Need Help Identifying Percussion Rifle

[44-henry]

Just brought this home from a local gunship and could use some help identifying it. The specs are 31 3/4 barrel tapers from 1.125 at breech to 1.032 at the muzzle. It is 55 caliber smooth, though my guess was that it was originally rifled. Lock appears to be a Leman based on remnants of their peculiar stamp, though the area it would have been marked is pretty much gone with cap erosion. Stock is plane maple with some remnants of faux striping.

I am wondering if it could have come out of the Leman factory, perhaps a Conostoga. There are features that don't seem quite right for that, but I know they did make a lot of variations. It is in nice shape for its age and appears mostly untouched except for the copper washer under the hammer screw. The ramrod even looks like it could be original. I thought it was neat and the price was right. Look forward to your thoughts.



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[Shreckmeister]

Could be from one of the western PA high production facilities too.  Great Western and such.  Pretty large caliber utilitarian rifle. 

[Lucky R A]

          It likely had a much longer barrel, considering that there is now only one RR pipe and the transition to the muzzle cap is rather abrupt.   The trigger looks to be way far forward in relationship to the lock sear bar.     Just some quick thoughts..Ron

[44-henry]

It probably was shortened at some point. I think the trigger is original. The guard would obviously support double triggers, but the trigger plate looks to be original and there is no indication it ever had anything but the single trigger. Probably just a lower price option.

[Hungry Horse]

 Leman did produce smooth rifles in this era. I know of one in a collection that is half stocked with a smoothbored barrel of around .45 caliber. This gun however is marked on its barrel with the Leman stamp, and on the barrel flat  to the left of the top flat with the letters H.E.L.

  Hungry Horse

[Notchy Bob]

          It likely had a much longer barrel, considering that there is now only one RR pipe and the transition to the muzzle cap is rather abrupt.

There's also the tapered barrel.  The original barrel may have been swamped.  Cutting it off at the waist would leave a tapered barrel.

Notchy Bob

[WadePatton]

Perhaps the bore was cleaned up to smooth when it was lopped off.

Have you had the bbl out? Might be some hidden clues under there.

Thanks for sharing, and  good pics

[44-henry]

I haven't had a chance to take it down yet. At some point I will make a replacement for the missing tumbler screw, but that will probably have to wait until fall. I will post more pictures when I get it taken down.