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Fort Shirley .45

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Russ Treml

32 Cal
Joined
May 12, 2019
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I picked up a .45 cal rifle a few months ago. I cannot find much info on it though. Hopefully the pictures work. It has R.T. Fort Shirley on the top of the barrel .45 on the side and the number 80 on the otherwise of the barrel. It’s in good shape and shoots 50 grains of 3F really accurately. I was Impressed with the groups I was getting at 50 yards. Anyone who has any more info on this they can share would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully this is the right topic category
Thanks
Russ
 

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Well I can tell you where Fort Shirley is, anyhow: (the aptly named) Shirleysburg, PA. It was George Croghan's trading post, which he fortified after Braddock's defeat. It was the forward operating base from which Lt. Col John Armstrong (my 8th great uncle) launched the Kittanning Raid in Sept. 1756.

If memory serves, there was a gun builder in Shirleysburg that signed them that way back in the 1970s. My Dad had one built by him, but I do not remember his name, UnfortunateIy.
 
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Based on the pictures, the rifle is a custom build. The stamping was definitely done by someone using individual letter stamps. A commercial company would have a stamp made to mark the barrel.

I have no idea about why the builder wanted to stamp "RT FORT SHIRLEY" on it but he did.

If your curious you might remove the barrel and look for some marks or stamping on the underside. That's where most builders hide the barrel company's logo although not all barrel makers mark their barrels.
 
Based on the pictures, the rifle is a custom build. The stamping was definitely done by someone using individual letter stamps. A commercial company would have a stamp made to mark the barrel.

I have no idea about why the builder wanted to stamp "RT FORT SHIRLEY" on it but he did.

If your curious you might remove the barrel and look for some marks or stamping on the underside. That's where most builders hide the barrel company's logo although not all barrel makers mark their barrels.

I believe "R.T." were the builder's initials. As I said, he lived in Shirleysburg (still not exactly a big place) and I think it was his way of giving a nod to the local hisitory.

BTW, the barrel on the rifle he built for my father was a Getz...
 
Thank you for your replies so far. Much appreciated. I live close to Shirleysburg (maybe 45 mins away). I did not take the barrel off but I will do so. I had the lock off but there were no markings. I was told this gun came from an older mans estate in the area and the son? didn’t want it so he sold it. My original intention was to convert it to a flintlock but I’m not sure I want to do that until I find out a little more about it, if possible)...
 
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