Retired

[oldwood]

NC........ Thanks for sharing.........Been looking at old originals 50+ years. The barrel shows the type deterioration an old iron gun barrel displays. It's a typical validation of original age , as well as the rest of the guns style in the parts used. One undeniable attribute is the trigger position in the trigger guard. When the trigger is positioned forward like this one appears , there could have been a set trigger at one time in the rifle's history. Jim Webb states in one of his books , that set triggers frequently failed , due to poor metallurgy of delicate iron parts , and single triggers replaced the set's..............oldwood

 

[Davey Boy]

A beautiful example of craftsmanship that lasts and lasts.

 

[Notchy Bob]

This thread bobbed back up to the top. so I had another look. The additional pictures are appreciated. @oldwood's comment about the iron barrel resonates. It is my understanding that wrought iron may not have the tensile strength of modern barrel steels, but but it has some other advantages (reduced harmonic vibration and barrel whip among them), and they work fine with patched round balls and appropriate charges. Old Bill Large referred to this material as "dead iron." Writer/historian Mark Sage somewhere acquired a bar of wrought iron and talked Ed Rayl (I think it was Rayl) into making a barrel of it. A rifle was then built around the barrel, and Mr. Sage shot a bear with it. The story was written up in a two-part article in Muzzleloader magazine recently. I admire Mr. Sage's inquisitive mind, and his ability and willingness to invest the necessary time and treasure into experiments like that.

The more I look at the pictures of the rifle that is the subject of this thread, the more I like the rifle, and I loved it from the beginning. I have just a few observations...

The frizzen spring is mounted backwards when compared to almost any other flintlock. That's not a criticism, as it clearly works. I wonder, though, about advantages or disadvantages of that configuration; if the lockmaker was thinking about his girlfriend or something and just goofed up, or if it was a simple experiment, or if the lockmaker was the type who just marched to a different drummer.

Another thing is the broken buttplate. Many people express concern regarding the durability of "poor boy" rifles with no buttplate, but several gunmakers on the ALR forum stated most of their repairs for broken toes were on rifles that had buttplates. It's interesting to me that the metal on this one broke, but the wood remains intact. I'm not really going anywhere with those remarks, though. They are just random thoughts and observations concerning a remarkable old rifle.

So, thanks again to the OP for showing this rifle and telling the story!

Notchy Bob

 

[Henry Miles]

I fired my recently acquired 200yr old 10ga SxS Mortimer yesterday for the 1st time. It feels good to be able to shoot something with so much age on it and so much hand crafted quality. Mine still has the original nipples in it. Still makin' smoke after 200 years!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The frizzen spring is mounted backwards when compared to almost any other flintlock. That's not a criticism, as it clearly works. I wonder, though, about advantages or disadvantages of that configuration; if the lockmaker was thinking about his girlfriend or something and just goofed up, or if it was a simple experiment, or if the lockmaker was the type who just marched to a different drummer.

Actually, I thought by looking at the lock, that it was nothing the lock maker had intended. I though that something over time had happened to the original frizzen spring, and the replacement spring that was used was found by the person doing the repair (who knows if it was the first owner or after several owners) and so found a way to make the part work, and voila, the rifle was "back in action" again, even if a tad unique.

LD

 

[Notchy Bob]

Actually, I thought by looking at the lock, that it was nothing the lock maker had intended. I though that something over time had happened to the original frizzen spring, and the replacement spring that was used was found by the person doing the repair (who knows if it was the first owner or after several owners) and so found a way to make the part work, and voila, the rifle was "back in action" again, even if a tad unique.

LD

I think @Loyalist Dave is right, in that the lock has been repaired. I think of that reinforced cock as a style that came later in the flintlock era, yet the rest of the lock, with no pan bridle and that shape of lock plate, looks early. You can see the corners of the tumbler hole in the cock, peeking out from under the screw. Eight corners for a square shank... That cock was modified to fit. It is surely a replacement, albeit an old one.

In no way am I criticizing this rifle. I just keep finding more "character" in it!

I would like to see the OP present it to the boys over on the ALR forum. This rifle would probably generate a great deal of interest, and maybe some more comments to give insight into its origins.

Notchy Bob

 

[Flinty Scot]

Notchy Bob,
In one photo of the lock, with the frizzen at full swing, it doesn't appear to bear on the spring at all. Maybe the spring was reversed to let the frizzen swing freely, and spare the flint.

 

[poker]

If the cock is at half cock in that picture, things clearly aren’t workable. Is somebody spinning a good tale or whats going on?

 

[nc12215]

I appreciate all the observations and insights. I also recognized the backwards spring. I was unable to find any answers on my searches of possible reasons or other rifles like this.
I assure you, it IS workable. Maybe
it shouldn't be but it is.
I am curious whether the muzzle rifling configure appears "jaeger-esk, or jaeger-ish" to anyone else?

 

[Notchy Bob]

I appreciate all the observations and insights. I also recognized the backwards spring. I was unable to find any answers on my searches of possible reasons or other rifles like this.
I assure you, it IS workable. Maybe
it shouldn't be but it is.
I am curious whether the muzzle rifling configure appears "jaeger-esk, or jaeger-ish" to anyone else?

Thanks for showing this interesting rifle, and for taking the trouble to display the detailed photographs! I have no doubt the rifle is functional... The deer could attest to that!

If you find any more about it, who made it, where it as built, why the feather spring is backward... It would be great if you would let us know.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob