Ohio Collectors need help identifying a rifle

[Don Adams]

My cousin obtained an old muzzleloader from a friend whose mother gave him the rifle back in 1985.  She said it was built by her great great grandfather from around the Chillicothe area.  The lock says Mike Fink, but I think that is just a lock maker. The barrel is 46 inches long - octagon to round and he can put a 28 gauge shotgun hull in the muzzle so maybe 54 cal?  I've never seen a lock plate like it on a rifle before.  there is no name on the barrel.  There appears to be a repair near the trigger guard under the lock.
 

[Don Adams]

Any idea as to who the builder could be and what year it may have been built?  He's just looking for information right now.

[Don Adams]

Picture of the lock

[Avlrc]

 Buck & Ball.   Ross county had a lot of gunmakers.  About 6 Barnharts.   I just glanced through photos of Ross County rifles in the Ohio books and did not see anything that looks similar, did see a couple pinwheeels on  Barnhart guns. I like the Mike Fink lock..

Was looking for that side plate & the engraving on the pinwheel. 

Buck & Ball guns are kind of rare, we mostly see rifles.

I wonder if more were not made and they just got used up.

Thanks for sharing.

[WESTbury]

Very nice looking smooth rifle or fowler. The side plate may be a replacement as all of the furniture "looks" to be brass. Although, I cannot see the buttplate very clearly. Is it brass?

[Avlrc]

Very nice looking smooth rifle or fowler. The side plate may be a replacement as all of the furniture "looks" to be brass. Although, I cannot see the buttplate very clearly. Is it brass?

Yeah & the side plate might be for  reinforcement due to a crack .  It looks to have been there along time & was a decent job.

[Don Adams]

It is brass

[WESTbury]

Don,

I have an old anthology of Antiques Magazine articles assembled by Bill Guthman that lists four gunsmiths from Chillcothe in Ross County. Unfortunately not much info.

1.) Peter Fortney 1804
2.) Jermann Jordan (no dates)
3.) William B. Haynes (no dates)
4.) Isaac Groves 1830-1850

I am quite certain there are more up to date sources than Guthman's anthology.

[Don Adams]

Thanks WESTbury!.  I will pass this on. My cousin said that his brother in law's last name is Barnhart, so it is possible it could be a Barnhart.  I will pass the other names to him.   I did find this website  http://www.earmi.it/USA%20Gunmakers/R.html  and looked for Barnhart and it does list some Barnharts that came from Bucks county

[Avlrc]

http://aolrc.com/upload/files/Vol%20VI%20No%202%20Aug%201984.pdf

[Don Adams]

Thanks Avlrc!  I will pass this information on to my cousin.

[smokinbuck]

There were several Barnhart gun builders in the area, all related. Most Barnhart rifles were marked on the barrel in the usual fashion. There are still Barnharts living in the area who could be of more help in identifying this rifle, perhaps one will chime in.