my 1850s backlock

[babstooge]

this is my 1850s rifle made by James D. Winchell in Hillsdale Mi. It's a 45cal percussion cap with a Remmington barrel octagon to round. Furniture is walnut with brass and pewter.

 

[deerstalkert]

i am slowly falling for the back action locks and the guns using them. sure makes it svelte.
that is a fine thing to have! i wish it had been a law that every arm made had to have its bona fides secreted somewhere on it! but then the road of learning about them would be too smooth.
only wart i can see on this gun is the shiny lock bolt! perfect candidate for fire bluing!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

this is my 1850s rifle made by James D. Winchell in Hillsdale Mi. It's a 45cal percussion cap with a Remmington barrel octagon to round. Furniture is walnut with brass and pewter.

WOW so any idea where that was made? I ask as it is very similar in shape to an Allen & Thurber, BUT the Allen & Thurber was a two-piece stock with a brass receiver, that held an internal lock system where yours has the back action lock. So I wonder if your rifle influenced them?

LD

 

[babstooge]

i am slowly falling for the back action locks and the guns using them. sure makes it svelte.
that is a fine thing to have! i wish it had been a law that every arm made had to have its bona fides secreted somewhere on it! but then the road of learning about them would be too smooth.
only wart i can see on this gun is the shiny lock bolt! perfect candidate for fire bluing!

I'm in the same court deerstalkert . I like the slim lines ,however this is also a weak spot. the neck is smaller and inlet for the larger lock makes it somewhat fragile. I have shot it it's fairly accurate (5 shots in a 6" pie plate at 50yds). I haven't used much of a load 35 2f bp, what amazed me was how fast the lock speed was. Bruce

 

[babstooge]

WOW so any idea where that was made? I ask as it is very similar in shape to an Allen & Thurber, BUT the Allen & Thurber was a two-piece stock with a brass receiver, that held an internal lock system where yours has the back action lock. So I wonder if your rifle influenced them?

LD

Loyalist Dave :this rifle was made in Hillsdale mi. by James Winchell. according to tanselman he is in Jim Kelly's book gunsmiths of Michigan. One of the reasons I was for this sub forum was to see different guns from different parts of the world and how they influenced other gunsmiths. Bruce

 

[user 48679]

i am slowly falling for the back action locks and the guns using them. sure makes it svelte.

Svelte is right - I have a 20bore SxS with back action locks that handles like a dream.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Loyalist Dave :this rifle was made in Hillsdale mi. by James Winchell. according to tanselman he is in Jim Kelly's book gunsmiths of Michigan. One of the reasons I was for this sub forum was to see different guns from different parts of the world and how they influenced other gunsmiths. Bruce

Great info thanks. I'm pretty sure it's pre Allen & Thurber, so very intriguing as the lines are so close.

LD