Original Plains Rifle?

[gunluvver]

For my first post in the Firearms Forum, I would like your opinion on a rifle that belongs to a co-worker. He brought this to me to try and find a value on it. The lock is marked "Goulcher". I've posted this on other forums and have gotten varied responses. I'd like a more expert opinion, and that's one of the reasons I joined this forum. So, here are some pics, let me know what you think.

In the last pic you can make out designs on the barrel. I believe the stock was full length at one time. One poster on another forum made a reference of a similar Goulcher marked rifle found in Iowa. Let me know what you think!

 

[Jumpshot]

Can't help you with the rifle, but I like the paint job on the wall. :grin:

 

[gunluvver]

My daughter's room! It was the only clean one at the time! :rotf:

 

[Harddog]

Golcher is the name of the lock maker, not the gun maker. THe Golchers were a family of lock makers the were in the eastern U.S. and migrated west. They had shops in several states and were very prolific makers. Many, many gunmakers used Golcher locks on their rifles and rifles with Golcher locks show up all over the place becasue they were made all over the place. Dixie Gun Works had a barrel full of unused Golcher locks about 25 years ago, so a Golcher lock on a rifles doesn't even mean the rifle is old.

The rifles shown was at one time a full stock as evidenced by the lack of a barrel rib and the lack of a nose cap, both of which would have been on the rifle if it started out as a half stock.

Randy Hedden

 

[zukeeper1]

hope they took better care of the barrel than they did the stock :wink:

 

[gunluvver]

hope they took better care of the barrel than they did the stock :wink:

Unfortunately, they didn't. The rifling is visible, but overall the gun is in very good relic condition. The stock has several major repairs to it. It appears to be.45 caliber. The mainspring is broken in the lock, and I can't remove the trigger group as the rear tang screw is stripped of the screw slot. My co-worker also has a Colt 1849 pocket pistol in the same condition. These were part of his father's estate and were found tucked away in his garage when they cleaned it out. The guns may have run in the same circle, but that's speculation.

 

[George Holton]

Hang them on the wall,say thank you Dad and enjoy them as momentos from him, Hope you have good memories of your father. Very old Bob :thumbsup:

 

[gunluvver]

If they were mine, that is what would happen. Unfortunately, they're not, and he wants to sell them.

 

[Many Klatch]

It looks like an old parts gun. Parts from here and there made into a new (at the time)gun. I see guns like this for sale for a lot of money but they usually sell for a couple of hundred dollars. With a lot of work you could probably fix it back up into a shooter.

Many Klatch

 

The Goulcher family made thousands of locks but they did not produce rifles. The Goulcher family locks are found on Plains Rifles, late Longrifles, pistols & shotguns from approx 1840 through 1880.