I just stumbled upon this forum. For several decades, my family has passed down a rifle, and we have family tree confirmation of a relation to Daniel Boone. The family story has always been that this rifle was once owned by Daniel Boone and has been passed down from generation to generation. Does anybody have an opinion as to the origin of this long gun?
Welcome to the forum, and thank you for showing your family's heirloom rifle!
I can't say specifically when or where your rifle was made. It does appear to have an original percussion lock, as near as I can determine from the photos. The original Daniel Boone died in 1820. We don't know for sure when the first percussion caps were brought into Missouri, but I seem to recall it was around 1826, and they didn't really catch on with the backwoodsmen until some time later. The point being that this rifle is not likely to have been owned or even handled by the famous Daniel Boone.
However, he did have a son named Daniel Morgan Boone, who died in 1839. Even that might be stretching credibility a bit, but there is no reason to believe the rifle was not owned by some of Daniel Boone's later descendants. It does look like an old rifle, and one that has been used and cared for. I think it was probably originally a fullstock that was cut back to a half-stock later in its working life. This was pretty common practice in the mid-19th century. If you look at the underside of the barrel and see old dovetail cuts that have been pounded flat, that might be one confirmation that it was originally fullstocked. Another thing is if the barrel is hand-forged, the hammer marks will probably still be visible on the bottom three flats of the octagonal barrel. The old-time gunsmiths tried to save time when they could, and there was no reason to put a nice finish where it would be covered by the stock. The lock
may have been replaced, but it looks like a very good fit in its mortise and replacements are not always so neatly fitted.
I can't tell if that is natural curl in the wood or if it is artificial striping, which was also very common back in the day. Either way, the builder wanted to turn out a nice-looking rifle. The mountings are neatly fitted, and show good workmanship. I will say that is an unusual triggerguard... I don't recall ever seeing one quite like it. The hammer may have been removed to make the gun safe around kids.
Incidentally, it would be a good idea to make sure the rifle is not loaded. Push a rod into the bore until it hits bottom, and mark it at the muzzle. Pull it out and hold it next to the barrel. The bottom end of the rod should be no more than 1/2” to 5/8" above where the tang meets the breech. If it is more than that, something is in there, and it may very well be an old charge of powder and ball. Even very old black powder can still be viable. If you think the rifle may be loaded and you are not familiar with muzzleloaders and able to unload it safely yourself, it should go to a gunsmith to be cleared.
So, I don't think it is likely that your rifle was owned by the original Daniel Boone, but it is a very nice heirloom piece and it clearly has a long history of ownership in your family. I am sure it has a story of its own to tell. There is no reason to doubt it may have been owned by some of Daniel Boone's direct descendants.
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Notchy Bob