RedFeather
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Messages
- 1,306
- Reaction score
- 42
Saw one today for not a lot:
Full stock with about a 15/16th 28" barrel in what they think is .43 (per miking). Bore pretty clean but did have some rust spots about the size of a red spider mite. Broken ramrod - the ferrule on the end was corroded. Full stock with kind of ill-fitting brass buttplate, toe cap and a couple home made inlays. Had a kind of cute patchbox. Was a figure-8 on its side with a pin in the middle. You rotated it downwards to reveal two holes, one larger than the other (to match the 8.) To close, just slip it backup where it comes to rest against a small round headed brass pin. Single brass trigger in a rounded brass guard that was not that well inletted. The barrel was browned and stamped on one flat with a "10", as was the stock in four or five random places, same stamp. (Guess he liked the number ten?) Old percussion sidelock with two line legend mostly obscured, bottom line reading "..lbany". Take it the lock is from Albany, NY. Had a little floral engraving as did the hammer. Wood around the lock was either shrunken with age or just poorly inletted. The leading edge of the lock mortisee was cracked and a bit opened like it was end grain. All that's maybe fixable. Worst thing about it that put me off was the drum and hammer. Looked like the owner had put in a new, white nipple but it was cocked slightly to the right. As a result, the hammer didn't hit squarely, but I'm assuming it would do the job. Real (to me) trouble was the hammer face was pretty corroded inside and looked to be getting thin, with one side a bit uneven. Yeah, I know, it's an old hammer.
Now the weird part. It had a lollipop tang sight mounted on the wrist that likely came off a German schuetzen rifle. If the rifle was down on its heels, that sight was not! Had small thumb screws for horizontal and verticle adjustment. The back of the body looked to be all one piece with the large disk. The windage adjustment moved a tongue and groove flat slide that contained the peep hole. Yep, the round part is stationary and the hole, itself, moves. Whole kit and kaboodle is nicely case colored in muted tones of grey. Whaaaa! I want that sight, but have nothing to mount it on.
Here's a couple of questions: Is it feasible to replace the drum to get a better alignment? How hard is it to rebuild the hammer nose (don't have access to a welder.) Even though there's some wood damage, the piece is just goofy enough that it appeals to me. Almost cheap enought to just buy it for the sight. Actually, the price is about right for that sight.
I did stop in a shop that's got a .45 T/C with the old tang. You could drill that hole a little bigger and drop that baby right in. But, then, I've got to buy two guns. Whaaaaaa! Dang guns!
Oh, and did I say there's a snow/ice storm on the way and I know if I get back there in a couple of days it'll be gone. Whaaaa!
Full stock with about a 15/16th 28" barrel in what they think is .43 (per miking). Bore pretty clean but did have some rust spots about the size of a red spider mite. Broken ramrod - the ferrule on the end was corroded. Full stock with kind of ill-fitting brass buttplate, toe cap and a couple home made inlays. Had a kind of cute patchbox. Was a figure-8 on its side with a pin in the middle. You rotated it downwards to reveal two holes, one larger than the other (to match the 8.) To close, just slip it backup where it comes to rest against a small round headed brass pin. Single brass trigger in a rounded brass guard that was not that well inletted. The barrel was browned and stamped on one flat with a "10", as was the stock in four or five random places, same stamp. (Guess he liked the number ten?) Old percussion sidelock with two line legend mostly obscured, bottom line reading "..lbany". Take it the lock is from Albany, NY. Had a little floral engraving as did the hammer. Wood around the lock was either shrunken with age or just poorly inletted. The leading edge of the lock mortisee was cracked and a bit opened like it was end grain. All that's maybe fixable. Worst thing about it that put me off was the drum and hammer. Looked like the owner had put in a new, white nipple but it was cocked slightly to the right. As a result, the hammer didn't hit squarely, but I'm assuming it would do the job. Real (to me) trouble was the hammer face was pretty corroded inside and looked to be getting thin, with one side a bit uneven. Yeah, I know, it's an old hammer.
Now the weird part. It had a lollipop tang sight mounted on the wrist that likely came off a German schuetzen rifle. If the rifle was down on its heels, that sight was not! Had small thumb screws for horizontal and verticle adjustment. The back of the body looked to be all one piece with the large disk. The windage adjustment moved a tongue and groove flat slide that contained the peep hole. Yep, the round part is stationary and the hole, itself, moves. Whole kit and kaboodle is nicely case colored in muted tones of grey. Whaaaa! I want that sight, but have nothing to mount it on.
Here's a couple of questions: Is it feasible to replace the drum to get a better alignment? How hard is it to rebuild the hammer nose (don't have access to a welder.) Even though there's some wood damage, the piece is just goofy enough that it appeals to me. Almost cheap enought to just buy it for the sight. Actually, the price is about right for that sight.
I did stop in a shop that's got a .45 T/C with the old tang. You could drill that hole a little bigger and drop that baby right in. But, then, I've got to buy two guns. Whaaaaaa! Dang guns!
Oh, and did I say there's a snow/ice storm on the way and I know if I get back there in a couple of days it'll be gone. Whaaaa!
