Odd percussion conversion.

[swamp yankee]

Hello all,

Has anyone else noticed the converted trade gun (AAA 640) for sale on Track of the wolf's website? How common was it to convert a hammer like that? Wouldn't it have been easier to just replace the hammer?

Or is that how it was done in the transitional era between flint and percussion?

Beacuse I can't figure out how to do a link, I'll explain.
The flint cock has had the top jaw replaced with a piece of metal which serves as a hammer nose.

Regards,
Brian George

 

[Tumblernotch]

I haven't seen the gun on the site yet, but it was a pretty common thing to do during the transition period. Another similiar conversion was to simply stick a piece of iron in the jaws like you would a piece of flint that would strike the cap on a common drum conversion. I have seen one where the upper half of the cock was cut off and a percussion hammer welded to it and stretched so as to strike the cone inserted directly in the barrel. On this one, the gunsmith didn't even bother to remove the frizzen. The stretched hammer just curved around it. These conversions were all done on military muskets, but I'm sure it was quite common on civilian pieces.
:thumbsup:

 

[Okwaho]

In "Confederate Longarms and Pistols" by Hill and Anthony,P.42 there is illustrated a Virginia Manufactory musket Ca. 1812-1821 where the conversion was done by a local gunsmith in the Confederacy using the cone method.The vent hole was plugged up and the frizzen,pan,and frizzen spring left intact.The original cock was stretched and offset to by-pass the flintlock frizzen and pan. A percussion cock was forged to the top of the original cock to meet the nipple which was threaded into the barrel.It looks pretty strange but it apparently worked.The caliber was .69 so that Model 1842 balls would fit.This is one of the conversion methods you mentioned.On Page 43 of the same book is shown another Virginia Manufactory conversion using the more conventional bolster method.
Also on P.41 there is shown a Tower musket converted as you mentioned by using the side lug method,removing the frizzen,pan,and frizzen spring and simply inserting a round piece of iron inserted and perhaps welded into the jaws of the original flint cock.I couldn't tell whether the iron insert was recessed but I would suspect that it was.The gun was an East Indian pattern musket Ca.1815-1830 in .75 caliber so I would assume that there more of these guns converted.
Tom Patton :thumbsup:

 

[arilar]

Dont know how often it was made under the early percussionera but few has survived.
Got one funny peace that is made on a Swedish m.1725 barrel, cal. .78 and Swedish m.1747 lock. Buttplate from 1811 or 1815 musket. Civil fullstock.
Ordinary side lug conversion and in the jaws a metalpiece looking like end of percussionhammer.
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:

 

[Tumblernotch]

:: The Hill and Anthony book is where I found that particular conversion! :: I guess that guy was in a hurry, huh? It is an oddball that's for sure, and possibly worth something because of it. I found the conversion using the iron piece in the jaws of the Tower musket there too. It appears that they just wrapped it in lead. If I was going to do that, I would want to at least braze it. It would be an unpleasant surprise to have it fall out during a battle.

These conversions just show how inventive those gunsmiths were when under pressure to produce in an emergency. I wonder how many were actually converted using these methods.
:grey: