Mystery muzzleloader!

[natman]

Can anyone shed any light on this unusual percussion muzzleloader? It has a HEAVY octagon barrel. The only marking on the gun is "W. Billinghurst" on the scope.

 

[Rachen]

It looks like a Ballard.

I am saying this because of Ballard's tell-tale closed action lock, complete with the swivel triggerguard that also acts as a spent casing leverage.

I have handled several original Ballard rifles in the past, and this one seems very much like a Ballard, or one that is produced under their trademark.

Doesn't really look like a muzzleloader. It closely resembles an early, post-Civil War target breechloader, built for handling brass shells along with a Maynard or similar type gas check crimping system. Maybe percussion ignition, but I doubt full percussion design.

 

[natman]

Interesting. It belongs to a friend, and I didn't get that long a look at it. It has a false muzzle that made me think muzzleloader. I'll check it out more closely and let you know. Thanks.

 

[scrat]

id love to see more pics especially of the trigger area. Very interesting piece

 

[natman]

Ask and ye shall receive:




Note that the mainspring is currently disconnected from the hammer strut. The hammer strikes on a threaded hole in the rear of the barrel. I presume that a percussion nipple should go there.

 

[Rachen]

Wow...

Really odd mainspring and hammer configuration. I'll take back my comments about it being a Ballard for now.

The hammer is actually inside the gunlock?

And the mainspring's position seems very uncomfortable.

It could be an experimental model made by Ballard or Maynard, and probably never gained enough popularity, especially when compared to other target guns of the day.

 

[scrat]

Incredible just incredible. I bet Gary may have an answer to this. For sure this has got to be an amazing long range target gun its day. Look at the finish on the barrel. Kinda and antique blue brown. Fantastic.


Its probably a good idea to keep the mainspring disconnected. Being an original. Id love to own a replica of that. Being an original its worth way too much to mess with. Im sure there probably is not another one in that shape around.

 

[Cosmoline]

Billinghurst was out of NY and made underhammers, but that ain't no underhammer! And it isn't a sidelock either. I've never seen anything like it. Is it the original in-line?

 

[4v50 Gary]

William Billinghurst of Rochester, New York, was a riflemaker of national repute in the ante-bellum and post-Civil War period. Many of his target rifles were medium weight (12-16 lbs). Besides target rifles, Billinghurst also made "buggy rifles" which, despite their short barrels and light weight were surprisingly accurate. Whether this gun was actually made by Billinghurst or just the telescope made by him is unknown to me. I've heard that in-line guns were around in the old days (and hence recognized by the NMRLA) but this is the first that I've seen. It's interesting that the frame/receiver wraps around the back-action lock.

BTW, if it has a false muzzle and is percussion fired, it's probably is a muzzle loader. Why else would there be a false muzzle?

 

[pohill]

It reminds me of an antique target BP rifle that I've seen in a store in Maine. Very heavy with an octagonal barrel that goes from .42 caliber up to .45 at the muzzle. The only marking on the barrel, or anywhere, is the name LULL.

 

[AnthonyC.]

Like cosmoline said, It looks like the first in-line muzzleloader!!!

 

[SDC]

Here's a picture from the 1977 Flayderman's guide, showing a Billinghurst under-hammer target pistol, and it certainly shares a number of characteristics with the OP's rifle.

 

[Jim K]

Billinghurst may be best known for making the Miller patent revolving rifles, which were pill locks, and for being the maker of the 25-barrel Billinghurst-Requa "machinegun", of which 7 were bought by the Union in the Civil War. So, Billinghurst was certainly flexible and apparently able to manufacture about anything.

Regardless of Billinghurst's experience with pill locks, that hammer appears to be for standard cap lock. It appears to otherwise be a fairly normal pattern target rifle of the roughly 1850 period.

Jim

 

[StrawHat]

Check on the barrel, under the telescope, for additional marks. Often, a maker would scratch his name there.

Is the false muzzle still with the rifle? If so, that would be a great find as they were frequently misplaced after the original owner lost interest in shooting or the piece was sold to a shooter not interested in target work.

Interesting piece, the trigger appears to be a settable variety.

How wide is the barrel? Any guess as to caliber? Some of the old target guns were quite large, both caliber and barrel.

By the way, not the first inline, I have read of a flintlock inline from Britain in several museums.

 

[pohill]

I did not know what a "false muzzle" was, so I did a google search. This article was the first one that came up. Interesting picture and story.
http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/1860TargetRifle.asp

 

[rusty bubbles]

Obviously in-line for two reasons- to avoid cap fragments in the eye -close to the breech, sqinting thru the tube sight;
and to keep the top of the barrel clear fot the said tube sight.

Couple questions tho-
how to cock the hammer and place a cap on the nipple, and was there a half cock?-Essential on MLs

 

[ants]

That first notch on the hammer looks deep enough to be half-cock, doesn't it? It seems that it would hold the sear quite well.

 

[Jim Watson]

I think it is a late example of the muzzleloading target rifle. Maybe Billinghurst's idea of the next step after the underhammer, putting ignition in the middle of the rear of the powder charge like a centerfire cartridge. Check it closely for a patent number, that is a complex design and he would have wanted protection for it.

Is that a real scope or a tube sight without magnification?

If it still has the false muzzle it is a prize for sure. Maybe somebody at NMLRA would have a handle on it, they still do some slug gun shooting.

 

[Curator]

Billinghurst was known for occasionally making experimental one-of-a-kind rifles. Without handling and closely inspecting the rifle, I would bet this is one of those experiemental designs. Its inside in-line action would solve the very real problem of getting black powder fouling inside the rear of the telescopic sight. When I lived in upstate New York I handled more than 50 Billinghurst rifles. They were all subtly different. Some where completely unmarked as is yours. Unique piece!

 

[scrat]

That rifle is actually museum type quality. One you want to know if has been fired. However will never try to fire it again.

 

[Cosmoline]

I want to know the price on the other side of that ticket! Maybe your friend will give you a deal on it.

 

[4v50 Gary]

It may not be a price tag Cosmoline. Instead, it may be an identification tag. I'd buy it too if it's reasonable.

 

[alemonkey]

I have no idea what this is, but I'm subscribing so I can read it when someone finally figures it out

This would be a neat gun to make a reproduction of, if one had the mechanical skills. The action looks fairly straightforward.

 

[scrat]

the tention on that hammer though. i dont know. it seems as though that would be the weakest part.

 

[RoaringBull]

I just wanted to post so that I could subscribe too. It is a very interesting piece, though.