• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades
  • Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

need help identifying half stock percussion rifle

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

thatoneguy82

40 Cal.
Joined
Sep 13, 2013
Messages
197
Reaction score
0
Picked this up in a trade, its got a Leman lock but un unsigned barrel. Barrel is .32cal, measuring .98 breech and .94 at muzzle and is 38.5in long. There is evidence it was shortened about 2in from breech end. I think I have all the important details photo documented but if there is anything anyone else thinks might help to identify it let me know and thanks in advance for the help.
20131109_115504_zps95b2624e.jpg

20131109_115550_zps4c3375dd.jpg

20131109_131333_zps264b0f3f.jpg

20131109_115543_zps1f0eacaa.jpg

20131109_115529_zpscd52919f.jpg

20131109_111016_zps0d2f49ad.jpg

20131109_113521_zpsa13d1ac3.jpg

20131109_115512_zpsce8234f0.jpg
20131109_115603_zps30f81bcb.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Since you have no takers I will give you a guess.

Based trigger guard, cap box, and butt plate I would think it's a post 1840's Ohio or Illinois rifle built by a gunsmith who has left "no lasting impression".

This rifle was probably not built to be shot from the shoulder - that butt plate would dig in quite badly - instead it would be hooked into the crook of your elbow.

The Leman lock and drum (squared end) were used by hundreds of gun builders (there is even at least one original Hawken with a Leman lock) so that is of little/no help in identifying the builder or even the area where it was built.

Unfortunately, without a builders name somewhere on the rifle or history from a previous owner it is unlikely you will ever know for sure.

It appears to be a "generic" rifle produced in Ohio or some point west, maybe :)

(should have added, the length of the fore stock ahead the rear ramrod pipe is indicative of an Ohio rifle as well - but simply may be the result of an original full stock which was cut back to make it more stylish in the 1850's/60's)
 
I've got one like that! :thumbsup:

Mine was made by the Enterprise Gunworks and still has the "Kill Buck" trade mark on the barrel. Dave Kanger has the original adverts which expain what is going on.

You have to imagine a seemingly never ending stream of colonists arriving at the east coast end of the Oregon trail and the massive industry all set to equip them for the trip west. That meant wagons, until the railway was built, mules, vittals, pots and pans, clothes etc., and maybe a gun.

The idea was to relieve them of their money and get them on their way as fast as possible.

You can't sell people what they need, you have to sell them what they want. What we have is what they thought an American gun looked like :rotf:
 
Here's a photo of a rifle made by my ancestor William Shreckengost in Putneyville Pennsylvania circa 1870. It shares a lot of characteristics with your rifle which is why I suggested western PA.

ShreckSkitterboxDaveDavis_zps5bb3983b.jpg
[/img]
 
Interesting rifle,cute dog, still trying to figure out the pistol and a Bugler guy! :wink: :hatsoff:
 
Bugler rolling tobacco! :wink: man after my own heart...him, me and all the cons in Texas prison units!! :rotf:
 
Thanks for the input all, Its a cool no name rifle and I am thinking of using it as a pattern for a contemporary rifle of my own making.
 
Mr. Kat,
The pistol was built by Joe Raught, circa. 1920's ( Putneyville's premier school teacher-jeweler-amatuer gun-crank ).
I also recognize the two gentlemen in the photo on the table...and, of course, the rifle :v :v
Shreck
 

Latest posts

Back
Top