Identify a barrel maker's mark

[bamamarine]

I picked up a blunderbuss to fix from a guy yesterday. It's not real well made and I don't think I can make it pretty. About the best I can do without a complete re-build is make it functional. I'm being more critical than I should be. It was built back in the late 1960's-very early 1970's. There wasn't much help out there for builders like there is now so who ever built it was working from his own impressions.

Anyway, I'd like to be able to tell the guy who owns it a little more about it. The barrel has a maker's mark and proof. It looks like an oval with and E over LG over a star. Then 240. Does anyone know who the barrel maker was? Is the barrel worth doing something more with? Any info will be helpful. Thanks.

I have a couple of pictures but posting them is kicking my butt. If you think you can help either identify the maker or post the pictures I can e-mail them.

Mike

 

[54ball]

Please post photos...

It's possible that this may be some non firing replica of which some were rather crude and or a pipe bomb if you ever managed to light it off.

 

[drwatson1873]

The "E over LG over a star" marking in an oval suggests strongly a Belgian proofmark. Are there any additional markings besides the "240"? Given the estimated construction date, that could be a reproduction barrel from that time, or could be a much older barrel used for the build. Photos would be very helpful in identifying possible period of manufacture and/or maker.

 

[Wes/Tex]

What you describe is a Liege proof mark. During that time, a lot of the muzzleloading guns were made in the firearms industrial complex around Liege, Belgium. Some were good, some better, some about on the level of some lesser makers. The only blunderbuss kit I recall was the steel barreled version that came in through Intercontinental Arms, or perhaps Stoeger...don't recall for sure, but do remember the guns. I had a 'store bought' one that would tear up a lot of stuff when the barrel was chocked full of empty .22LR cases I picked up around the range! Extremely fun to play with!

 

[Woodyrock]

In the late sixties, Dixie offered a blunderbuss kit, and they had piles of old flintlocks. So, you could substitute the kit lock. Offhand, I think the barrels were Belgian. I must have built over 30 of them, all the same,working from photographs of a museum piece. I took the photos, and did handle to original one. I stamped all the barrels on the top (Woody). I was in the Navy, and sold them as fast as I could get them done. At the time, I thought the workmanship was pretty good...hopefully my stamp is not on yours. BTW, they were just plain fun to shoot! You should see what a box of carpet tacks does at close range.
Woody

 

[hawkeye2]

If I remember correctly which I sometimes don't the Dixie parts, at least the hardware, were made in India. They had the engraved side plates and trigger guards available long after the rest of the parts sold out. CVA imported a brass barreled blunderbuss in the 70's. I believe it was made in Spain and may have been briefly imported by some others.

 

[bamamarine]

Ok, so it sounds like I can tell the owner that it is shootable and not just a wall hanger. Since it was propping up a garage door when he bought it he already knows it's not worth much.

There are no other marks on it so it's not something Woody threw together. It really looks like things were inlet with a screwdriver. Who ever put the trigger in put it about a half inch too far back to the the trigger pull is in the 50-60 pound range. I may have been spoiled with the locks I'm getting from Jim Chambers. This one NEEDS to be tuned.

Since you all know about these kits, what was the stock made out of? It looks like clear maple but it's soft and works as easy as pine. It looks like it was finished with a router so I'm taking the tooling marks out.

Mike

 

[hawkeye2]

"about these kits" It sounds like it was assembled out of parts rather than having been a kit. Even an El Cheapo kit probably would have come out much better than you describe. Maybe Bubba used the left over end of a 2X8 for a stock blank. I'll have to give him credit for using a straight screwdriver rather than a Philips to inlet it. :grin:

 

[54ball]

Looks to be a legit shooting grade barrel, maybe from Dixie as mentioned....

 

[matt denison]

"...... make it functional"

That looks like a fine barrel. Do that.

 

[Wes/Tex]

That looks like the barrel used on the one I had. Finally found it listed in an old 1969 book They were imported by Sig Shore's 'Centennial Arms' gang back in the early/mid 1960's and called a "Coach Blunderbuss". They had polished barrel and a dark stock. I remembered it as short and old list gives an over-all length of 27 & 1/2 inches...sounds about right. Short, sweet and a real blast to shoot(pun intended!).

I'd say you should tell him to fit it to a stock with a good lock and go into the "stand & deliver" business! :wink: :rotf: