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British? Flintlock Rifle

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basilisk120

Pilgrim
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All right hopefully third times a charm.

A couple a years I inherited a flint lock rifle from Grandfathers collection. So the little I know about it. It looks like it has Birmingham proof marks, it has some other markings but they are too faded to read. It has set triggers. Looks to be about 10 bore and is rifled but the rifling is dead straight from crown to breach. Not sure were my Grandad got it from but he didn't seem to think it was worth much and its in bad shape.

The usual questions. Any idea on dates or places this may have been used? The term Australian Buffalo rifle has been tossed around about this rifle.
Straight Rifling? Haven't seen that before any idea what that's about?

Now for the pics.
100_0735.jpg


100_0712.jpg


100_0734.jpg


100_0733.jpg
 
Swampy said:
It does appear to be on the short side don't it...
Click to expand...


To my untutored eye-trumpet, it looks like a compendium of parts, some of them genuine - the barrel - and some of them decidedly not...the fit of the trigger guard is somewhat iffy, IMO, and the lock shows a lot of imagination in its construction, if that is the right word to use.

But what do I know?

Anyhow, there IS a name on the lock - just can't make it out.

OP - do your stuff, please!

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund
 
I thought I had added the full rifle picture. Here is the one I have.

100_0727.jpg


Here are a couple of the reverse side of the lock
100_0722.jpg


100_0723.jpg


I should add the lock "works". Cock the hammer, pull the set trigger and then the main trigger and the hammer comes down.

I'll try to get some better pics after work
 
Hi,
My suspicion is that your gun was cobbled together from old parts. It is hard to say. With respect to the rifling, it may not be rifling at all. There was a short-lived fad in England during the late 18th century for fowling barrels (shotgun barrels) with straight grooves. A specific sized shot that fitted the grooves was used. The theory was that the shot touching the barrel walls would be guided by the grooves and improve the overall patterning of the gun. These barrels did work when loaded correctly with the right shot and tended to shoot tighter patterns over longer distances. Does the gun have sights? The cock is almost certainly from a later period lock.

dave
 
Yeah it has sights but they maybe added later. at the very least the front sight has been replaced.

2012-01-24172700.jpg


2012-01-24172715.jpg



Another picture of the lock
2012-01-24172519.jpg


Ok so the general consensus is that the gun is a collection of parts. Are we thinking this could be a "tourist gun", something made as a souvenir from far away distant lands?

And thanks for the bit on British Fowlers, learn something new everyday.
 
I do not think the gun is one of the tourist guns but it does have several things about it that are odd.

The cock (hammer) definitely is not made for that lock. If it were, both the upper and lower jaw would extend over the fence (the upright flange at the rear of the pan).

The lock appears to be English.

Maybe my old eyes are failing me but in the left hand view of the gun I don't see a place for the forward lock screw. The lock does seem to have two screw holes to retain it in the stock.

Most shotguns do not have set triggers and this gun has a double set type trigger.
 
Double-set triggers to be sure but no "fly" on the tumbler. Collection of parts.
 
basilisk120 said:
I should add the lock "works". Cock the hammer, pull the set trigger and then the main trigger and the hammer comes down.
Click to expand...
To work, it has to do more than "come down". It has to come down in such a way as to put sparks in the pan. It doesn't look like it would do that.
 
No yoru eyes aren't failing you. There isn't a screw for the forward screw hole. I think about half of the mounting screws are obvious replacements.

Thank you all for the help. Its been bugging me for while.
 
Most British military rifles do not have double set triggers. ( Ferguson Rifle, 1776 Tower Rifle and the Baker rifle of the early 18th century ) Set triggers on a shotgun do not make sense. I suspect a cobble job from over many years. The cheek piece of the rifle does resemble a Baker Rifle. One of our local museums has a Willets pattern breech ( based on the Ferguson ) with a barrel like this. Two grooves on opposite sides of the barrel, no spin. The lock and touch hole had been moved over the years. It had a brass bead front sight and a three leaf rear sight out to 300 yards! A brass plate on the top of the barrel identifies Ezekiel Baker as the barrel maker. I would give folding money to know the total history of this firearm.
 
grzrob said:
Most British military rifles do not have double set triggers. ( Ferguson Rifle, 1776 Tower Rifle and the Baker rifle of the early 18th century ) Set triggers on a shotgun do not make sense. I suspect a cobble job from over many years. The cheek piece of the rifle does resemble a Baker Rifle. One of our local museums has a Willets pattern breech ( based on the Ferguson ) with a barrel like this. Two grooves on opposite sides of the barrel, no spin. The lock and touch hole had been moved over the years. It had a brass bead front sight and a three leaf rear sight out to 300 yards! A brass plate on the top of the barrel identifies Ezekiel Baker as the barrel maker. I would give folding money to know the total history of this firearm.
Click to expand...

The firearm is question is likely made up from parts from various sources. This was common practice in American back in the day and "antiques" are still being made in this manner today.

Dan
 

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