Very recent pick up

[griffiga]

I've always like the looks of the Harpers Ferry 1803 rifle. I had one once before but the lock/frizzen didn't seem to spark too well. I ended up selling it some 10-15 years ago. Recently I found a guy on a local gun selling site. He was asking $500 but we settled on $425. He told me it belonged to his dad who worked as a wholesale manager for Val Forgett of Navy Arms back in the 1970's and 80"s. He supposedly picked it up when Val decided to put some of his personnel collection on consignment. This particular rifle had the lock re-worked and tuned. It actually sparks as good or better than any of my other flintlocks, and it is very smooth. I doubt what he told me can be validated, but it does make a good story.

 

[griffiga]

I forgot to mention, in looking up the manufacture date, indicated by the two letter is the square box (AA), it was made in 1975 - the year I graduated from High School. I may decided to strip down the stock and throw a little Aqua Fortis on it to darken it up a bit.

 

[Jaeger]

Good-looking gun....well worth that price. What caliber?

 

[griffiga]

Good-looking gun....well worth that price. What caliber?

It's a .58.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The Harper's Ferry should have a walnut stock. I doubt that aqua fortis will do much for you.

 

[TreeMan]

I forgot to mention, in looking up the manufacture date, indicated by the two letter is the square box (AA), it was made in 1975 - the year I graduated from High School. I may decided to strip down the stock and throw a little Aqua Fortis on it to darken it up a bit.

Fiebrings alcohol based leather dye will work wonders on that stock after stripping it of its finish. Keep adding coats until it gets to your shade of darkness then finish it up with some BLO.

 

[oreclan]

I forgot to mention, in looking up the manufacture date, indicated by the two letter is the square box (AA), it was made in 1975 - the year I graduated from High School. I may decided to strip down the stock and throw a little Aqua Fortis on it to darken it up a bit.

I believe it was 1976 that my Dad and his mill working buddies bought 10 Navy Arms Harpers Ferry 1803 rifles for $110 each!. We used them in the first Pennsylvania muzzleloading deer season. That season the game wardens did not even want to check our muzzleloaders, because they said they knew nothing about them. I still have my Dad's rifle.

 

[Pete G]

That season the game wardens did not even want to check our muzzleloaders, because they said they knew nothing about them.

I never heard of a game warden that would admit the not knowing everything