Seeking knowledge Golcher gun

[Flintlock69]

Gentlemen,  I am trying to get an idea of the value of a JA's GOLCHER, EAGLE RIFLE WORKS GUN. the 37 1/2" barrel is 36 cal. and 15/16". bore looks really good( for it's age). It has  Silver? inlays. Not sure about the nose cap material. Thought it could be Pewter, but it seems to hard for that. Hopefully my pics come along with this.

[T*O*F]

JA's GOLCHER, EAGLE RIFLE WORKS GUN

That has nothing to do with the maker of the gun.  It merely denotes that the capbox was a casting done by and obtained from Golcher.  Golcher was a merchant who supplied gun fittings to the trade.

[Flintlock69]

Sir, Check the history. In the 1830's JA's Golcher Partnered with H.Elwell to form the Eagle Rifle Works. They produced locks "Pistols and Rifles"

[T*O*F]

Sir, Check the history. In the 1830's JA's Golcher Partnered with H.Elwell to form the Eagle Rifle Works. They produced locks "Pistols and Rifles"

So what?  One does not immediately jump to the conclusion that because it has a Golcher casting means that they built the gun.  I have had rifles with both Golcher capboxes and Golcher locks that were made by others.  I see no markings on your lock, but I could be mistaken.  One would assume they would use their own marked lock.

Unless you find other definitive proof, wanting it to be an Eagle Rifle Works gun doesn't make it so.  Such is the quest for provenance.

[Tanselman]

We may be able to offer more help if we had a few additional images of the rifle to better understand its stock architecture. Would it be possible to post 3 more complete, "standard" views of your rifle? We'd like to see front and back half-length pictures, showing full butt out to about 8" past lock plate area, and a full-length picture of the front of the rifle. I would also like to see a picture of the full tang on the gun, to get a better feel for its length. While the gun may well be from PA, to me it has hints of possibly being from southern Ohio as well... so nice to see additional photos to better understand what you have.

Shelby Gallien

[Shreckmeister]

It looks like it could be an eagle rifle works gun that has been embellished, but the side plate appears to be original and I don’t think they used that style. It might’ve originally had the tiny keyhole type side plate that was replaced with this one though. All the eagle rifle works. Guns I have seen were very plain Jane.

[Flintlock69]

What I am looking for is an approx. value. Just for that purpose , what might be a reasonable value if it is a Golcher and the same if it a generic with Golcher parts?

[Tanselman]

The important question that hasn't been addressed or shown in any of the images is whether your rifle is signed or not. Signed rifles usually bring more money, since they have a more solid identity, while unsigned rifles often leave the owners/buyers guessing a little about who made the gun and where it was made.

So the important question is whether your rifle is signed or stamped with the gunmaker's name/initials on the top flat of the barrel a few inches behind the rear sight. If there is anything there, even if unreadable, please post a good image of it. That is where a gunsmith will mark his work, and if your rifle is signed, it will tell us a lot more about the rifle and what its value range might be. The commercial cap box lid stamping has little to no bearing on who made your rifle... just a nice detail to know who made/sold the cap box... and a possible clue it was made in or near Pennsylvania.

Shelby Gallien

[Flintlock69]

Thank You for your guidance!

[Bob Roller]

What I am looking for is an approx. value. Just for that purpose , what might be a reasonable value if it is a Golcher and the same if it a generic with Golcher parts?

I have seen a lot of Golcher locks on guns with different names on the barrel and all those lock were a utility grade and nothing
special.Also have seen the name spelled GOULCHER.Many had full cock only and no interfering from a "safety"or half cocked position.
Bob Roller

[Sequatchie Rifle]

I’d place a value of $250 to $350 considering it’s average (fair) condition, the mixture of average mass produced parts and an undesirable short barrel. I have seen several of the capboxes over the years. I agree with the other assessments that it is simply a manufacture’s marked box and must be assessed independently.

[Tanselman]

Prices are always a subjective matter, often influenced by personal likes and dislikes, what a collector prefers to collect, etc. This rifle is hard to estimate for a price range, because we have not seen better, more compete images. An issue is whether the barrel has been shortened or not. The rear sight is still in a decent position and distance out from the breech, and I cannot see a moved pin hole in the forestock... so is the barrel original length, or has it been shortened a bit??? Makes a difference in what it's worth.

I like the touches of silver work, particularly the detailed man-in-the-moon inlay in the butt... and the little oval and teardrop inlays that give the gun a little more character than just a plain-Jane half-stock. The capbox, while a somewhat standard shape, has the nice touch of the maker's mark inside it. The guard also has a more pleasing shape than many later guards. So in my opinion, the gun is probably worth a little more than the average, undecorated 1850s half-stock because it has more eye appeal. I'd probably stick another hundred on the earlier price estimate.

Shelby Gallien