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Percussion lock identification
- Thread starter Cajun72
- Start date
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Sam squanch
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2019
- Messages
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Conestoga works was an importer of guns, and they made some too. They also cut down and bored out muskets for cheap shotguns and sold them. They were the wal mart of guns back then, 1870, to 1900’s I think. Based in Pennsylvania. I have a reprint of one of their catalogs.
"AMERICAN FIREARMS MAKERS" by Merwyn Carey says:
"Conestoga Rifle Works about 1780. Made Kentucky flintlock rifles at Lancaster, Pennsylvania." (p 23)
"Conestoga Rifle Works about 1780. Made Kentucky flintlock rifles at Lancaster, Pennsylvania." (p 23)
plmeek
40 Cal.
Zonie, I'm not familiar with your source, Merwyn Carey, but he seems to be at odds with other sources.
Henry Kauffman in The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle in his section on Henry Leman page 289 writes, "Conestoga rifles which name Leman is thought to have used for rifles of poorer quality than his standard products."
Frank M. Sellers in American Gunsmiths, page 65, has this entry "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Trade name used by Henry Leman."
Also Charles E. Hanson, Jr. in his seminal article "Henry E. Leman -- Riflemaker" published in The Museum Of The Fur Trade Quarterly, Volume 20, No. 4, Winter 1984 has, "There are cheaper quality Leman guns which bear only the stamp, 'Conestoga Rifle Works,' but I am unable to determine when this practice began."
A friend of mine has an antique rifle marked "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS" that looks just like a typical Leman rifle. It is percussion.
Obviously, these percussion arms marked "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS" do not date to 1780.
Cajun72's lock is most likely a product on Henry Leman's factory.
Henry Kauffman in The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle in his section on Henry Leman page 289 writes, "Conestoga rifles which name Leman is thought to have used for rifles of poorer quality than his standard products."
Frank M. Sellers in American Gunsmiths, page 65, has this entry "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Trade name used by Henry Leman."
Also Charles E. Hanson, Jr. in his seminal article "Henry E. Leman -- Riflemaker" published in The Museum Of The Fur Trade Quarterly, Volume 20, No. 4, Winter 1984 has, "There are cheaper quality Leman guns which bear only the stamp, 'Conestoga Rifle Works,' but I am unable to determine when this practice began."
A friend of mine has an antique rifle marked "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS" that looks just like a typical Leman rifle. It is percussion.
Obviously, these percussion arms marked "CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS" do not date to 1780.
Cajun72's lock is most likely a product on Henry Leman's factory.
Just looking at the "American Gun Makers" on the web it says:
CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS— Trademark of Henry E. Leman, Lan-
caster, Pa., 1834-1887; used on inferior or flawed products. Mark-
ing reported on flintlock and percussion Kentucky rifles, rifle
locks, trap gun.
By the way, I think this is an Excellent source of information about gun builders and gun making companies. Here's a link to it if you don't already have it.
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/BP%20GUN%20STUFF/Full%20text%20of%20_American%20gun%20makers%20including%20Supplement%20of%20AMerican%20gun%20makers_.html
Be sure to copy it and save it somewhere on your computer where it will be easy to find.
You may have to COPY it and then PASTE it into the address window in a new TAB on your browser to get it to work.
CONESTOGA RIFLE WORKS— Trademark of Henry E. Leman, Lan-
caster, Pa., 1834-1887; used on inferior or flawed products. Mark-
ing reported on flintlock and percussion Kentucky rifles, rifle
locks, trap gun.
By the way, I think this is an Excellent source of information about gun builders and gun making companies. Here's a link to it if you don't already have it.
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/BP%20GUN%20STUFF/Full%20text%20of%20_American%20gun%20makers%20including%20Supplement%20of%20AMerican%20gun%20makers_.html
Be sure to copy it and save it somewhere on your computer where it will be easy to find.
You may have to COPY it and then PASTE it into the address window in a new TAB on your browser to get it to work.
plmeek
40 Cal.
Sam squanch
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2019
- Messages
- 3,177
- Reaction score
- 4,540
I was mistaken. My catalog is for the j. Johnstone great Western gun works. But it does have a “ Conestoga “ marked rifle in it.
I believe it is the same.
Thanks for the link. I just realized the thing I posted is to my own computer and it won't work for others.
