identification question

I've got a rifle that was given to me by my father a month or so ago that I'm having no luck identifying at all. It's a .45 cal percussion, looks like a Kentucky rifle without the patch box in the stock. Has brass inlays all over ie; brass fish on both sides of the stock, a modified 8 pointed star and a big brass eagle all inlaid in the stock. There's no identifying serial# or makers mark anywhere that I can find. Only a brass inlay on top of the barrel with the name P.J.E. Wolfe on it. Any thoughts on where to go for info would be greatly appreciated. I actually suspoect that it's a custom juob made in someone's basement or something along that line.

Sounds like a custom alright, the inlays you describe are and have been available for a few decades.
Your only hope is to talk with your father to figure out where he got it and try too find a "Wolfe" in the area that does any building.

A rifle can travel quite some distance before it lands in someones hands that's searching for it's beginings. It could be quite valuble if it was built properly with high end parts.

How's it shoot? :wink:

hotoSmile: I think I can speak for almost everyone when I say we are very visual people

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...2238931013356_1250458514_2659710_824417_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.n...238932213386_1250458514_2659712_6085396_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.n...2238931373365_1250458514_2659711_632095_n.jpg

Custom,
Can't find the Eagle, but here's some of the parts.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...=14&subId=162&styleId=718&partNum=IN-FISH-3-B http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...=14&subId=162&styleId=719&partNum=IN-STAR-4-B http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...tId=14&subId=156&styleId=706&partNum=TR-DST-6 http://www.trackofthewolf.com/cate...14&subId=147&styleId=808&partNum=LOCK-LR-1500

It's typical for a maker to have the barrel stamp on the bottom flat (underneath) of the barrel. you'd have to drive out the pins to see it,(not recomended for new owners).
Any Info from Dad? Or is it too late,,

Yeah, I've had it apart and looked over every inch of it. No sign of a mark anywhere. And no, dad's still kickin' and hunting. I've just now gotten into hunting/guns/archery all at once ( at the tender age of 43 ) and the old guy is absolutely thrilled. He's been a hardcore outdoorsman all his life and this is the first thing we've really bonded over. Unfortunately, he lies in the Northwest and won't be in town for deer season this year. This will be my first deer season out in the woods and I'd like to take 1 with my recurve and 1 with the muzzleloader. At least, that's the plan!

Some gun builders sign their names and some don't.

For instance, I just mark the barrels of my guns "JLK" and the two digits of the year it was made. :grin:

Is it just me, or does that rifle have a TVM, Jack Garner, Corinth School look to it?