Millford_P
36 Cl.
Here's a M1861 Springfield that was sporterized into a shotgun sometime post war.
The stock was trimmed down, with a small piece of walnut added to the bottom of the barrel to support the rammer - which I assume would have also been wood, considering the large size of the ramrod pipes. It looks like the gunsmith reused a rear entry pipe from a much older fowler, likely from the early 19th century. Interestingly, he also used a shotgun style key to hold the barrel on, as opposed to the existing lower barrel band. It's developed a very nice dark chocolate colored patina over time, not a bit of blueing on it despite the nearly black barrel!
I remember that man I bought it from had mentioned that his father had just kept it hanging on the wall for the better part of 75 years. I'd like to imagine that the solder who brought this home from the war was himself the one who hunted fowl with it in his later years, but I suppose one will never know!
The stock was trimmed down, with a small piece of walnut added to the bottom of the barrel to support the rammer - which I assume would have also been wood, considering the large size of the ramrod pipes. It looks like the gunsmith reused a rear entry pipe from a much older fowler, likely from the early 19th century. Interestingly, he also used a shotgun style key to hold the barrel on, as opposed to the existing lower barrel band. It's developed a very nice dark chocolate colored patina over time, not a bit of blueing on it despite the nearly black barrel!
I remember that man I bought it from had mentioned that his father had just kept it hanging on the wall for the better part of 75 years. I'd like to imagine that the solder who brought this home from the war was himself the one who hunted fowl with it in his later years, but I suppose one will never know!
