Any idea what this is?

[2 shots]

it was president Lincoln's when he was out killing zombies!

thought he was a vampire slayer

 

[Clark Badgett]

Amen to that!

I believe there is a species of imp that I call "the Patch Demon" that lives down in the breeches of neglected muzzleloaders. You push a jag with a patch on it down there and he'll grab it, and your rod, too. I have exercised the full extent of my expressive vocabulary in trying to pull out rods that were caught that way. It may be best to use a shotgun "loop" on your rod and put a patch in that, or use an undersized jag and secure the patch to it with a thread around the narrow neck of the jag. If you feel any resistance at all pushing it in a rusty bore, it's going to be hard to pull out.

Thanks for the additional photos and comments. I'm not sure what to make of your gun. I'm sort of leaning toward a gun put together our of odd parts, but the photo in post #13 shows checkering on the wrist. I would not expect to see that on a knocked-together frontier gun. I wonder if it might have been a pretty nice gun when first built, but then later repaired by a workman less skilled than the original builder. It's an enigma, but a lot of old guns are.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

A trap many of us fall into when looking at old stuff is using a modern perspective about labor costs. In the era when this was likely cobbled together, labor was cheaper than the parts. No significant added cost to have a youth or woman worker cut in some rudimentary checkering, both were paid a good deal less than a man who didn’t make very much either.

 

[SDSmlf]

The barrel is completely filled with grease. I could only get the ramrod about 6" down the barrel!

Straighten out a wire clothes hanger and use it as a probe in the bore. It should get through to any solid obstruction and won’t tend to get stuck.

 

[dan_1]

thought he was a vampire slayer

I stand corrected. Vampires not zombies. Duh! This is why I came to the experts!

 

[Mina]

I stand corrected. Vampires not zombies. Duh! This is why I came to the experts!

York businessmen P. A. and Samuel Small victimized twice ...​

blog

https://yorkblog.com › cannonball › york-businessmen-p..

York businessmen P. A. and Samuel Small victimized twice ...​

Aug 10, 2010 — and Samuel Small victimized twice by Rebels. A modern aerial view of what was in the 19th century a grist mill owned by wealthy York, Pa.

 

[dan_1]

York businessmen P. A. and Samuel Small victimized twice ...​

View attachment 296329
blog
View attachment 296329
https://yorkblog.com › cannonball › york-businessmen-p..

York businessmen P. A. and Samuel Small victimized twice ...​

Aug 10, 2010 — and Samuel Small victimized twice by Rebels. A modern aerial view of what was in the 19th century a grist mill owned by wealthy York, Pa.

That is awesome, thanks!

 

[dan_1]

The butplate is brass, and the screws that held it on were hand cut and not really done well. The slot for the screwdriver is off center and the big screw is made on oval metal.

Is it worth running the parts through my hydrolysis tank to clean them up, or are they best left "in the rough?"

 

[Clark Badgett]

View attachment 296462View attachment 296463View attachment 296464
The butplate is brass, and the screws that held it on were hand cut and not really done well. The slot for the screwdriver is off center and the big screw is made on oval metal.

Is it worth running the parts through my hydrolysis tank to clean them up, or are they best left "in the rough?"

Leave them as they are.

 

[SDSmlf]

Is it worth running the parts through my hydrolysis tank to clean them up

NO. Leave them as you found them.

 

[54ball]

View attachment 295708

This is not a low quality gun!
It’s middling or middle quality.
Sometimes you hear these referred to “buck and ball guns.
The lock is in no way related to this piece.
It looks like it was deliberately broken by smashing the butt on the ground.
Who knows?
Maybe the guy who tried to fit that later junky lock got mad?...
I would date this gun to around the first quarter of the 19th Century......
1800 ish......give or take
This gun is a candidate for restoration by someone that knows what they are doing.

View attachment 296462View attachment 296463View attachment 296464
The butplate is brass, and the screws that held it on were hand cut and not really done well. The slot for the screwdriver is off center and the big screw is made on oval metal.

Is it worth running the parts through my hydrolysis tank to clean them up, or are they best left "in the rough?"

A very interesting gun!
This gun is a candidate for restoration by someone that actually knows what they are doing.

 

[dan_1]

I just ran a coat hanger down the barrel and it's not loaded. Also, it filled with grease all but the end 5". It's possible that the bore is clean under all that grease!

There isn't any oder From the grease. I would expect it to smell like petroleum. If it wasn't oil based you would think it would be dried and solid.

 

[dan_1]

Interesting ramrod!

 

[Clark Badgett]

This is not a low quality gun!
It’s middling or middle quality.
Sometimes you hear these referred to “buck and ball guns.
The lock is in no way related to this piece.
It looks like it was deliberately broken by smashing the butt on the ground.
Who knows?
Maybe the guy who tried to fit that later junky lock got mad?...
I would date this gun to around the first quarter of the 19th Century......
1800 ish......give or take
This gun is a candidate for restoration by someone that knows what they are doing.

A very interesting gun!
This gun is a candidate for restoration by someone that actually knows what they are doing.

I’m still leaning towards an altered French fowler. I also think the original sideplate and inlet were done away with.

 

[dan_1]

I’m still leaning towards an altered French fowler. I also think the original sideplate and inlet were done away with.

It definitely had a sideplate. The wood is much lighter where it would have been.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Interesting ramrod!
View attachment 296479

That is a tow worm. Loose fibers of tow would get twisted into the spiral arms of the worm to make a wad.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Thank you, gentlemen, for a good education.

 

[dan_1]

Thank you, gentlemen, for a good education.

Yes, I'm really enjoying the education!

 

[Sam squanch]

Junky lock?!? Does it have CVA stamped on it?

 

[azmntman]

Thats it! It's a 1984 ere CVA frontier that someone used PYRODEX in LOLOLOL. Sorry

Its cool as heck. I would clean it up and see whats left.

 

[OldRust]

@2 shots Thanks for sharing. That one really makes me drool ! Yea, I probably need help. I do not have the expertise that some folks here on the forum do to help you ID it, but I can tell you that P.A.& S. Small had a hardware store in York, PA from1830 into the 1900's. In 1860 the store was at the York City square. No doubt where your lock came from. The P.A.& S. Small percussion locks that I have are pretty respectable for quality. Not fine English locks but not bad.

Thanks,
O.R.