B------ Sells rifle

[albert]

I just got this rifle to restore,that has been in the same family since before the civil war. the brass patchbox is two piece,with button in toeplate to open the lockplate screw is screwed into the breechplug From the lockplate,the cheekpiece inlay is made of copper,with coin silver soldered to it the bbl.is of .34 cal,36 1/4 long,and is forged and is swamped but about six inches have been cut off at the muzzle.According to family stories troops came by during the war and asked about weapons,and they had this rifle and a double bbl.shotgun,which I am also going to restore,and and they broke the stocks on the guns and gave them back. If anybody has any information on the maker ,I would like to know



                                



                                

[JTR]

The pictures won't open in fact on my computer the entire page is screwed up and somehow all the punctuation on the page has got deleted too maybe try posting the pictures with a good link and maybe the punctuation will come back again too john

[Dennis Glazener]

I fixed the photo links on the first post.
Dennis

[Nate McKenzie]

In the next set of pictures you show the side opposite the lock. I see no lock screws. How was this lock mounted on the gun?

[Fullstock longrifle]

This is a new one on me, how is the lock attached?  I can see what looks like a screw head peaking out from under the hammer, is the lock attach through the face of the lock?  It's very unusual.

Also I would bet that the missing piece in the patchbox finial was originally silver.  If it was, it would be a nice touch on the box.  

I'm curious to see if anybody knows the maker.

Frank

[Fullstock longrifle]

The more I study the patchbox, it looks like the missing piece was probably brass and simply broke off.

Frank

[Lucky R A]

   It looks like some one threaded a hole in the breechplug and then attached the lock with one bolt inserted from the hammer side.   I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat---just none the cat likes!

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Wonder if the patchbox is a later addition. It does not correctly fit the curve of the butt plate on the comb end.

[albert]

the gap between the buttplate and patchbox most likely was caused when the stock was broken,or wood shrinkage,as the gap is also between the buttplate and the wood itself

[albert]

 I looked a little closer and the patchbox finial was broken off

[mr. no gold]

Sure looks like a Kentucky 'Kentucky' to me,or at the least a fine Ohio River Valley piece. What a dandy gun. Hope that Mr. Kentucky, Shelby, chimes in on this one. What a great find and a good candidate for some restoration.
The urn is an unusual motif and one that I have seen only used by John Small of Vincennes.
Can you give us some stats on the gun: how long, length of barrel and so on.
Thank you for showing it to us.
Dick

[mr. no gold]

Just thought; there were Sells, (Michael was one I can think of), who lived on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river somewhere around Maysville, or Louisville. They may have moved around some, not sure. It is possible that this individual was part of that family.
You did not say what state this rifle was found in and that information would help, as the patchbox is similar to some seen in North Carolina.
Hope that this helps some.
Dick

[Tanselman]

This rifle appears to be made by Benjamin Sells, Jr. He was the son of Benjamin Sells, Sr. of Union Co., PA and later Cleremont Co., OH. Benjamin, Jr. was born in 1815 and trained as a gunsmith by older brother Michael Sells of Bracken Co., KY just across the river, between 1830 and 1835. Benjamin, Jr. then returned back across the river to Ohio in 1835 and settled in Georgetown in Brown Co., where he worked until about 1870.

The lock attachment by a short screw from the front side of the lock plate into the barrel tang, was used by a few other gunsmiths in northern KY, and taken from British guns of the period. The trigger guard and stock profile, particularly through the wrist and lock area, are typical of Benjamin, Jr.'s work, altho I have not seen this particular patchbox on any of his guns. However, the box has the enclosed/captured lid of KY guns made in the central Bluegrass area and north to the Ohio River, as well as south into northern TN. Shelby Gallien