Anyone have any info on this gun?

[ramblin man]

A friend of mine bought this gun the other day for a song and brought it to me for some history. It's new to me. It's .58 perc, has a brass action and solid brass forearm. One side of the barrel is stamped '.58 Mowery Olney, Texas' and 'Trail Gun Armory'. On the other side is stamped 'Texas Carbine' and the number '19'. There is brass medallion in the butt of a Texas Star and the words 'The State of Texas'. Althogh I'm familar with Mowery, I know nothing of this piece. Any info would be appreciated. It's the gun on top in the pictures...RamblinMan

 

[torn moc]

It was produced in the 70's in Olney Texas. The firm has shut down. Lock parts can no longer be purchased. Deer Creek company had resumed production for awhile but no longer produce the gun or kits. Parts from the Deer Creek guns will not fit a gun made in Olney Texas.
These were produced in both brass and steel framed models. That's bout all the history in a nutshell!

 

[Swede50]

Even if it dosent work I will make one heck of an interesting wall hanger. A very neat looking rifle.

 

[silverfox]

They were good guns very simple mechanical works but shot well. What you have is a commemorative gun and trail Guns Armory was a retail sales outlet in Houston, Texas. Should be a good gun there is little that can go wrong with them.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

The only negative thing I ever heard about your rifle was that in that large caliber, it hurt to shoot the gun with that buttstock. I think the makers were expecting people to use either minie balls, or PRB with light loads, - 60 grains or less of FFFg powder -- and didn't give much thought to someone putting a lot more powder in it.

The parts are so very simple that should anything break down, which I believe will be unlikely, they can be made.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

They may have thought that owners would mount the rifle out on the upper arm where this style of butt plate is meant to go. Then stronger loads won't hurt the shooter.

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu have a point, but you trade a bruise shoulder for a bruised cheekbone, because you have to lay your head down, over the top of the comb with the stock mounted that far from your face. :hmm: :hatsoff:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I have several rifles with this butt plate configuration, and none of them bruise me anywhere. My .54 caliber Hawken is used often and with 100 grains of FFg and it has never hurt me or anyone else that has fired it. Over the years I and my friends have fired heavily loaded muzzleloaders and blackpowder cartridge rifles with crescent butt plates and never found a reason to complain. It is a mystery to us why so many folks voice this complaint. You never read about this problem in the journals of the mountain men--at least I never have.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am sure it has a lot to do with how you are built. I have broad shoulders, and a long neck. I cannot mount the stock on my upper arm below the shoulder socket and get the stock close enough to my face to allow my head to remain vertical, along side the stock, as opposed to laying down on the top of it.

As for historical writings, what choice about the matter would the MM have? They made due with what was available. Today, we have choices.

I have watched men in my gun club take a beating and develope gargantuan flinches shooting these guns the way you describe, and just make do. They don't win many matches, of course, but they keep on shooting, and they don't complain. They also don't ask anyone for advice or help, or ever question why it is that other shooters don't have the FLINCH they obviously have. If the shape of this gunstock, or buttplate doesn't bother you, Congratulations.

" You can't fix STUPID"-- Ron White

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

" You can't fix STUPID"-- Ron White

"In my sixty plus years on the planet, I have learned that arrogance cannot be fixed either. It, like any other form of bad manners, is simply best ignored." -- Russ T. Frizzen, Master of the Crescent Buttplate

 

[torn moc]

I have no problem shooting my Mowrey 50 cal with 90 gr FFF. The butt doesnt bother me at all.
...But...have you heard Ron White explain what he did to his dog at the Vets office?
....you got to consider the source... :rotf:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Russ: You are obviously one of those People I referrred to who is the exceptional shooter who can and does handle the recoil of these half moon buttplates. My congratulations to you.

My comments refer to the others I described seeing, who are beating themselves up, but choose not to do anything about it. There was NO need for you to think I was speaking of you, or for you to comment. :hatsoff:

I can't physically do what you do, for the reasons I described. I shoot shotgun style buttplates because that is what works for me. :surrender:

 

[torn moc]

Ramblin Man, I see you have a brass boxlock in the pic,,,,are the innards of that boxlock similar to the mowrey?
Man...I sure would like to see a photo of the inside of the boxlock!!! could you post one?