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Firearms ID - few markings

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robrob91

robrob91

Pilgrim
Joined
Mar 25, 2024
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Location
Missoula, Montana
Hi,

I recently inherited two muzzleloaders here in Missoula, Montana that appear to be pre-1865 and am trying to identify for possible future use. Both have 40 inch barrels and are 56 inch overall length. Both have non-rifled barrels and percussion cap locks. I have scoured the guns for any engravings, stamps or other markings and haven't found anything. There are few identifying features otherwise, besides some minor differences between the two firearms, as listed below. I have attached photos of each.

Firearm 1: Has a 9/16" end barrel diameter and what appear to be six letter/numbers etched on the stock. 1 barrel band.
Firearm 2: Has a 1/2" end barrel diameter and hand engraved design on the lock. 2 barrel bands on this gun.

Thanks! Rob
 

Attachments

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  • gun 1 overrall.jpg
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  • gun 2 engraving.jpg
    gun 2 engraving.jpg
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  • gun 2 lock.cap.jpg
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  • gun 2 lock.jpg
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  • gun 2 overral.jpg
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Those are monkey guns from Southeast Asia. Probably a Vietnam era bring back. Didn’t use a regular percussion cap, a paper cap was stuck in the hammer nose to set it off.
 
Those are some intriguing pieces you’ve got there! I wanted to chime in because I’ve been exploring historical firearms as well. I once came across a similar situation with some older rifles and found that sometimes the lack of markings can be common in pre-1865 firearms, especially if they were made by smaller, less-known manufacturers.
 
Mawaylixx said:
Those are some intriguing pieces you’ve got there! I wanted to chime in because I’ve been exploring historical firearms as well. I once came across a similar situation with some older rifles and found that sometimes the lack of markings can be common in pre-1865 firearms, especially if they were made by smaller, less-known manufacturers.
Click to expand...
I For what it's worth, I’ve recently been looking into binary triggers for various firearms, including binary trigger ar15. While it’s a different topic, I find that understanding modern trigger mechanisms has given me a better appreciation for the evolution of firearms technology. If you’re interested, a high-quality binary trigger might offer an interesting contrast to the simplicity of these historic muzzleloaders.
 
Mawaylixx said:
I For what it's worth, I’ve recently been looking into binary triggers for various firearms, including binary trigger ar15. While it’s a different topic, I find that understanding modern trigger mechanisms has given me a better appreciation for the evolution of firearms technology. If you’re interested, a high-quality binary trigger might offer an interesting contrast to the simplicity of these historic muzzleloaders.
Click to expand...
Go away, agent smith. And tell Joe and Kamala I said hi….and while you’re at it, go investigate some real crime!
 

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