OldSchoolAntiques
32 Cal
My first post, so please forgive any mistakes, but I'd appreciate some help regarding a Kentucky or Pennsylvania "Long Rifle" with a Double Set Trigger. I'll begin by saying that it does not belong to me, but I've been sent a generous array of photos from the owner which may help. I'm in the UK, and my personal collection is limited to a pair of c1860 "Tower" percussion muskets and a Martini-action .303 cavalry rifle c1890, so a Long Rifle is not something I've come across before.
Aside from the photos, I can only add what information I have discovered for myself, some of which may not be correct. The overall length of the rifle is around 61 inches, with the barrel roughly 45 inches. It has the typical octagonal, small bore barrel (probably somewhere between .45 and .50 inch) which has been 'blued' and, I assume, rifled. It is currently fitted with a caplock percussion mechanism, but is this original? Given the length of the barrel, could this be an older rifle that has been "modernised" at some time, replacing an earlier flintlock mechanism? There are certainly signs of work around the barrel, where the percussion cap is fitted, and damage to the fore-stock that might suggest so.
The stock itself appears, in some areas, to be in much better condition than the rest of the rifle. Could this have been replaced? The brasswork certainly seems to be largely unmarked, which seems unlikely for a rifle which otherwise appears to be at least c1850, if not older. There is no patchbox - is that normal?
There are some marks on the metalwork, including what looks to be a shield-shaped emblem on the trigger guard. The vestiges of some engraving is just discernible on the lockplate, including what might be a standing figure, together with some foliate engraving (or possibly a monogram?) to the rear of the cockscrew. There is a simple pinstripe border. Towards the front of the plate is some more indistinguishable engraving which may be purely decorative. The name "John Simpson" is engraved into a rectangular brass plate, inset into the top of the barrel.
Any thoughts or advice on how old his might be, how original, and perhaps where it was made ... will be most welcome.
Aside from the photos, I can only add what information I have discovered for myself, some of which may not be correct. The overall length of the rifle is around 61 inches, with the barrel roughly 45 inches. It has the typical octagonal, small bore barrel (probably somewhere between .45 and .50 inch) which has been 'blued' and, I assume, rifled. It is currently fitted with a caplock percussion mechanism, but is this original? Given the length of the barrel, could this be an older rifle that has been "modernised" at some time, replacing an earlier flintlock mechanism? There are certainly signs of work around the barrel, where the percussion cap is fitted, and damage to the fore-stock that might suggest so.
The stock itself appears, in some areas, to be in much better condition than the rest of the rifle. Could this have been replaced? The brasswork certainly seems to be largely unmarked, which seems unlikely for a rifle which otherwise appears to be at least c1850, if not older. There is no patchbox - is that normal?
There are some marks on the metalwork, including what looks to be a shield-shaped emblem on the trigger guard. The vestiges of some engraving is just discernible on the lockplate, including what might be a standing figure, together with some foliate engraving (or possibly a monogram?) to the rear of the cockscrew. There is a simple pinstripe border. Towards the front of the plate is some more indistinguishable engraving which may be purely decorative. The name "John Simpson" is engraved into a rectangular brass plate, inset into the top of the barrel.
Any thoughts or advice on how old his might be, how original, and perhaps where it was made ... will be most welcome.
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