Those Darn Old Percussion Caps

[Majorjoel]

One of the greatest clues to be read by todays collector is the corrosive damage that was done by the early percussion cap. The mercuric compounds took their toll on iron and wood alike. When it comes to detecting whether or not a flintlock rifle in hand has been reconverted or remains untouched, the tell-tale cap scoring is one of the greatest signals. Another common ill fate for a nice longrifle due to those darn caps was the early method used to repair a corroded barrel breech. Simply cut it off. How many a good longgun was made shorter from this dreadfull act.  How RARE it truly is to find an untouched flintlock rifle with barrel of original length! When one considers history, the flintlock rifle survived well in tact many a round for nearly the span of 200 years. I am thankful as a collector..... The percussion period with it's darn cap, became obsolete after a mere 30!

[mr. no gold]

You know Capn; you have hit on a very important point in the conversion process. Why in the world didn't the gunsmiths just use a patent breech, (pb). Certainly many makers were capable of doing this work: Fordney has been mentioned elsewhere, but if he did conversions he likely just reached for the hacksaw, too. He was well qualified to make a new breech.
Most English smiths seem to have handled the situation by making a new breech, and middle period makers here, used the pb commonly; the Hawkens for example, among many other builders. Frontier conversions (if many) are understandable, but just cutting the gun down was well nigh unforgivable in today's appreciation.
Also, they seemed to have cut off somewhat more than was necessary in too many cases.
Any ideas out there amongst the Bretheren?
Dick

[jwh1947]

Pure economics.  Problem presented to the gunsmith and remedied in easiest, most profitable way.  A common problem requires a simple solution.  I don't know whether the customer actually asked for the gun to be shortened (not uncommon) or whether maybe the smith had jigs set up or other reasons that made that cut either convenient or necessary. 

A perspective: guns were handed down from generation to generation.  They were used and abused.  Luckily a broken gun got returned to a competent gunsmith who mended it.  This could have happened several times to one gun.  They broke and were, by nature, biodegradable, though not as biodegradable as those who carried or later owned them.    Other guns were abandoned, blown up, and cannibalized for parts.  So, actually, if you find a really clean rifle today that has lots of originality, you are a lucky person, and it doesn't need to be fancy, just real.   

[Majorjoel]

Also, they seemed to have cut off somewhat more than was necessary in too many cases.
Any ideas out there amongst the Bretheren?
I believe many a makers signature was chopped off in the barrel shortening process. It is not always a fair comparison to look upon the goings on across the pond in Europe but I have sure seen a lot more un-touched and unmolested Euro pieces from our era of interest. The conversions encountered have been mostly patent breeches and many so well done I found it hard to tell if ever flintlock.

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

If the outside was rotted badly from caps, I suspect the interior was worse. Cut it off ! Times change, shorten it ! A great many of the people using old, old converted rifles were dirt poor. Good money went for a good gun, you reckon ? Suvival rates of all of the long rifles were low.   

 Much different in Europe. Commoners had few guns. Those that had them had more wherewithal regarding survivability. Look to what the GI's found (and returned with) in Bavaria.  Lon