A Rare Find

Sometimes being a collector has it's great moments and this old rifle has contributed greatly to my experiences! It has been a good year for me in my continual pursuit of the American longrifle.

Lovely. Have a sister?

No sister Alden, just a big brother! My photo bucket has been giving me fits this morning. But with a bit of patience will put up a few more pics.

Hi Capt. Great find!! Wonderful condition and patina. Tell us some more about the gun. Caliber, etc. Super nice. Congrats. Rick. :bow: :v :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

Joel. That's a great rifle. Has alot of bedford look to it. Super carving. Show stopper

Ricky, it is pretty close to 50 caliber with very deep groove rifling and a swamped barrel. Once was a flintlock that was converted to percussion. Made in Chambersburg PA Franklin County. Ya, Rob, it does have a bit of a Bedford look about it. I think this style kind of started in the Chambersburg area and was later adapted with more Bedford features in Bedford Co. Kind of a hockey stick profile. It holds and shoulders very nice. Thanks for your compliments!

Thanks for sharing as I love to see pics of the originals! That rifle is in great condition. :thumbsup:

Very nice rifle!
Please tell us how you came upon it?
It has a very fine patch box, well done.
Could you please show us more of the breech area/
How the flint/percussion evolved?
You are very fortunate!
Congrats!
Fred

Wow! :shocked2: Very nice! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Awesome find!! :hatsoff: :thumbsup:

Well, the two towns Bedford and Chambersburg are only 30 miles apart so not surprising they share the look. Whenever I travel through that area, I stop and the Conococheaque Trading Post. They have a full supply of black powder guns and accessories and super nice people. Isnt the current KRA president from Chambersburg? Really cool area for history buffs. Congrats again on finding a great rifle.

Excellent find, my heartiest congratulations! Looks like a little cleaning and a spit polish my end up with a real beauty!

Old Ford, this rifle came to me at my table during a gunshow. It had been in the same family for nearly 75 years. The conversion to percussion that was performed on this piece was one of the better types of conversions. I believe it was called a "standing breech" or a solid patent breech. Even though the original barrel had been cut off at the breech end, the original barrel length was maintained with no loss with this system. Most of the conversions that were done in this period were the simple cut and redrill\tapp for a drum and nipple. Sure, I would have wished that no conversion at all had taken place on this rifle. Flintlocks rule over percussion in my book, but history speaks for itself!

Thanks for the additional photos. Again, super nice find. Rick. :hatsoff:

Great find Capt. :hatsoff:

MAN.. that IS nice!!!! VERY well made! I really like that style!

Wow, I don't know what it takes to run across such nice looking guns. I guess it is just pure thoughts, clean living and going to church every Sunday. :thumbsup:

Billnpatti said:

Wow, I don't know what it takes to run across such nice looking guns. I guess it is just pure thoughts, clean living and going to church every Sunday. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that may have something to do with my good luck, well, most of what you said! (I bought it on a Sunday) I will say that my table at that gun show was not even close to the front entry door. I was not the first person to have been offered it! From many years of study and reading as well as going to some very good shows and looking at original longrifles, I knew what this rifle was when it came to me. Then again....the stars in the heaven's were all in alignment with the moon during it's quarter phase and that caught the rifle's silver moon cheek inlay at the very moment of my good fortune. :hmm: :v

Captain, you seem to be the sort of chap that deserves a fine rifle like that one. Does she handle as beautifully as she looks?