Another Restoration

[Feltwad]

Restoration of this  English percussion game rifle of 1840-50 period was in a bad rusty condition  it had been housed in some damp place but was worth some work to restore it back to a reasonable condition. The barrel was hard rust  with the ramrod rib hanging off  yet the bore which was for a belted boll was good removing the rust from the furniture , lock and butt plate and relying  the rib proved a bit of extra elbow grease but the finish job was satisfactory enclosed images
Feltwad
Before




After

[ed lundquist]

Good for another 150 years, nice job!

[Feltwad]

Not much interest or replies to this thread thought it would have been an educational subject.
Feltwad 

[Robert Wolfe]

I appreciate your postings but don't have much to add. Don't misinterpret that for not being interested.

[maudite]

Would be a nice gun to take to the woods for game again after sitting in neglected condition all those years.It would a pleasure just to stroll through the woods with it.I m a big fan of English sporting guns.

[Joe Stein]

I appreciate your postings but don't have much to add. Don't misinterpret that for not being interested.

I would say the same thing, Feltwad. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and pictures.

[WESTbury]

Not much interest or replies to this thread thought it would have been an educational subject.
Feltwad

Well, either restored or not restored, it is a nice looking rifle. How did you go about securing the rib?

Appreciate the photos, do you have a full length photo?

[Feltwad]

The rib was just a straight forward soft solder job  after it was cleaned secured with wire ties and metal wedges
Feltwad
Before


After

[WESTbury]

Thanks for the FL photo. Great rifle.

[Feltwad]

 Another  restored English rifle percussion game rifle of small calibre what I would refer to has a pea rifle
Feltwad

[83nubnEC]

Top rifle looks like the one the Hawken Boys copied for "their" Famous Hawken. Nice restoration and good work!

[Dave B]

Thank you for your post. What is the caliber of the belted ball barrel?

[MuskratMike]

Thank you for saving this fine old rifle. So many like this get sold as "art work" and hang on walls of shops and restaurants. Even if you don't fire it, you have done this piece a new life. Well done!

[elkhorne]

Feltwad,
Very interesting! I recently purchased on similar that luckily didn’t have to be restored. You are right, they are amazing rifles and come up to the shoulder almost without effort. Would love to hear more details on the rifle you restored and any more photos you have. Great job and look forward to more.
elkhorne

[Feltwad]

Elkhorne
Enclosed is a image of  English park, deer rifles plus a large calibre Shutzen which have been restored by myself
Feltwad

[taterbug]

Another nice restoration there Feltwad!  And love the architecture of those English. 

Just curious tho', what was the thought behind the 'belted ball'?  I think I know how it's supposed to work, but advantages?  Twist?  Rate?  More accurate than a smooth bore?   Guess I've never looked for info about them, and if there was any explanation somewhere, I'm sure it just made my eyes glass over at the time.  Now I'm truly curious.

Thanks

[Jim Kibler]

The standard for "restoration" is different between individuals and areas of the world.  It's a fact that the standards in England have been different than here. 

I'm not saying what is right, but I hate seeing the darker stock finish and patina removed.  From both the wood and metal.  My preference would to be to stabilize the gun, stop the active corrosion and basically leave it at that.  Just a personal preference though I guess...

[Feltwad]

The standard for "restoration" is different between individuals and areas of the world.  It's a fact that the standards in England have been different than here. 

I'm not saying what is right, but I hate seeing the darker stock finish and patina removed.  From both the wood and metal.  My preference would to be to stabilize the gun, stop the active corrosion and basically leave it at that.  Just a personal preference though I guess...

Sir the patina was not removed on the stand  if percussion rifles only the  dirt and crime  and finished with a oil finish which refreshed the  dry wood
Felltwad

[jbigley]

While they are not American long rifles, those English rifles are pretty interesting, and like Captain Billy’s rifle in Dead Man’s Walk, would have been prized by the owners back in the day. I would love to own a restored one that’s in shooting condition. (I also value Mr. Kibler’s rifles — and his opinion).
Nice job feltwad, and nice rifle!
—JB

[Jim Kibler]

The standard for "restoration" is different between individuals and areas of the world.  It's a fact that the standards in England have been different than here. 

I'm not saying what is right, but I hate seeing the darker stock finish and patina removed.  From both the wood and metal.  My preference would to be to stabilize the gun, stop the active corrosion and basically leave it at that.  Just a personal preference though I guess...

Sir the patina was not removed on the stand  if percussion rifles only the  dirt and crime  and finished with a oil finish which refreshed the  dry wood
Felltwad

Patina is in large part dirt and grime.

[Feltwad]

Sir so what you are saying is that if a gun has a fast amount of rust and grime that is patina  which includes loose ribs and damaged  muzzle it only needs  some modern  chemical to holt any  further  damage I think you will find that guns in that condition  have one destination and that is the furnace or broken up for spares .and another part of our gun heritage has gone forever .
You also see restoration go too far   which is a common fault   a gun which is over a 150 years old should look its age and not something straight  of the shelf. If in doubt leave it be
Feltwad

[Seth Isaacson]

The standard for "restoration" is different between individuals and areas of the world.  It's a fact that the standards in England have been different than here. 

I'm not saying what is right, but I hate seeing the darker stock finish and patina removed.  From both the wood and metal.  My preference would to be to stabilize the gun, stop the active corrosion and basically leave it at that.  Just a personal preference though I guess...

There are definitely vast differences in British/European and American preferences on this subject. I see room for both, and I also definitely see the point of restoring this rifle as was done here since its condition wasn't from use but instead just neglect, and few collectors of English guns seem to want to buy the guns unless they look closer to what they looked like new rather than well-used unlike many of us with interest in American guns who like them to look like they've done something in their long lives. I think part of that is that English guns like this shouldn't have really been exposed to harsh conditions, since they were gentleman's hunting guns, whereas the American longrifle we like to associate with the frontier, war, long hunts, etc. even though many of the fancier examples were no doubt also owned by well-to-do gentlemen for sporting purposes.

[smylee grouch]

I like your efforts Felted and would love to take that rifle on an American Bear hunt even if it isn,t a flintlock. Thanks for posting this.

[Mattox Forge]

The rib was just a straight forward soft solder job  after it was cleaned secured with wire ties and metal wedges
Feltwad
Before


After

Very nice restoration. How did you get the hard rust off?

Mike

[Feltwad]

Different grades of wet and dry paper
Feltwad
Start


Finish