WM Gardner 40 cal Target Rifle

[Cajun72]

Well recently acquired a WM Gardner 40 cal Target Rifle. Heavy 1 3/16 barrel with original peep sight. Nothing fancy. It's in decent shape for its age. Bores rifling is crisp, has a little surface rust from previous owner. Will give a good cleaning tomorrow. Is this the same WM Gardner from Geneva, NY?


my country poem

[OLUT]

There were several different W Gardner gunsmiths. The guns from William Gardner of Geneva, NY that I've seen are typically stamped "W GARDNER   GENEVA".  ... but regardless of which guy made. it, you have a dandy rifle.

[Steve Collward]

Cajun,
   Attached is a photo of Wm. Gardner's stamp on a rifle I own.
   Like OLUT, I too have come across several rifles by Gardner over the years and all have this mark, and all
were stamped just in front of the tang. More times than not, "W GARDNER/Geneva" is also found on the lock plate.
   Your Gardner is a nice looking rifle.

[Tanselman]

Your rifle may be made by W. M. Gardner of Fulton Co., IN, who was working there in the 1860s. This is based on the periods after the first two initials on your barrel stamp, indicating separate first and middle names, and not necessarily standing for William. W. M. Gardner also used a slight "fish belly" in his lower butt line, as in your rifle.

Shelby Gallien