.

The  domed style wrist escutcheon is silver as are the barrel key escutcheons, and the eight pointed star inlet into the cheek rest. The barrel keys are brass.

The rifle stock has silver wire designs around the breech tang, wrist escutcheon, to the front of the comb of the stock, in front of the bottom butt plate extension, at the end of the rear ramrod pipe, and the lower edge of the cheek rest. There has been some repair work to some areas of the silver wire.

Both lock screw escutcheons, the patch box, buttplate plate bottom extension, and the rear ramrod pipe have engraving common the rifles and fowlers by John Mason, Silas Allen Jr. and other gunsmiths of Worcester County. Tom Grinslade feels that some of these gunsmiths purchased engraved components from a single source. See pages 85, 86,89, and 91 of Grinslade's Flintlock Fowlers.

Inlet into the wrist is a plate, having a tapped hole for a lollipop sight. I am fairly positive that this was done after the original assembly of the rifle. The lollipop sight is not with the rifle.




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« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 03:38:49 AM by WESTbury »

Offline JV Puleo

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2019, 07:29:12 PM »
Nice...I think I have a rifle with that exact patchbox. I'll look when I get home.


Offline lexington1

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2019, 08:02:34 PM »
I had a John Mason rifle that could pass for its twin. Exact same patchbox, same cheek, same lock moldings, and even the same star in the cheekpiece.

Offline Jim Spray

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2019, 09:02:38 PM »
Very nice rifle. Looks like it's in great shape.

WESTbury

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2019, 05:22:13 AM »
Thanks to all who Replied and viewed my post, appreciate it.

Online rich pierce

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2019, 02:28:07 PM »
Superb!
Andover, Vermont

Offline wildcatter

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2019, 05:27:51 AM »
Really nice rifle! Love the New England guns!

Matt
You have to play this game like somebody just hit your mother with a two-by-four.

Online rich pierce

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2019, 05:29:51 AM »
Is it walnut or highly figured cherry?
Andover, Vermont

WESTbury

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2019, 04:48:21 PM »
The stock is walnut.

Glad you like the rifle.

Offline Tanselman

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2019, 07:46:20 AM »
I would have guessed cherry wood based on the color and thin annular rings visible in the upper wrist. It has a beautiful stock for a New England rifle. Shelby Gallien

WESTbury

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2019, 04:43:48 PM »
You may be very well right. I was comparing the rifle to some antique long guns I have that I very definitely know have black walnut stocks. Also, these photos were photo shopped for the lighting, but not the color though.

I would prefer cherry though!

Thanks for your input.

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2019, 02:38:43 AM »
When I created the Library submission for this rifle,  I adjusted the white balance in a number of the photos.   It did not significantly change the color of the stock.   There is definitely a significant red cast to the wood.   I would have thought it was cherry.   

WESTbury

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Re: New England Flintlock Rifle
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2019, 04:05:49 AM »
That's music to my ears.

Thanks Mark!