Another percussion smoothbore from the accumalation

[gspragge]

I'm not at all sure what I have this time, though it seems rather British. The finish is poor and a name
on top of the barrel is not legible. The makers name on the lock is better. I'm hoping that
someone knows it. Any information is welcome. The lock rather suggests a flint conversion ?

 

[Grenadier1758]

That lock was never a flint lock. Nice looking half stock gun. Are you sure it's a smooth bored gun? Unusual to see a full octagon smooth bored gun

 

[2 shots]

nice

 

[gspragge]

That lock was never a flint lock. Nice looking half stock gun. Are you sure it's a smooth bored gun? Unusual to see a full octagon smooth bored gun

I agree, it is smooth, none felt and no rifling seen with a scope.

 

[Sam squanch]

I think it was a flintlock.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There's no indication that the lock plate was drilled for a feather spring for the frizzen nor indications of a pan removal. The lock plate is nicely fit to the stock with no indication of stock alteration for a replacement or conversion from flint to percussion. I was surprised to see that it was smoothbored full octagon barrel with no rifle sights if it was to be a smooth rifle.

 

[gspragge]

Here is the lock -

 

[Sam squanch]

Holes can be filled in. The area the drum sets in is kind of open and not well fitted. That was a quality gun when new, kind of sloppy work for a master if it was built as a percussion. And if you look very close, there are some holes around the frizzen spring area that were filled. Just my opinion.

 

[gspragge]

Here is the lockplate - I think this hole is filled as it makes no sense looking at the reverse.
I think the gunmaker is Alexander R Thomson Edinborough. 1820 - 1889s so his period
is correct. Wether he converted this or not at least the hammer decortion matches. The
abused condition I think takes away from the quality in either state.

 

[longcruise]

That lock was never a flint lock. Nice looking half stock gun. Are you sure it's a smooth bored gun? Unusual to see a full octagon smooth bored gun

RCA vol 1 has quite a few. Generally referred to as smooth rifles. They typically were octagon and with sights.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Sam squanch, you bring up some good observations about the fit of the drum to the plate. Then too, there is the fence that could be left over from the pan. There is also that one filled hole. Can't tell much from the inside of the lock with the mainspring blocking view of the where that hole would have been filled. I'm still looking for the other hole in the lock plate for the locating pin for the frizzen spring or the filled hole for the frizzen. The inside of the lock plate may have a hole for the frizzen bolt.

@gspragge, I would like to see the other side of the stock to see how many lock bolts (lock nails) were used. It appears to only have one lock bolt which would be the usual configuration for a percussion lock. What is also interesting is that the hammer engraving is consistent with the engraving on the lock plate. I wonder if the hammer is designed to stop on the lock plate.

Based on the notes supplied for Alexander Thompson, he would have been building this shotgun during the percussion era.

This is an L&R Manton lock converted from flint to percussion. There are filled holes for the frizzen bolt and two filled holes for the frizzen spring. This also only uses one lock nail.

 

[gspragge]

Here it is, one hole. Perhaps an unused flint lockplate (if there are filled holes)
applied to percussion in the shop. But now the only bothersome thing is the missing
ramrod tube. Over all it's cleaning up and will at least be presentable.

 

[MSW]

Nice!

 

[gspragge]

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding the missing ramrod tube ?

 

[Grenadier1758]

That ramrod thimble appears to be a simple metal tube. @gspragge ought to be able find something close at Track of the Wolf or Muzzleloader's Builders Supply. Measure the diameter of the one still attached to the under rib and match it to one offered.

 

[gspragge]

Thankyou, I have contacted both so something ought to work out.
I have the poor old thing looking presentable now. Next a decent
ramrod ~

 

[flconch53]

That lock was never a flint lock. Nice looking half stock gun. Are you sure it's a smooth bored gun? Unusual to see a full octagon smooth bored gun

Rifle that was bored out perhaps

 

[Grenadier1758]

That's a possibility @flconch53. But then where is the remnants of sight placement?

 

[Clark Badgett]

The lock was originally flint.

 

[gspragge]

Here is an image showing where the sight was. I went online and searched "antique smooth rifle"
and that led me to a fine discusion on this site discussing these. It seems that they were not uncommon.
Discussed of course are American examples and mine is Scotch made. It is definately smooth all the way,
had it been rifled and then bored smooth I don't know how one could tell, but I doubt that happened to this one.
The smith who's name is on the lock plate was active 1820 - 1880, so he worked with flint, percussion and cartridge and the transitions of each. If this had been flint, it wasn't such for very long at all if it was converted. The stock is very
like the British military percussion types in style, quite unlike my long barreled American example. But I'm by no means at all expert in these.