need held in rifle I.D.

[breech]

Hi fellers,After years of searchin and going through alot of 32 cal rifles I come to the decision to spend some money and buy as nice a lancaster squirrel rifle as I could manage.I come accross this rifle which has no makers name on it.It is 32 cal,has a really nice tiger stripe maple stock,36 inch barrel.It has a 4 piece brass very large patchbox and 3 inlays for the barrel pins.The stock has raised engraving behind the cheakpiece which isnt wedge shaped like most but is kind of a monte carlo style.The gun is fully engraved as in every piece of brass and lock even the tang is heavily engraved.I am guessing it is 25 to 30 yrs old and the only marks I can find is on the inside of the lockplate.The markings are(MHA) also has the #5 above it.THe gun lookes to be fired very little and I gave,GULP,925.00 for it.This is the most I have ever spent on any gun but this one just has that realism that Ive never seen before.I have looked at track of the wolfs kits for years just dreamin but it would cost me 800.00 just to buy a kit I could mabey put together.So I know I dont have much to go on but I figure one of you guys might have a clue about this rifles maker or if not who made the lock and when could give me an idea about how old it really is as I am just guesin,thanks.O ya,The really hard ? Did I pay to much.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Are there any proof marks on the barrel? When you remove the lock, is there anything stamped on the plate? A photo or two would help immensely. The cheek piece is probably a beavertail design, such as late Hawkens had. The carving on the stock is a good sign.
As to your last question, it is difficult to say whether you paid too much. You may have or you may have stolen the rifle at that price. It all depends on the quality of the workmanship and who built it. If it was made in Spain or Italy or Japan, it probably wasnt a good deal. If it was made here and the engraving is hand engraving, you did quite well.

 

[breech]

Hi,the markings inside the plate are MHA and the number 5 above it.It is definately not a spanish or italain made but is a custom.The engraving is all by hand.I have owned alot of the forien stough in the past and this is not in that catagory but shure would like to know somethin bout it.

 

[breech]

Hi,I cant find any markings on the barrel but it is not brown or blue but the steel is kind of a charcoal grey and it has double set triggers.The front one is straight and the reart is curved.The triggers only work in the set mode.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If it goes off every time you pull the trigger and is accurate enough to hit squirrels at the ranges you shoot it is well worth the investment. If you liked the looks enough to plunk $925.00 on a gun, it must appeal to you.

Nothing else matters.

Sounds like a winner from your description. "MHA" = Mike Avance? Couldn't find any other riflesmiths with the initials "MA" on the CLA site, but there are thousands of semi-pro and hobby builders who produce fine rifles.

The amount of engraving certainly makes it sound like a premium rifle.

Pictures! Need pictures!

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

If it was an Italian or other overseas product, there would likely be proof marks and lovely anti-litigation grafitti such as "Black Powder Only" stamped into the barrel. Only custom guns escape such defacement.
It sounds to me like you got a very good deal. As Stumpy says, if you like it and it is accurate, you did good. Of course, if you are curious about its maker or its value, you could have it appraised by an expert. But first you should post pictures of it here. We may not be able to tell you much about it--it's just that we all enjoy looking at photos of nice guns.

 

[breech]

Thanks everybody,I dont have a digital camera or I shure enough would put some pictures of it out.All I can really say is the rifle is exactly what one would expect to see if transported back in time to say 1840.I found this gun through a man at a flea market that sells guns.He give me a number to a man who had inherited it.He tells me it was a custom made gun but doesnt know who made it.I tried every way not to buy it as he wanted 1250.00 for it.There is a feller here that sells pedersoli rifles and he has a frontier deluxe in maple that he was askin 999.00 for, but this rifle just totaly outclassed it.It wasnt just the engraving either.There is just somethin about handmade, that old time perfection is all over this rifle which is why I was sure somebody might make somethin of those initials or whatever they are in the lock,thanks again.

 

[walruskid1]

good for you, if you like the look and are happy with it, thats all that matters. if it shoots good thats icing on the cake.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

As the other posters stated it is what you wanted so I am happy for you as well. Value is in the eye of the buyer and you felt it was worth it and judging from what you have posted you know enough to make a good purchase. Please let is know how it shoots and congrats!!! :RO:

 

[breech]

Thanks everybody.I will let you know how it shoots.I will go out to the bean feil and shoot some whistle pigs tommorow.Does anybody have any recomended loades.I know I shoot to hot.I fire 50 grains of pirodex through my 32 underhammer pistol and my T/C 32 inline but dont want to fire no hot load like that through a 1000.00 gun.

 

[Rebel]

20-30 grs of Goex 3f powder should work fine. Before you take it whistle pig huntin' you do plan to shoot it first and sight it in, right?

 

[breech]

Yea I plan to shoot it but I figure since its been fired before it its probably done sighted.

 

[Rebel]

Not necessarily. And you don't know what powder, patch, ball combo the previous owner used, so what you decide on could be completely off.

 

[breech]

Yea youve got me there.Although the standard is a 310 ball and a .010 or.015 patch isnt it.Anyway I do plan to fire it as the powder difference could certainly cause a problem also.I sure do hope I dont have to go fileing on the sights or worse have it hit high. :thanks:

 

[breech]

hey,I want to thank you guys for pessen home the sighting in.I have been shootin these guns for 25 years now and by geaorge I had it in my head this gun was already sighted in and I sure enough would have drove out to the farm without my file,hammer and dowel rod.I looked at it and it dont look like the sights been touched. :thanks:I dont know if its the exitement of gettin this gun or what but Im actin just like a kid,thanks again.

 

[Rebel]

No problem, just don't like to see anyone take a gun out they have never fired and try to shoot anything alive with it. Good luck, and have fun.

 

[breech]

Hi,I fired this gun today and just love the results.It was shooting a couple inches to the right but quickly fixed that.Ignition was so fast I vever once heard the hammer hit.Found that at 25yrds a sight picture with the front sight even with the top of the rear was dead on.At 50 yrds I would just let the front sight come into view at the bottom of the notch it hit dead on.At 75yrds half way up at 100 yrds back to the first sight picture put me 3 inches low but when I increased the powder charge from 30 grns to 35 it was in the black.I whish I couldve goten the gun cheaper but as the old saying goes you get what you pay for,thanks.

 

[Rebel]

Glad ya got it all sighted in and ready for whistle pigs. Sounds like ya got a keeper. Have fun with it.