Lots of questions on Beaver County, Pa Allison marked Rifle........

[alnukem]

Thanks & my first post here! This week I bought this rifle from a local dealer friend of mine, he had it on consignment. It is Thomas Allison marked. I bought it because he was a maker from my Township. It is a full stock, percussion with a 39.5" Barrel in about 40 caliber. Thomas Allison was a Western Pa "Golden Age" maker that trained Fleeger, He died in 1836 & is buried locally. The rifle is in very sound condition. My questions are many. I think the barrel must have been repurposed & restocked to a much later style. I would think this was originally a Flintlock. How likely was the barrel was shortened? Any idea where this was updated? His Apprentice was John Fleeger (and also Son-In-Law), the cap box has a "finial" at the top that is very similiar to his. I do not have any expertise in this area. By the way, this came out of a house, about 7 miles from where it was made.....cool, huh? Any input would be appreciated.

[Dietle]

My impression is that particular cap box was a commercial mail order item that was ordered rough cast and then finished and assembled by the gunsmith.  My basis for this statement is 1.) seeing the rough castings among the left-over parts from an old long rifle gunshop in Somerset County, Pennsylvania and 2.) seeing one on a finished rifle in Tennessee. Here are the links:

https://korns.org/lepley_gunsmithing/lepley_oval_patchbox.html
https://korns.org/lepley_gunsmithing/coffey_patchbox.html

[Shreckmeister]

If you post a picture of the barrel signature, I might be able to offer some assistance