A friend had this and it was headed for the auction block... So I had to rescue it....
This is a rather nice little rifle, although during it's working life the stock had suffered major damage to the comb and from the middle of the wrist to about 2 inches from the front of the buttplate was completely replaced... who ever did the work at the time did a fine job but age has taken it't toll on the glue used on the crack through the wrist I will have to stabelize and restore the wood on this gun.... the other aspect is to decide on weather to return it to flint... the percussion conversion was not done by the same class of craftsman who had originally built it... when they plugged the holes from the frizzen and spring they took down the engraving under where the pan used to reside......
there had been a horn tip to the end of the stock ... now missing...
I would date this gun from the later half of the 18 century... the lock has a nice banana shape, the brass furniture is well made and heavy if it was not for the engraved lock I would have thought this had seen possible military use.... there are signs of a sling swivel near the front ramrod pipe and there are signs of a sling swivel had been screwed into the butt at one time..... over all length is 36" barrel length with tang is 22.25" double set triggers still work.. when set a very "lite" touch sets them off.....
This is a rather nice little rifle, although during it's working life the stock had suffered major damage to the comb and from the middle of the wrist to about 2 inches from the front of the buttplate was completely replaced... who ever did the work at the time did a fine job but age has taken it't toll on the glue used on the crack through the wrist I will have to stabelize and restore the wood on this gun.... the other aspect is to decide on weather to return it to flint... the percussion conversion was not done by the same class of craftsman who had originally built it... when they plugged the holes from the frizzen and spring they took down the engraving under where the pan used to reside......
I would date this gun from the later half of the 18 century... the lock has a nice banana shape, the brass furniture is well made and heavy if it was not for the engraved lock I would have thought this had seen possible military use.... there are signs of a sling swivel near the front ramrod pipe and there are signs of a sling swivel had been screwed into the butt at one time..... over all length is 36" barrel length with tang is 22.25" double set triggers still work.. when set a very "lite" touch sets them off.....