Identifying orig. smoothie!

[PreglerD]

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w114/Kirrmeister/Longgunright.jpg


Here you can see my orig. smoothie. It is obviously a conversion from flint to cap.It has a smoothbore, which was perhaps a barrel withgrooves, but through the years shoot out.The lock is not very good replaced.
Do you think a reconverson with a replica flint lock will be possible?

 

[PreglerD]

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w114/Kirrmeister/Lockpart.jpg

Here is a closer pic from the lock.

 

[Dave K]

Yes, it certainly could be fitted with a properly fitting lock. It may take some welding of the plate, to make it the correct size, but I have done it.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Do you think a reconverson with a replica flint lock will be possible?

Anything is possible, all you have to do is find a lock that comes near fitting the mortice.

 

[PreglerD]

And how can I do this? I need a gunsmith who has several different lock plates in store, or I'll send a papercard formed like the lock plate, and marked where the wholes are to a expirienced gunsmith. Further more the drum must mounted away.

 

[Cpl.Parker]

Track of the Wolf's catalogue has full size lock photos. You may be able to trace the outline of your lock recess and compare to one of Tracks. Nice fowler, good luck.

K

 

[PreglerD]

So you think it is a fowler? could you say which era, before or after the Rev.War?

 

[Wehrmacht]

Dirk,

When you say "Original", do you mean original from the late 1700's-early 1800'? Or do you mean the original piece that you bought? It sounds like you mean an original 200+ year old smoothbore!

 

[PreglerD]

I don't know how original the piece on the pic is. The man from Hermann Historica told me the gun was converted in the 1820, but I think it is a bit older, so from the style of the stock I think short after Rev.War.

 

[Wehrmacht]

Herrman Historica is in Munich, so aparently you found the piece there in Deutschland.

Please tell us what you know about it. Any builders name on the barrel? Do you think it originated there or was it imported? Anything to indicate the source? Is it possible that this may be something brought back to Deutschland by a Hessin returning from the RevWar?

 

[bioprof]

Others more knowledgeable than myself should probably follow up on this, but to me, the shape of the stock is reminiscent of a Bedford longrifle. Bedford rifles usually had a very long and narrow lock plate, but I can't really tell with the replacement lock in there.

 

[bioprof]

Most Bedford rifles were made after about 1820 (if that's what it is).

 

[PreglerD]

I don't know more as I have told you.There are no signs at the barrel at all, nothing. Only the replacement percussion lock has some easy engravings, but it don't really belong to the gun. Herrmann Historica offered it as a gun from the USA, converted about 1820. So it must be a bit older and a flinter before, because it is an easy drumm and nipple conversion. I have meanwhile replaced the drumm. Now I need a gunsmith who is able to mount a venthole screw and a flint lock that fits.

 

[romeoh]

:hmm:
As far as I can see it has no buttplate.
So it maybe started it´s life as a farmers barn rifle (schimmel rifle).

 

[PreglerD]

Hi romeoh,

sure. I think it was something like a poorboy fowler. Because it shoots both with ball and shot very good. PRB at 30 meters 1'' with three shots, at 50 meters even 2,5'' with 3 shots. Using 2,5mm shot it is possible to make good hits at 25 mm, enough for doves, ducks and "Nussgackl"(Eichelhäher).

 

[Wehrmacht]

I would lean toward this opinion also. The trigger guard doesn't look like what we have on most Southern rifles, and there is no grease hole in the stock so I would probably rule out any Southern connection.

Kirrmeister: I have emailed this Thread Topic to a close friend and excellent gunbuilder, David Dodds of Selinsgrove,Pennsylvania, and asked him for an opinion on how to reconvert it to flintlock. My thinking is that if Jim Chambers had an exact drawing with measurements he could probably select a lock that closely fits it in size and time period. I'll pass on what ever thoughts Dave Dodds has.

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Forster,

I have already measured the lock plate. It is 5.31'' long and 1'' bright. The down side is a line or straight if you know what I mean. I checked out the DGW catalog and find that a Chambers lock will fit very well, it is the Germanic Golden Age flintlock from J.Chambers. Certainly the plate must be filed at some points, but a good gunsmith can do that. Further more I would need a ventscrew.

Until now thanks for your labor.

Kirrmeister

 

[Stophel]

The gun looks decidedly modern. If it's old at all, I'd say mid 19th century. :winking:

 

[Todd Rickard]

I haven't seen too many original (pre 1820) guns in this condition. I may be wrong, but I think it looks like one of the rifles built in the 1950-'60's. I'm thinking it is built from an old barrel and has a newly built stock. A gun that gets carried and used daily just dosn't look like that a few hundred years later.

 

[Shelby Skinner]

Probably the easiest conversion to flint will be with one of the Chamber's gunmakers locks. They come assembled but the lockplate is a big oversize square of steel that can be cut out to match virtually any lock mortise.

But I'm with the others here...that gun doesn't seem to have any original traits associated with it. Nothing is right or correct for any style of gunmaking I've ever seen. For one the buttstock is WAY too long...