Help in Identifying a Percussion?

[Mad L]

This was brought into a local Antique Shop. No marks on the barrel, unless under it (have not attempted to remove).
It is Very Heavy for a stout half stock rifle of small caliber (I am guessing maybe 36cal - 40cal?) Barrel appears rifled but I have no light with me.
The markings on the Lock are only barely visible; Appears to be two Pheasants running and to the left I can only make out "H R" but not what it before that, then some floral designing. The lock does not look like any of the current factory made locks I have seen of late....but then I don't really look much at percussion (I prefer flint)
It is a Double Set Trigger; currently the hammer can not find "half cock" and when at full cock will not fire unless I 'set' it first (clearly old and ill cared fore)
The ramrod appears recently replaced and the front end Thimble has clearly been replaced not long ago.

Any Ideas of the Lock's origin and overall any guesses as to how old? I am guessing at this point it may be come home made rifle as there is not stamps on the barrel (unless underneath it, which I have been told could date it back quite a ways??)

 

[Mad L]

A couple more views

 

[dragnetbill]

This was brought into a local Antique Shop. No marks on the barrel, unless under it (have not attempted to remove).
It is Very Heavy for a stout half stock rifle of small caliber (I am guessing maybe 36cal - 40cal?) Barrel appears rifled but I have no light with me.
The markings on the Lock are only barely visible; Appears to be two Pheasants running and to the left I can only make out "H R" but not what it before that, then some floral designing. The lock does not look like any of the current factory made locks I have seen of late....but then I don't really look much at percussion (I prefer flint)
It is a Double Set Trigger; currently the hammer can not find "half cock" and when at full cock will not fire unless I 'set' it first (clearly old and ill cared fore)
The ramrod appears recently replaced and the front end Thimble has clearly been replaced not long ago.

Any Ideas of the Lock's origin and overall any guesses as to how old? I am guessing at this point it may be come home made rifle as there is not stamps on the barrel (unless underneath it, which I have been told could date it back quite a ways??)

I'M NOT AN EXPERT.........but, me thinks that the name on the lock is probably GLOCHER.

 

[TFoley]

GoLcher.

A couple of full-length pics - one of each side, would be good, too. In good light with no intrusive backgrounds, please.

 

[Mad L]

GoLcher.

A couple of full-length pics - one of each side, would be good, too. In good light with no intrusive backgrounds, please.

That may take a few days, but I will go back up see about getting them for you. I think they are closed Monday, maybe even Tuesday

 

[Tanselman]

The lock appears to be a commercial "Golcher" back-action lock. Based on the style of trigger guard, the rifle probably dates to the mid-1850s.
Shelby Gallien

 

[Zonie]

The "back-action" lock on this gun was popular starting in the 1840's.
The stripes on the wood appear to be painted on by a professional. The evenness and spacing don't look like something done by an amateur.

I'm not saying the gun was made by the Henry Leman company but that is one of the common characteristics of the guns he sold to the public.
Although most of his guns used a normal lock I believe a few of them used a back-action lock like this gun has.

If it was built by the H. Leman company, I would expect to see some marking on the gun indicating this.

 

[Mad L]

If it was built by the H. Leman company, I would expect to see some marking on the gun indicating this.

I will be going back up the hill on Wednesday and will get a better look and photos.
I was actually there for a memorial when I spotted it ..... but now I am curious

 

[mooman76]

White chalk would help the engravings stand out.

 

[JCKelly]

I'M NOT AN EXPERT.........but, me thinks that the name on the lock is probably GLOCHER.

GOLCHER, a common percussion lock

 

[NorthFork]

I think Golcher for the lock. Late 1850's to 1870's. Fantastic find! Thanks for sharing !

 

[Mad L]

From what I have been reading; James Golcher (took on partner forming "Eagle Gun Company) and Joseph Golcher did Not work together? Am I correct about this?

Browsing various items currently on auction and in private collections; I have not seen any with James, JAs, or the "Eagle Gun Company" that bears the two Pheasants as on this one.
I did however come across a few that had 'Joseph Golcher's signature and did have this exact image .... could this be a sign that this is from Joseph's work, or have i just not looked hard enough?

I will be going back up the hill tomorrow and try to get some more photos (dont know if he will let me pull the barrel but I will take some tools)

 

[rich pierce]

There were Golchers and Goulchers in England and America. Birmingham and Belgium had no reluctance in using any gunsmith or factory name on their locks. The presence of Goulcher or Golcher on a lockplate doesn’t help establish much on a gun besides timeframe. As noted, you have a common mid to late 1800s percussion rifle. As parts of the sort like on this one were available from coast to coast by this time and there were thousands of gunsmiths moving around building percussion rifles, it’s hard to pin these guns down unless they are highly distinctive or signed.

 

[Mad L]

Thank you all for the response and information. I did get back up the hill however he would not allow me to pull the barrel.
But for the other photos requested, he is what I got using a real camera. Sorry for backing but it was all I could do as it was snowing outside.
I do notice the front sight appears to have been replace as well as the front thimble. Also from all the Golcher locks I have seen I might conclude the Hammer has well is not original? All I have seen have the floral pattern on the Hammer, this one does not.

 

[user 48679]

The front sight may or may not have been replaced, as many owners (after zeroing) secured the sights from moving under hard knocks via peening them in place until there was an interfering fit.

 

[Mad L]

secured the sights from moving under hard knocks via peening them in place until there was an interfering fit.

"Peening"
Does that not mean 'pins'?
This sight looks as if it was welded in place, it looks near identical to the job a gunsmith did for me on a Remington revolver which had the front sight broken off when I got it...

 

[hawkeye2]

Peening means using a punch or other object to displace metal and tighten a joint. That sight has had some serious amateur peening.

 

[mooman76]

I guess they wanted to make sure that sight Never moved again.

 

[user 48679]

IMO, it's a chunk gun - which was once a popular sport at shooter's gatherings.

As fellow board member Grenadier 1758 posted 4 years ago:

Chunk gun use:

A target, generally a slat of wood situated 60yds out, is darkened with an X scratched on the face.

The object is to put your ball on the target closest to the Intersection of the two lines.

The gun is fired from the prone position.

The Rifle is rested on a "chunk" of wood.

 

[Grenadier1758]

That rifle has a lot of the indications that it is a rifle used for chunk, over-the-log or table matches. Heavy barrel, small caliber, no half cock as that was not needed for that style of target shooting shooting, Set trigger and very solidly peened sights. With such rifles, it was not so important who made it, but who was shooting it.

Since the rifle was shot using a sighter target on the plank with the inscribed X. Not so important as to where the ball was striking the sighter target. What was important was how tight was the group. The course of the match was to shoot three times at the sighter target to establish a group. The center of the group on the sighter target is placed over the X on the scoring target. The score is calculated from the center of the ball to the crossing of the X. Individual matches are scored for each target. There may be a overall winner for the "shortest string" or the smallest sum of all the measurements of the ball center to the crossing of the X.

With respect to such a Chunk gun, it was important to be there when the original owner's eyesight worsened up so that moving the sights down the barrel weren't working or if he only had daughters, being there when the daughter came of marrying age as those rifles weren't sold but inherited.