Ohio Rifle

[Molly]

More info to come.  FINALLY!

Signed H. Sheet  ("H"  I think)

Supposed to have been in the family and used during the civil war.  50 cal and and a great shooter.

[AZshot]

Nice one.  I'm sure Shelby will like to comment too.

[Avlrc]

They were a bunch of Sheets gunsmiths around the Dayton area, I think some of them came from North Carolina.  I had a Henry Sheets rifle & have a Martin Sheets rifle from that area of Ohio.

http://aolrc.com/upload/files/Vol%20XIV%20No%201%20Feb%201992.pdf

[Bob Roller]

I made a similar rifle sometime before 1964 for Bob Bartee who was also my barber but it was left handed and 45 caliber.
It had a steel butt plate and trigger guard and after he passed away it couldn't be found and none of his family was aware
that it ever existed.Makes me wonder .
Bob Roller

[Molly]

Interesting article.  Note that the signature is SHEET...no "S" in the name.

[Top Jaw]

I think some are concluding that the tail on the end of the “t” is a form of the letter “s”.

[Molly]

I understand that but if you had it in front of you there would be no question, given the clarity of the signature otherwise.  There is a very small curl but it is definitely not an "s".

[hanshi]

My, but that rifle looks great for a senior citizen.  I can't help with the provenance but it is a finely built rifle.

[Avlrc]

I  think it is one of the Henry Sheets from Ohio. Looks to me like when the T was terminated, he continued to start the S, just got kind of lazy IMO.  I wish I had pics of the H Sheets Ohio rifle I had, but if I remember (15 years ago), was similar.

What is the history you have on this rifle? 

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... interesting rifle, Molly,.. do you think the barrel is shortened,..?? ... also is the rear sight adjustable, and is the front sight blade made of bone,..?  .... Regards,..... CCF

[Molly]

Hi "fiddler"!!

Yes the rear is adjustable and yes the front is bone, horn tooth or maybe a toenail!  Don't think the barrel has been shortened.  I have a call in to the owner whos is in our BP group and I'll get more on it later.  It is really heavy and I mean REALLY heavy.  Great shooter.  The owner took 3rd place score last month.  WE made everyone shoot off hand much to his disliking.

Stand by for more after I speak to him.

[Molly]

From the current owner who has owned it for 40 + years....

"It belonged to Kermit's uncle    Kermit was the fiancé of my aunt.  They had no children and it passed on to Kermit then to me.  The story is that the original owner was a Union supported during the CW but it is really not known if it was ever used in the war.  Nothing has been done to it during the time I have owned it.  45 cal shoots very well.  Have had the barrel off and plug removed and it has no other identification other that the name on the barrel and lock."

That's all he gave me.  He believes it was made around 1860 and around Troy, north of Dayton.