Old Smoothrifle

[Einsiedler]

For your viewing interest is a .58 cal. Smoothrifle, flint to perc conversion I was finally able to honor with a place on our wall with this last season's elk. (I did not take the elk with a muzzleloader but I did use an iron-sighted 112 year old rifle).



The Smoothrifle lock is marked H, Elwell whom I believe was originally a Pennsylvania maker that eventually ended up in Ohio. The old gun is in pretty good shape for its age. The horn is an old original of unknown provenance.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Nice, how about some close up pictures

 

[Einsiedler]

Nice, how about some close up pictures

Sure! Sorry for quality. All I have is iPhone! Some like this?

 

[Einsiedler]

And the rear sight if interested



If you'd like to see more lemme know! Also. Only one ramrod thimble besides the entry thimble!

 

[hanshi]

The gun looks to be in excellent shape.

 

[wattlebuster]

I like it :hatsoff:

 

[smo]

Looks like a shooter to me :thumbsup:

 

[Einsiedler]

Looks like a shooter to me :thumbsup:

Actually it is! Light loads only. But I'm happy with it where it resides now. 😉

I have bunches more guns that really need shooting!

Thanks to all for the nice comments!

 

[Juice Jaws]

Very nice, thank you

 

[S.Kenton]

I like that!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Those photos are dandy. A nice, well made, simple gun, that doubtless put a lot of meat in the pot.

LD

 

[satx78247]

I wonder what percentage of smooth rifles were originally rifled & then later "bored out" into a smoothie??

yours, satx

 

[Einsiedler]

Often pondered the same question. I can't help but think quite a few.

 

[satx78247]

Obviously boring out a badly pitted rifled barrel to smooth (especially at a frontier blacksmith shop) is easier/cheaper than "freshing out"/re-rifling.

Fwiw, I once seriously considered having a REALLY BADLY pitted .45 caliber rifle made into a 28-bore shotgun but a friend (who was in the machine shop business) ended up drilling-out/relining the barrel.

yours, satx










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[Einsiedler]

Backstory on that gun.

Back in August 2014 I received a phone call while I was still smithing at a large central Texas gunshop from an old aquaintences wife. She said I needed to come by for a visit.
The wife and I dropped by one afternoon to learn my old friend was suffering from dementia and in a home. The only person he could recognize was his wife.
She explained the situation and stated that he had gone thru his collection about 10-15 years ago and had put names on different guns from his collection of who they were suppose to go to. She said she had a heck of a time trying to find me. So on a whim she called the shop to ask if they knew where I was. I had worked there 30 years ago, but left and went to work elsewhere. Upon retirement I decided to work part time back at shop.
Anyway wife and I went by to see her. She explained situation and that my friend had put my name on this particular gun about 10 years ago. In his paperwork it shows he obtained it about 1970.
He knew how much I appreciated smoothbores, so he thought I should have it. It's quite the prized possession! In the old days I had quite the collection of old wore out pieces. But as it is with many folks, they seemed to disappear with the arrival of each new offspring! This is now my only original piece.