The Professor’s Gun

About 10 years ago I was surfing the web looking at some used custom muzzleloader’s that October Country had to offer? Saw this short barreled percussion that I kept coming back to. There was something about it that intrigued me? Wasn’t much information on their listing about it?

I called them the next day. Spoke with a gentleman by the name of John. He gave me this story so bare with me my friends.

October Country had bought the remnants of a collection of muzzleloader’s that a late college professor had built up in Washington state somewhere?

The professor worked in his shop during his spare time when he wasn’t teaching. I guess it was his way of getting away from it all for a while? What he loved to do!

Unfortunately his health took a turn for the worst. He developed MS and became wheelchair bound. He had to leave his teaching position and eventually was unable to even work in his shop anymore.

The professor ended up succumbing to the disease. He passed away. I can’t even imagine him working on this rifle in a wheelchair with tremors as MS takes hold of him.

This muzzleloader that he built was one of the last ones he was able to make. Even though I don’t know him or even his name? That story and this muzzleloader will ever have a special place in my heart!

Now I introduce you to what I coined “ The Professor’s Gun “.

It’s a short little .54 with a 27” barrel. Seven lands and grooves, 1:60 twist. Is 1” across the flats. Cherry wood stock. Weight is 7 pounds even.

He pretty much made or fabricated all the parts on this muzzleloader With maybe the exception of the barrel.

He either made or fabricated the following:

1. Stock
2. All the furniture
3. Trigger and Trigger plate. Instead of a blade on top of the trigger to push the sear arm out of the tumbler notch, he put a bracket on top of the trigger that the sear arm rests in. Has a 4 plb pull to drop the hammer. Very clean and crisp pull!
4. Lock, lock plate, and lock components with the exception of the hammer, main spring.
5. Tang. This muzzleloader has a hooked breach and the barrel can be lifted after the wedge key is removed, but he also drilled a hole through the top portion of the tang and into the breech plug hook and threaded. Not only does the hooked breech hold the barre/tang, but that screw running down from the tang into the breech plug hook does as well! Sort of like a fixed breech if you will? Never seen that before?? Remove that screw and wedge key and lift the barrel from the stock. Hooked breech!
6. Sights

Lastly, This muzzleloader is a little crudely built and the professor wasn’t a master builder, but it’s solid, balances well! I’ve lobbed one ball after another into a 12” steel plate at 50 yards off hand with it.

Enjoy the pictures my friends.

God Bless!

Respectfully, Cowboy

Thank you Jim.

I like the butt plate, looks like it would lock into the arm socket very nicely like a Schuetzen style.

Very interesting rifle and story. I think the Professor would approve of your having the rifle and taking care of it.

Thanks for posting.

Great story! Thanks for sharing. It makes me wonder what the guns he built before he was struck with MS looked like. If he could do work like this while afflicted with MS, imagine what he may have done before that. That's one to hang onto, Cowboy!

My hats off to the Professor and to you for telling his story. Thanks for sharing

The provenance of any article is often where the true value lies. I believe the Professor would be pleased with the custodian his rifle found. Also, it seems your Professor was a belt and suspenders kind of man, the bracket for the sear arm and the machine screw thru the tang and hook seem to indicate this...

Woodnbow said:

...Also, it seems your Professor was a belt and suspenders kind of man, the bracket for the sear arm and the machine screw thru the tang and hook seem to indicate this...

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The sear arm, maybe. The machine screw, though, is an ingenious method of making a "hooked" breech without having to hand fit the hook or create the perfect recess for it in the tang, something that would have been a challenge to make with home workshop equipment I imagine. Not only was he smart enough to become a professor, he we sharp enough to find a perfect work-around for a difficult issue.

Great pictures and story. Take care of that beauty.

Has it even been fired? I will do it for you if not, I know some folk have hang ups about not shooting certain guns. I am not one of em and would love to help ya.

Great find/story!!

Nice rifle and nice story. Thanks for sharing.

Enjoy Cowboy, nice story and nice rifle.
SM

You said it was a little crudely built. I wonder where that came from. It looks like a fine well built rifle to me. I'd be proud to own and use it

mushka said:

You said it was a little crudely built. I wonder where that came from. It looks like a fine well built rifle to me. I'd be proud to own and use it

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Well thank you my friend. I am extremely proud to own it.

Thank you.

Respectfully, Cowboy

That is a beautiful rifle but the story behind it out shines it. Congratulations Cowboy on your once in a life time purchase.