US percussion barrel proof mark.

[kuriouskeepsakes]

I just bought a 45 inch round percussion barrel. It appears to be smoothbore, but heavily rusted, so may have been rifled at one time. It came up at auction, I didn't even have time to look at it, but it went cheap, so I took a chance. I noticed that it had proof marks when they brought it to me, but my eyes aren't what the used to be, so I couldn't make them out. When I got it home, I saw the obvious "US". Can anyone help me with the first mark?

I thought I was buying an old fowler barrel, but now wondering if it was a civil war musket. Any ideas?

Thanks for any help.

 

[kuriouskeepsakes]

I'll try again, anyone recognize the first mark. It appears to be some kind of figure, maybe animal, over a "P".

 

[Notchy Bob]

I'm pretty confident in suggesting what you have was originally a flintlock musket which was converted to percussion, possibly by a civilian gunsmith. US military percussion muskets had an integral bolster on the side of the barrel, into which the nipple was screwed. The military percussion conversions some times had a bolster brazed on, although there may be some arsenal conversions which used a drum and nipple.

I am not familiar with those stampings. The "US" is unmistakable, although I don't specifically recall seeing a stamp,like that before. I'm not aware of "US" being stamped on any civilian guns, so I think it is a military musket barrel. The letter "P" is usually accompanied by a "V," indicating "Viewed and Proofed." I'm unfamiliar with the mark you have there, and I can't see a "V" with the "P."

Sorry I'm not much help! I'll look forward to reading what the more knowledgeable folks can tell us.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[hawkeye2]

That looks like an eagle over the P. I have never seen a proof like that but it could be a very early proof and one by a contractor. The breech plug/tang looks to be a US smoothbore barrel and if it's .69 than that's what it is. What is its length?

 

[SDSmlf]

I just bought a 45 inch round percussion barrel. It appears to be smoothbore, but heavily rusted, so may have been rifled at one time. It came up at auction, I didn't even have time to look at it, but it went cheap, so I took a chance. I noticed that it had proof marks when they brought it to me, but my eyes aren't what the used to be, so I couldn't make them out. When I got it home, I saw the obvious "US". Can anyone help me with the first mark?

I thought I was buying an old fowler barrel, but now wondering if it was a civil war musket. Any ideas?

Thanks for any help. View attachment 148549View attachment 148550View attachment 148551View attachment 148552View attachment 148553

Hard to tell what you have on the left.
Maybe if you temporarily added some definition to the stamp it would be easier to see. One way to bring out any engraving or stamping is to use a piece of old chalkboard chalk like they used when many of us were in school. When rubbed over the metal surface, the chalk helps make any markings much more visible, and it’s easily cleaned up leaving no evidence anything was done. As an example, both the following photographs were taken at about the same distance with the same camera and lighting (handheld, so slight difference). Difference is that before the second photograph chalk was rubbed into the engraving. Believe you can see that one is significantly easier to read than the other. No other adjustments or funny business between the two photographs.