unusual patchbox

[J.D.]

The patchbox on the rifle at the link appears to be one piece that rotates upward to open. Though I don't get to see many origianls, I do look at a LOT of photographs of longrifles, but I don't think I have ever seen a patchbox made this way.

Are my eyes fooling me, or does the patchobox rotate on the forward screw?

The maker, who ever he was, appears to know what he was doing in producing this rather plain piece. Though plain, the lines are clean and the architecture pretty good.

http://aspenshadeltd.com/inventory_westpa.html

Thanks and God bless

[JTR]

I agree that it looks like it pivots up on the forward screw.
It also looks like it has a nail near the rear part of the lower edge of the cover to keep it from slipping down too far.
And looks like the rear corner of the upper edge is bent in a bit to sort of lock the cover in place.
I guess in keeping with the thriftiness of the rifle; inexpensive and efficient.
John

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I saw one like that that somebody on ALR built a couple of years ago...  Can't remember who.....I will search

[Rick Sheets]

I had a friend who had a Don Bruton rifle that had a simple wooden box that swiveled like that. It was no more than a flat piece of maple. It seemed to work okay. The swivel box cover was fashioned after an authentic 19cent NC rifle. Rick

[Mike Brooks]

I've seen metallic box covers  like that before, I don't know what area they came from. You'll notice the gun is completely incorrect, the pan fence is well ahead of the back of the barrel.....

[WElliott]

I once had in my collection a plain, Southern rifle with a box cover that swiveled on a pin and was stopped by an arresting pin.  Very simple.

[projeeper]

there were 2 gunsmiths named McCosh in Pgh Pa this rifle or one just like it is pictured in "The longrigfles of westren Pa" proballiy the elder as the sons were more ornate

[Tanselman]

I believe this is a rifle that has floated around on internet sites for the last 5+ years, but with a different and smaller percusison lock that fit the lock mortise very poorly. The trigger guard has been a replacement ever since I first saw the gun. The gun initially caught my eye due to its fine stocking, with very clean lines.

I have seen two other rifles with similar swivel type lids, neither signed, probably due to their simplicity. Both these guns were also very plain without any decoration. I always thought this type of simple lid was an "after market" addition to the gun. The gun probably started life without any butt cavity, then had a grease hole added by the owner, which didn't require a lid to hold the grease in. Latter when he wanted to start carrying patches in the butt (that could fall out), the grease hole was expanded and this simple type closure added, with a small metal/wire hook on the lower edge of the cavity to stop the lid in the correct closed position.

The butt profile, side plate, current guard, and filing of butt plate extension all look western PA to me, but I have a nagging hunch that they may have been made a little farther south, due to the very simple box lid, the lack of a rear pipe and the shaping around the rear ramrod entry hole. Someday we might get lucky and see a similar rifle with the maker's name or initials on the barrel.        Shelby Gallien  

[projeeper]

had to look but H. Bayers was a barrel maker on pine creek just north of pgh  1831-1837

[J.D.]

I do appreciate everyone's very enlightening responses. And though Mr. Brooks doesn't think it's right, I kinda like the clean lines.

I am constantly amazed the the knowledge of the members of the forum. No matter what silly question I ask, someone is always willing to share their considerable knowledge.

Thanks much and God bless,
 

[jwh1947]

Why is there no close-up photo of that patch box?  The "lid" looks somewhat cruder than the rest of the work.  Could it have been that the owner had a boxless gun (consistent with the rest of the plain rifle) and applied this curious lid himself as a quickie "enhancement"?  If I were at all interested in this gun, I'd need to examine the box drilling/cutting also. 

[Lucky R A]

    Everything about the gun shouts Western Pa., except for the goofy patchbox? cover.   I have seen a couple of these, I believe the other was on a southern gun.  I wonder if this gun did not head down the river into regions south where the box lid was added.   I think Mike was just making a "Tongue in Cheek" comment about the location of the pan fence, as about half of the original guns have the fence foreward of the barrel end.  It seems that some people are rather "anal' about this feature.  One darn nice stick of maple was used in making a "Working Man's" gun.   Builders run into people who do not want all the pretty grain covered up with a bunch of brass, perhaps the original owner was one of these. 

[Fullstock longrifle]

I saw this rifle recently and the box isn't a recent addition.  It could have been added after the fact, but if so, it was done many years ago.  The rifle has very pleasing lines and nice color.

[mr. no gold]

Somewhere out there, is a rifle signed J. Fleeger which is very much like this one. I have also seen one or two other W PA school rifles similar to this. Although not common, it is a PB style that may have been used to give the purchaser a box, but without incurring a lot of expense.
Just my thoughts.
Dick