This rifle was found in central Illinois. I'm thinking it could be a poor boy. Looks to me like salvaged barrel, lock & triggers. Newly made stock (walnut) trigger guard & but plate (steel). Barrel is 34", 36 cal. at least refreshed if not re-bored (looks like new bore), overall length is 50" muzzle to toe. There are no markings other than Golcher on the lock and a dot capital L dot ( . L . ) on the muzzle This is the limit on photos for a post but I have more if anyone would like. Your thoughts please
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poor boy???
- Thread starter trader47
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hanshi
Cannon
In that good a shape it needs to be fired and enjoyed. From my limited knowledge/understanding I wouldn't call it a "poor boy", but what do I know.
I would agree with @hanshi . He knows stuff!
I think of a "poor boy" as a real minimalist-type rifle... No butt plate, no nosecap, no inlays, and usually fullstocked. I think what you have there is a nice, plain, Midwestern halfstock, a "squirrel rifle," from the late percussion era. If it were stouter, heavier, and had a larger bore, most people would call it a "plains rifle," although that is a term coined by collectors in the mid-twentieth century. Golcher (or Goulcher) is the name of the lockmaker. Locks like that were sold by thousands in hardware stores, and were routinely used by the gunsmiths of that period. I have no idea about the ".L." mark. So many old, handmade guns have little or nothing to go on with regard to identification of the maker.
If that rifle was recently (within the last 50-75 years or so) restocked, it was very professionally done by someone who not only had the skills, but the knowledge to build a stock of the appropriate style.
It may be worth your while to look through Curtis Johnson's books on the gunmakers of Illinois. I believe this is in two volumes. The books are pretty expensive, but you might borrow them through interlibrary loan. Mr. Johnson is the foremost authority on the muzzleloading rifles of that region.
Rifles of this type are under-appreciated, in my opinion, and under-valued. You still see nice ones up for sale and on auction sites for just a few hundred dollars. Yet, they are historically significant in their own right.
That one looks to be in pretty good shape. It won't hurt it to shoot it if appropriate loads are used, followed by proper cleaning.
Thanks for showing your rifle!
Notchy Bob
I think of a "poor boy" as a real minimalist-type rifle... No butt plate, no nosecap, no inlays, and usually fullstocked. I think what you have there is a nice, plain, Midwestern halfstock, a "squirrel rifle," from the late percussion era. If it were stouter, heavier, and had a larger bore, most people would call it a "plains rifle," although that is a term coined by collectors in the mid-twentieth century. Golcher (or Goulcher) is the name of the lockmaker. Locks like that were sold by thousands in hardware stores, and were routinely used by the gunsmiths of that period. I have no idea about the ".L." mark. So many old, handmade guns have little or nothing to go on with regard to identification of the maker.
If that rifle was recently (within the last 50-75 years or so) restocked, it was very professionally done by someone who not only had the skills, but the knowledge to build a stock of the appropriate style.
It may be worth your while to look through Curtis Johnson's books on the gunmakers of Illinois. I believe this is in two volumes. The books are pretty expensive, but you might borrow them through interlibrary loan. Mr. Johnson is the foremost authority on the muzzleloading rifles of that region.
Rifles of this type are under-appreciated, in my opinion, and under-valued. You still see nice ones up for sale and on auction sites for just a few hundred dollars. Yet, they are historically significant in their own right.
That one looks to be in pretty good shape. It won't hurt it to shoot it if appropriate loads are used, followed by proper cleaning.
Thanks for showing your rifle!
Notchy Bob
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It is in pretty good shape & I have considered shooting it, the bore is like new.
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If my memory still remembers right I did some trading with a man by the name of Johnson on a full stock Geo. Winn rifle made in Carrollton IL.. That was like 15 20 years ago, don't think I have any paperwork from that far back. Thanks for jogging the old memory, Ill start lookin
My opinion on seeing several original Pa. poor boy rifles , the gun in discussion is a typical plains rifle made with some repurposed parts. The gun industry in the Ohio River valley around Pgh. , Pa. , produced many guns looking just like this one.
It looks like a flintlock-to-percussion conversion to me.
That brass semi-circular piece at the bolster looks like a filler for the pan.
Or did somebody already mention that?
That brass semi-circular piece at the bolster looks like a filler for the pan.
Or did somebody already mention that?
Did some checking, and yes Curtis Johnson is the man I traded with. I even found his flicker page showing a full set of photos and a nice right-up on Geo. W Winn & family. I tried sending him a message through flicker but they wouldn't recognize my email. He was quite happy to get the Winn rifle from me, and since I found this one in Illinois it may also interest him. So if anyone would have his contact information and would be kind enough make contact with him and let him know that if interested I could be reached here. Thanksmuch
I agree with this being an Ohio River rifle.
