No markings, no history, looking for help

[Smyth]

My grandfather had an old firearm that he kept on display, but never talked about it much. My father and his siblings don't know anything about it's history, and I've turned the thing every which way looking for anything resembling a marking I could start my search with but to no avail.

Any help, even a direction to start searching, would be helpful. The gun isn't leaving the family, but I'd like to know what I'm holding.

On a somewhat unrelated note, what would it take to this clean up and hear it fire? Is it something to even consider doing? Thanks again!

 

[necchi]

Others will add;
But that's styled as an Ohio Half Stock and custom made.
The back action lock places it in the mid 19th century (1850's+/-,,a popular time for the Ohio's).
The small caliber and long barrel makes it a target rifle or even made for bench rest shooting.
Poured pewter nose cap.
As far as renovation and shooting it,, I think that an experienced person could do it, but it'd be "involved"(not a simple kitchen table job)
The bore and fire channel would need to be cleared and the original drum style breech could easily be damaged. Plus that stock fracture near the tang adds a bit of a complication that would prohibit heavy loads.
That's a nice family heirloom, I'd leave it as is, and/or take it to a pro for a little needed cleaning and preservation measures.
Here's another example;

https://www.aaawt.com/html/firearms/f1135.html

 

[hawkeye2]

The broken area around the lock bolt can be repaired to be as strong as original or better but if you aren't handy with wood I recommend a cabinet maker or gunsmith. If I had it I would glass bed the tang and a couple (or more) inches of the breech. The missing wood around the percussion drum can be replaced or left as is. It serves no function but detracts from the looks. A professional repair there would be acceptable as that repair can sometimes be seen in better quality guns that have seen a lot of use. I wonder if it hadn't been broken out by someone carelessly removing the barrel.

If it were mine I would restore it to firing condition provided the barrel is found to be safe after cleaning.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Ohio-Indiana rifle. Can be fixed, but If you do, have it done in a way that won't destroy the value. Some folk want to stick plastic and fiberglass everywhere. Sure way to take a $500 gun down to $250. Proper fix involves taking breech plug out, maybe re-rifling the bore. A pro can fix the stock without running pins and dowels through it. At least not that are visible. It is a great original "over the mantel" gun. But not so valuable like an original long rifle.

 

[sheriff john]

Obviously a "ghost gun" created for old-time "ride-bys". Untraceable. (ok, that was a joke). Neat old piece of family history. Hope there are stories passed down to go with it.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I don't know. That crack near the lock bolt is concerning to me. I think that could be fixed but the angle of the split as it moves into the wood could make it a little dicey...like you'd have to avoid anything but the lightest loads.
I think if you go into a restoration knowing your trying to make it shootable rather than a field gun, you've got a good chance of having a mantle gun that can actually be shot occasionally.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Dandy family rifle! Zimmerstutzen is dead on as far as repairs. If I had such a heirloom I’d use a damp rag to gently wipe it down then a lightly oiled cloth on the metal. There’s plenty of guns to shoot but we only have so much history.

 

[SDSmlf]

Couple of things to consider. First of all confirm the gun is not loaded. Then maybe wipe it down with nothing more aggressive than a damp cloth. You want to preserve all the history accumulated over the years.

I've turned the thing every which way looking for anything resembling a marking I could start my search with but to no avail.

Have you removed the barrel to look for marks on the bottom of it? You may also want to check the back side of the lock plate if you haven’t done so already.

 

[Smyth]

Thank you all for the replies! To answer some of the follow-up questions:

I don't have any family stories to go with the gun sadly. My grandpa was a quiet man and I didn't get to see him much, but even his kids don't have stories to tell about it. It was likely something passed down to him, but it could have even just been something he picked up because he wanted it for display.

While I'm fine cleaning up grandpa's old single-shot 12ga, I wouldn't dare take this one apart or fix it myself. I'm a novice with even a modern firearm but I'm the most knowledgeable about guns on my dad's side of the family (hence my being tasked with finding out more).

My dad wanted to see if we could get it working just to get the experience of it, and from what I'm hearing here a professional should be able to. This would be something that'd get fired a few times and then sit on display the rest of it's life. My wife suggested contacting the local civil war museum to see if they have or know of anyone, and I'll likely take her advice.

Regardless if it gets working or not, it will definitely stay in the family.

 

[Tanselman]

Your half-stocked rifle looks very much like an eastern Tennessee rifle from the 1850s or 1860s. The walnut stock, straight comb with a sharp, abrupt drop to the wrist, and iron mounts all suggest manufacture in that area. A good photograph of the tang behind the breech might tell us more about its origin.

A lot of these back-woods rifles were rather plain and not signed. If by chance your gun was signed, any name, or more likely first and last initials, would be on the top barrel flat several inches behind the rear sight. If you see anything there that looks like it might be a remnant of initials, please take a clear photo and post it... at times we can figure out partial names or initials.

Shelby Gallien

 

[Eterry]

I agree with the above posts. But please get a 4 foot dow rod smaller than bore size and see if it'll go to the breech plug. It's amazing how many old guns are left loaded, or sometime in its life someone loads it and it doesn't go bang, so they hang it back up.

 

[user 48679]

Welcome to the board !

Since you're admittedly a novice, below is how to check if the gun is loaded.

1) Run a dowel or the gun's ramrod (should be below the barrel) down the bore until it stops

2) When it stops, mark the rod where it exits the bore/muzzle

3) Withdraw the rod & lay the rod along one of the barrel flats, with the mark at the muzzle

4) While holding the measured rod in place, observe where (on the outside of the barrel) the other end of the rod ends.

If the rear end of the rod is more that 3/4" from the nipple area, there's a good chance that something is in there - most likely a load or possibly a mud dauber.

There are a couple of different ways the barrel can be cleared, but in any case, I would stick a tag on the gun, marked "loaded" - so that anybody who handles it would be forewarned.