Gun Show finds

[silverfox]

I just got back from a show with a neet weapon and need help to know what I got. First Musketman calm down. Its a double .50, rifle one side smoothbore the other side. The only marks are between the barrels and I dont read German well it appears to read ( Jos: Turh in Waldsee ). Wood sliding patchbox, carved roe deer head on belly of stock, back action locks with safeties between hammers and nipples. All metal is engraved to include a bird and a striped cat on the trigger guard. Rifling is 8 deep roundbottom grooves. Also has carved leaves behind cheek rest. Checkering on wrist and patchbox appears to be about 32 to the inch diamonds. Will see how it shoots tomorrow and look out for the guys in blue. this thing was less than a CVA bobcat. Fox :thumbsup:
Got to get the wife to show me how to send pictures.

 

[gordy]

Sounds like You scored big time,I assume it's a caplock? With all the carveing Etc.Had to have sold for 'big' money new.You may want to hold off on shooting it.If it's worth the kind of money it appears too.You can buy several custom guns for Your battery.Good Luck! :thumbsup: ::

 

[silverfox]

Thanks Gordy. Your right it is a caplock(darn). I was going to go flint for my next rifle but this just kept calling to me and I just had take it home. Guess the flint will wait or like you say maybe I'll trade it for a good flinter. I was wishing somebody could tell me what the inscription in German was (makers name or just script). Guess you can still fine a pot of gold sometimes. This show usually only has 2 or 3 muzzleloaders all new but this time it had about 6 with 4 good period guns but no flints. I'm so far off the beaten path it's rare anything shows. Today was a good day. The wife even let me in the house with it.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[54ball]

I think you call this a drilling. A rile shotgun dbl bbl. They were and are a popular Continental hunting gun. Modern day breechloading shell and cartridge drillings are still made in Germany today by makers like Merkel. :thumbsup:

 

[2172]

I thought a "drilling" was 3 barrels...two SxS, an under rifled bbl....if I'm wrong, tell me..Hank

 

[Keith]

Drilling is a three barrled gun. They can be in any combination of rifle or smooth I think.

 

[robinghewitt]

Joseph Turner, Joseph Turton and J Tustin.

If not Tu????, what else could it be? ::

 

[silverfox]

Squire thanks for the post. I just took it all apart and found some neet things. like paper thin patches in the patchbox, all serial numbers match. The triggerguard turns sideways to reveal a screw holding the triggers in place this is after all visible screws are removed. Also the rifle barrel trigger is a push forward set trigger if desired to use it as such. Did not find any names other than previous stated. In silver between the barrels ( Jos: Turh in Waldsee ). The Turh could be Turk but I don't think so. Thanks for your reply. A Drilling is usually a sxs shotgun with rifle barrel underthem.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[robinghewitt]

James Turk in Oregon, John and William Turk in Missouri, father and son, they are the right period, maybe Stockel has a name wrong ::

 

[arilar]

Well Robin, I digged in to Heer and found nothing good enough. Maybe its the owners marking and not the gunmaker?
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:

 

( Jos: Turh in Waldsee )

Regularly Jos. (with just one dot) is the abbreviation for Joseph. Turh is the family name, and "in Waldsee" means "at the village (or town) of Waldsee (forest lake).

Waldsee is located in southern Germany and has quiet a record of burning lots of "witches" around 1518 (the year the 30 years war started).

You might have a real diamond. Don't shoot it unless a competent gunsmith ok's it. It probably has a damascus barrel that could blow up.

 

[robinghewitt]

It probably has a damascus barrel that could blow up.

:: :: ::

I thought they used damascus barrels because they didn't blow up.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Squire Robin,

In America, "Damascus" is synonomous with "Leprosy". Unlike England, where gentlemen are content with status quo and sporting pursuits instead of lots of cold meat in the freezer as fast as possible, American sportsmen aren't happy unless any piece of equipment or machinery is red hot and pushed beyond sane operating conditions. Our waterfowl hunters jamb anything in a gun that can imagine or obtain to get a few more pellets and a few more yards. Damascus barrels that would last centuries in England were blown up with dire consequences in Maryland and the US flyways. Since those early nitro-powder days, everyone has heard stories like "my uncle's cousin's grandfather's half-brother knows a guy who had his face tore clean off by a damascus barrel exploding without even having a shell in the chamber; he had to eat grits through his ears ever since."

I wouldn't be surprised lots of those rumors were encouraged by the companies that made "fluid steel" and "Nitro Proof" barrels and shotguns. :hmm:

Don't tell anyone that damascus barrels are strong and beautiful and shoot blackpowder loads every bit as well as they did 100 years ago (once you've verified they're sound). You'll price me right out of the market if everyone starts looking for them.

 

[robinghewitt]

...and yet there was a time when you couldn't sell a shotgun in America unless it was damascus.

ML guns were made for American export even after the UK had gone centre fire. London fine twist, the dolphin hammer and the Belgian clunker ::

Bob Spencer has a splendid early Colt shotgun with a faux damascene pattern printed on it.

 

[silverfox]

Robin Thanks for the information. It's about what I could come up with except I didn't know were Waldsee was located. I have 1 nipple thats still stuck am working on it (soaking) the barrels are not dasmascus or don'ts look like it I have a couple guns with dasmascus barrels. Stumpkiller is right they shoot fine just don't try to make magnums out of them. I will? lets say my wife says she can get a picture maybe tomorrow. I hope so cause it's pretty but it's not a flintlock. Fox :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

Well, I'll join the hearsay crowd by just mentioning what Ah herd.
A lot of fine damascus barrels were made and many of them are still fine.
Unfortunately, as with most things there were also some not so fine damascus barrels made.

These barrels consist of multiple steel ribbons wrapped around the bore and then additional layers of steel ribbions wrapped over the first in the opposite directions and forge welded together forming a multi-layered lamination.
If the welds were not sound, they could permit corrosion to occure between the layers (or plys). This could seriously weaken what looks outwardly to be a sound barrel making it dangerous to shoot.

At least that's what Ah hurd. ::