Author Topic: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it  (Read 3363 times)

Offline backsplash75

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whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« on: January 03, 2020, 07:49:27 PM »
=/- 43" .45 caliber barrel, set triggers, 2 inlays, box lid missing. No signature or barrel markings, I believe the lock is marked "MM MARRIN [? ETA MM Maslin has been suggested in the thread!] Warranted", but some of those characters are a tad hard to read so I may not have that nailed 100%. All parts seem to be old originals, but the oversized amount of wood on the lock panel seems odd- Rifles of this era are not my strong suit. Any insight as to what I have here would be appreciated.
















 









« Last Edit: January 04, 2020, 12:07:32 AM by backsplash75 »

Offline Seth Isaacson

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2020, 08:03:44 PM »
The name on the lock is M.M. Maslin. Michael M. Maslin was a lockmaker located in Baltimore (circa 1822-1833) and in Philadelphia (1833-1847).
I am the Lead Historian and a Firearms Specialist at Rock Island Auction Co., but I am here out of my own personal interests in muzzle loading and history.
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Offline backsplash75

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2020, 08:04:35 PM »
The name on the lock is M.M. Maslin. Michael M. Maslin was a lockmaker located in Baltimore (circa 1822-1833) and in Philadelphia (1833-1847).

Excellent! Thanks! I will update the original post.

Offline Howard

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2020, 02:04:58 AM »
That looks like a Russ Hamm lock. Look inside & check out the internals.

Offline Stophel

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2020, 02:23:47 AM »
To me, it looks like a RELATIVELY modern (though still fairly old) restocking of a collection of older parts.  The triggerguard sure looks Bucks county-ish.
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Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2020, 02:37:48 AM »
Looks like maybe 1950s-1960s with a mix of potentially old parts and newer ones.  I don't think that Maslin lock is an old Maslin lock - it really looks like one of Russ Hamm's or otherwise.
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Offline JTR

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2020, 02:52:09 AM »
I agree, a 50/60/70s recreation of a few different schools.
As far as I know, the old Maslin locks had MM Maslin on one line, and not MM above Maslin, like yours.
If it has a newish shootable barrel you could add the PB door, reshap the lock panels, touch up a bit here and there and make a cool looking shooter out of it!
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Offline backsplash75

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2020, 03:53:47 AM »
To me, it looks like a RELATIVELY modern (though still fairly old) restocking of a collection of older parts.  The triggerguard sure looks Bucks county-ish.

Looks like maybe 1950s-1960s with a mix of potentially old parts and newer ones.  I don't think that Maslin lock is an old Maslin lock - it really looks like one of Russ Hamm's or otherwise.

the large lock panels had me worried about that, thanks for your input! Let me pop that lock off and look on the inside. Were Hamm's locks marked in any way on the interior?

eta lock is marked 10 by stamp and in white ink inside...is this a Hamm?




« Last Edit: January 04, 2020, 04:14:14 AM by backsplash75 »

Offline Howard

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2020, 04:50:54 AM »
Russ Hamm lock He lived down in Crawfordsville, Ind. Was at his shop several times before he went to Florida.

Offline backsplash75

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2020, 04:55:43 AM »
Russ Hamm lock He lived down in Crawfordsville, Ind. Was at his shop several times before he went to Florida.

thanks for confirming. Any idea on the time frame he produced these?

Offline Howard

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2020, 02:42:30 PM »
I imagine your gun was stocked in the late 60's.  It has been used as you noticed. Someone went to great lengths attempting to have a Golden Age rifle.

Offline Cajun72

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2020, 04:15:02 AM »
Still a nice rifle

Offline backsplash75

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Re: whatisit? picked up a rifle, need help figuring out who made it
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2020, 09:55:50 PM »
Still a nice rifle

thanks! Hoping to find it a new home soon.