Brass Barreled long rifle

[hopping]

Is anyone aware of who was making brass barreled long rifles in mid-1800s. I am researching a graceful hand made long rifle from about 1845 to 1850. The barrel is 43 ½ inches, about 36 caliber, rifled, five groves, tapered. The lock is quite unique inside and quality hand made reminiscent of a blacksmith's work. The Stock is curly maple with coin silver eight point star on the cheek piece. The stock design is also somewhat unique. The barrel seems to be hand forged with minor flaws. It is in the shop for preservation.

 

[kje54]

Is anyone aware of who was making brass barreled long rifles in mid-1800s. I am researching a graceful hand made long rifle from about 1845 to 1850. The barrel is 43 ½ inches, about 36 caliber, rifled, five groves, tapered. The lock is quite unique inside and quality hand made reminiscent of a blacksmith's work. The Stock is curly maple with coin silver eight point star on the cheek piece. The stock design is also somewhat unique. The barrel seems to be hand forged with minor flaws. It is in the shop for preservation.

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There is a brass barreled flintlock that is a copy of the only one known to exist in America (up until now) that is believed to have been manufactured in Bethlehem, PA or in one of the Moravian shops in Western NC.

Brass barrel rifle Bethlehem

 

[user 48679]

That's some steep drop to that buttstock - makes me remember the upright stance of shooters back then.

 

[hopping]

There is a brass barreled flintlock that is a copy of the only one known to exist in America (up until now) that is believed to have been manufactured in Bethlehem, PA or in one of the Moravian shops in Western NC.

Brass barrel rifle Bethlehem

I am aware of that one. I have seen many brass barreled pistols and blunderbusses and even a fowler but none that are full length octagonal. It must have been quite a challenge to forge.

 

[hopping]

That's some steep drop to that buttstock - makes me remember the upright stance of shooters back then.

I've seen some examples of that kind of buttstock from the Moravian Gunsmiths.

 

[Shreckmeister]

There is nothing remotely Moravian about that stock profile

 

[Tanselman]

There are several known brass barreled rifles. I previously owned one that was full-stocked in curly maple, less drop than this one, but had somewhat similar forestock wedge inlays with the small acorns at either end. My rifle was a late flint gun converted to percussion ca. 1825. These barrels were generally cast... you can't forge brass... and usually cast in two pieces with a very fine, almost invisible, joint line about mid-point on the barrel. I think the two pieces were threaded together to form the joint. Brass barrels dinged and dented easier than iron barrels, so I an speculating that what appears to be forge marks are really dings in the brass. Historically brass barrels were more common in naval arms, or thought made for use near the sea with salt water. I thought my rifle may have been Virginia in origin, but no one who saw it could agree... and it was unsigned as this one is. This particular rifle, despite its excessive drop in the butt, appears closest to North Carolina guns in stock profile in my opinion. Shelby Gallien