Y'all, I am trying to identify a firearm from a lady clearing out for the old age move to family. I just know these pictures and haven't seen a legible mark on it. I haven't pulled the wood to look under there. I am posting some pics. Give a shout if you have an idea. The rifling threw me way off.
Interesting seven groove rifling. That's not as easy as say six or eight. Lock appears to be later style, but may have been a flintlock conversion. Is the barrel swamped? Does it taper slightly at the center and flare slowly at each end? Last time I saw rifling that deep was on a leather patched flintlock, and I was wise to step clear of the right side when he fired, since the hot blast would draw blood in your ear if you stayed seated at the bench. (Why I have a fence on my Brown Bess that directs the gasses upward.) Interesting rifle. You may find only a proof mark, and perhaps not even that. Rifles made in the colonies wouldn't comply with the rigid European proof house markings. We dumped their tea in the harbor to protest taxes too. Fine looking rifle. Hope you can find some history on it.
If memory serves me right the German jaeger style rifles commonly had that style of rifling. This of course is not a Jaeger. I'd be interested to see the backside of the lock. The trigger almost looks handmade to me and very rustic. Based on the picture it looks like may have been a flintlock conversion. If you think about it checkout Muzzleloadingforum.com and post those pics. There are some very experienced guys over there that will no doubt have some accurate information for you.
looks similar .. .. https://historical.ha.com/itm/weste...rel-fancy-bordered-mak-total-1/a/680-74057.s#
It might be worth joining northwestfirearms.com to find out. There is a member there andy54hawken that has a big collection of black powder rifles and has an encyclopedic knowledge of older black powder rifles.
What you have there was a heavy barrel target rifle of the times. They had some very "interesting" ways in their shooting stances but were still quite effective and accurate. The one Zimmy posted the pictures of is a different style meant more for hunting or self defense of the times.
@Zimmy We're wondering if you got to the bottom of the mystery and got an answer? Old firearms always fascinate me... They truly show the advancement in civilization as they touch on so many technologies, so many disciplines...
I have not pursued further yet. I was waiting until the monkeys had chewed the flavor out of it. That sounds like now. I need to see if there is marking under the furniture first.
tis lookin like a percussion lock Pennsylvania Rifle or Kentucky Rifle, it might date back to da 1700s or 1800s though it could be a more modern replica .. .. if it was originally a percussion lock or a flintlock dat was later upgraded to percussion lock check ta see if it is .69 caliber, .58 caliber or sumthin else .. ..
