Great Grandfather's percussion rifle. I need help with identification!

[rmcelwee]

First post. When I was a kid back in the mid '70's I knew my dad had a very old rifle. It was eaten up and in pieces. Fast forward 45 years later and my dad gave me the rifle. He still has a powder horn and bullet mold that I will get later. The story he told me was that it was his grandfather's and was hung on the wall of his uncle's house back in the 40's. Great Grandpa was born in 1873 in West Virginia and died before my father could meet him (born in 1942). It was covered in soot (coal heating) and he wasn't allowed to touch it but he would sneak back into the room and play with it. At some point it was given to dad and he attempted to clean the soot off it. He broke the rod end off and threw it away (yes, mistakes). I think it is made from parts of several rifles and I would really like to get some info on it. I've been told it was a replica but dad says there is zero chance of that. Too much history on it. My goal would be to get an understanding of what the rifle is and then build a replica of it so I can take it shooting (carve a new stock, smelt a brass trigger guard, etc). I think it is 32 caliber and have yet to find any markings anywhere on the barrel (too eaten up). I have taken tons of pictures and can provide more on request. Thank you very much for your help! I cannot wait to start this journey.


 

[dogbest]

Looks authentic to me.
It looks interesting to me because this week I received an antique rifle whose barrel underside looks like yours!
The barrel lugs on my rifle have also been moved.
Looking forward to comments from the knowledgeable members on this site.

[mr. no gold]

Good gun and may be a 'parts gun.' Hard to tell with it not being in hand for some serious scrutiny. It might be best to not clean it as the collector value goes out with the old dirt and finish.
A new one built to these specs would be a joy, and lots of fun to shoot. Good luck with it and let us see its clone when you build it. Thank you!
Dick

[Hungry Horse]

 It’s pretty obvious that this isn’t the first stock that barrel has outlived. Stock architecture is Southern mountain for sure, but whether its West Virginia, North Carolina, or East Tennessee, it would be hard to say. Brass parts are standard castings sold in a lot of hardware stores at that time, as was the lock. But the triggers look like they were hand made by whoever made the rifle, or whoever made the rifle the barrel came from. Nice piece, very reminiscent of the time, and place, it was built.

 Hungry Horse

[Tanselman]

It's a realatively late fullstock, mid-to-late 1850s or later. Stock wood appears to be a plain grained maple. The nice set of triggers [with modern screw stuck in set screw hole] with decorative flange behind front trigger and a rear trigger with a somewhat flat back edge, along with the scooped cheekpiece and maple stock with rather long comb line, all suggest to me western/Appalachian North Carolina and possibly southeastern/Appalachian Kentucky. Tough to nail down these later rifles when regional characteristics are starting to fade. The side facings where lock is mounted is a rather late style with the forward slope at the front end, which kind of muddies the water even more. Shelby Gallien

[Mule Brain]

Looking at that rifle, it is what appears to be a Leman rifle. Many similarities to one I own.

   


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