Gun maker A. Lenox? - Pictures Added

[Ky-Flinter]

I have come across an antique Fowler with an octagon to round barrel stamped " A. Lenox" on the top flat.  I don't have access to any of my references currently and a search on that name turned up a bunch of hits on hacksaw blades.

Does anyone have any info on A. Lenox?  Thanks.

Ron

[Avlrc]

Kaufman:

Andrew Lennox

Next door to post office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1826
Fairview ( ten miles  up Allegheny) , Pittsburgh, 1837

[Avlrc]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=68082.0

[Ky-Flinter]

Thanks Avlrc, appreciate you looking.  Could be our guy, but the name on the barrel was stamped in block letters with only one "N".  The Fowler looks English, nothing like the rifle in the link above.

Ron

[Avlrc]

I don't believe spelling was held to the same regard back then as it is today.   In researching old gunmakers from my area, I sometimes find them with various spellings.  Especially in the census, as the names were written down by the census taker and they spelled names the way they sound to them.

Does any of the architecture look the same as the signed A. L.?

Can you post some pictures? 

[Ky-Flinter]

Well, the A. Lenox fowler is following me home.  I will post pictures when I get back.  As I mentioned, the barrel is long, about 49"+ I think.  The barrel has a hole for a drum or vent liner.  It is currently mounted in a very  English looking Walnut half stock with iron furniture.  I don't know if they were born together or it's a restock.  The crazy part is there is nowhere to mount the lock!!  The whole center of the stock that carries the lock panels has been expertly repaired with a new section of wood, but it has not been inletted for a lock.  Pictures to follow.

Ron

[Ky-Flinter]

Update:  The barrel is actually 50-1/2" long.  The stock has a nose cap of a different type of wood or maybe horn?.  Is it possible to tell if the stock is English walnut from the pictures?

I'll remove the barrel in a day or 2 and check for proof marks.

Barrel stamped on the top flat, between breech and wedding band.




No lock mortise!








Notice section of replaced wood.


Graft can be seen at a diagonal.

[Mike Brooks]

Well, that's weird.

[Levy]

It looks like the entire mid-section of the firearm has been replaced with new wood.  Maybe a restoration job never finished.  James Levy

[Ky-Flinter]

It looks like the entire mid-section of the firearm has been replaced with new wood. 

Correct.

Ron

[Avlrc]

That is different for sure.  They did a good job splicing the wood, now you just need to add a lock &  get the colors to match.  A lock & side plate will displace a lot of it.  Looks English to me.   Doesn't look like the other Lennox posted on here. 

[Ky-Flinter]

I pulled the barrel and confirmed it has a hooked breech.  Unfortunately there are no stamped proof or markers marks that I can find on the underside of the barrel.

My theory on this gun is the front and rear sections of the stock are original to the gun.  At some point in it's life the gun stock was broken thru the lock area.  The stock was repaired with a new section of wood, but the work was interrupted before the lock was installed. 

Supposing the majority of the stock is original to the gun, where do you think it was made?  And what time period?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Ron

[Mike Brooks]

England, probably 1820s. Could have been flint or percusion.

[Ky-Flinter]

Thanks Mike.

All,
I've been searching the web but can't find a list of English gun makers or anything on A. Lenox.  Does anyone here have a book on English gun makers they could check for me.  I would be most appreciative.

Ron

[Ky-Flinter]

A friend of mine checked Der Neue Stockel and the only Lenox/Lennox listed is the Andrew Lennox listed above.  He worked in the right time period and given the lack of any English proof/makers marks on the barrel, maybe Andrew is the maker.

Ron

[Shreckmeister]

Sweet dreams are made of these. Lol

[Ky-Flinter]

Hahahaha!  You're right, Shreck, but I did say maybe.  Too bad the reference books show our Pittsburg guy's last name with 2 N's and the only gun I've seen attributed to him is only signed with "A. L." in script.

Seriously, if anyone has any info on another A. Lenox/Lennox please share it with me.  Thanks,

Ron

[Mike Brooks]

Hahahaha!  You're right, Shreck, but I did say maybe.  Too bad the reference books show our Pittsburg guy's last name with 2 N's and the only gun I've seen attributed to him is only signed with "A. L." in script.

Seriously, if anyone has any info on another A. Lenox/Lennox please share it with me.  Thanks,

Ron

I'm guessing it's a Birmingham gun.

[Daryl]

Appears British to me, too.

[Ky-Flinter]

We're the barrels of British guns sometimes not stamped with proof and/or makers marks?

Ron

[Mike Brooks]

We're the barrels of British guns sometimes not stamped with proof and/or makers marks?

Ron

Outside of London, on occasion. There were penalties for dodging the proof houses.

[Ky-Flinter]

Just an update on my A. Lenox enigma. 

I contacted the University of Kentucky Forestry Department and they tested the stock wood for me.  The butt and forearm sections are English walnut and the replaced center section is American black walnut.

I did some research on English barrel proofing requirements and found that prior to 1813 proofing and marking was not required for barrels made in Birmingham.  Although some Birmingham barrel makers did mark their work, it is not known whether these marks indicate proofing, or are just the maker's mark.  Proofing of London made barrels was required beginning in 1637.  Maybe this accounts for the lack of markings on my barrel.

I still haven't found anything on an English maker named A. Lenox.

Ron