Mule Ear Side Slapper Half Stock Long Gun

[JSMOSBY]

Several months ago while visiting family in Maryland I saw this piece on a rack by itself.  Often times this gun shop has had many accessory parts at 70’s prices and firearms, old and new, at current prices.  I was shopping.  The family business has been operating for decades and is downsizing but not closing the doors.  I was curious in that the look really intrigued me and was different from what I have been actively collecting for years.  Yep, I have tunnel vision.  I’d never seen a mule ear in person and only in books.  I studied it, gently worked the lock with permission and decided it wasn’t for me with all the old repairs and challenges. Besides, I was thinning my collection and only shooting my contemporary front loaders.  Also, I would have had to ship it back home.

Two weeks later and a few sleepless nights I called the shop wanting to buy the gun if still available.  They offered to take additional pictures and address my concerns.  It was going to be an interesting project.

There were challenges.  Wood had been replaced adjacent to the tang and barrel, plastic wood/filler had been used forward of the trigger guard, the vent had to be drilled and tapped for a new nipple and the condition of the bore was a mystery, however, it looked promising at the muzzle.  Upon removing the barrel (.36cal, 33.5" long, 12lbs) I saw that someone had used epoxy or similar (think Acraglas) to make a major repair to the stock.  With all of that said the gun was sound and tight.  It had bones.  My philosophy has always been to stabilize and not restore . . . generally.  BTW, there are no markings on the barrel, stock or lock.  After searching the web, I believe the lock with hand engraving was made by Joseph Medberry of Rochester New York around 1820. He made flintlock and percussion rifles from 1818 to 1841.

Went to the range:  25yds, bench rest, .35dia RB’s, .010 cotton ticking and 30grs 3F initially.  45grs seems to be a good load after much shooting and TLC.  On the paper with very good grouping.

I’d appreciate your thoughts and comments.  My thoughts are that someone, sometime, with pretty good skills and knowledge repaired an early damaged rifle and shot the heck out of it.  I know I will.

Thank you, John

[Tanselman]

This is a relatively common style of percussion era "side slapper" New York rifle. While I don't have a lot of interest here, I do know very similar rifles were being made by a G. Gardner of Geneva, New York, and a relative, W. Gardner, was making similar rifles in Geneva about the same time. A number of other New York makers, some better known, were also making this style rifle in the mid-1800s.

Shelby Gallien

[Frank Graves]

Here is a W. Gardner (for William Gardner), Geneva with a 36-1/2" barrel in .31 caliber, the barrel being marked "P&S REMINGTON" beneath.  P&S Remington as barrel makers were in business with this style name only from 1843 to 1845, giving us a clue as to when it was made.  It is unfired and shows the highest competence in a relatively plain but deluxe configuration.  Very similar to the rifle of the OP.  Lock marked "W. Gardner/Patent/Geneva" beneath the hammer and the barrel similarly.

[Steve Collward]

  Stillman Jackson, Palmyra, N.Y. (Wayne County) also made rifles with mule ear locks.  Palmyra is along the Erie Canal, 25 miles east of Rochester and 25 miles west of Geneva.  Jackson opened his business in Palmyra in 1829. I would think he probably knew the various makers in Rochester along with Geneva gun maker Wm. Gardner.

   Attached are some photos of a very plain S. Jackson rifle. The .50 cal. rifled barrel is 30" long and 1/2" across the flats. Overall length is 45 1/2".  Weighs about 13 pounds.

   I've included photo copy of an advertisement Jackson took out in "The Wayne Sentinel", Aug. 15, 1829. A transcription of the ad is on the left. Note that he offers to convert rifles from flint to percussion.

[Tanselman]

Fascinating advertisement, right in the middle of the conversion years in 1829, where we can actually see a gunsmith who still sells flintlocks, along with the newer percussion locks. Thanks for that last dated posting.

Shelby Gallien

[fundukj]

[JSMOSBY]

After acquiring the gun (OP) one of the first research references I found was this posting on Guns International:

<https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/antique-rifles---single-shot/unusual-medberry-mule-ear-percussion-kentucky-full-stock-rifle.cfm?gun_id=102151527>

As you can see the gun in this posting has many of the characteristics as my OP and your subsequent additions.  I was pretty happy having identified the primary maker (I thought) until all of you added so much more insight which I really appreciate and confused. Comments?

One of my observations as I worked with mine is that the lock may have been originally designed to accommodate a pill in that the threads for the nipple were poorly done, i.e., only about 2.5 threads (use?) and the impact surface details on the hammer are pretty beat up and may have been modified to accommodate the nipple now mounted on the lock plate.  I chased the thread to 1/4-28 and did nothing to the hammer in that it fires quickly and reliably although soft and tired. With that said, the gun has been used a lot.  Although that front sight is a challenge for my old eyes, I am not going to change the sight or anything else at this time.