Need help identifying a donation

[yober]

Hello all,

My wife volunteers at the local historical museum and they received a number of interesting firearm-related goodies from a local patron today. The owner had this particular piece in her family for generations but didn’t know much about it. The museum would like to find something to put in the display explaining what it was, it’s provenance, etc., and I thought someone on this forum might know something or be able to point me in the right direction. I’m doing this as a favor as I’m not a black powder aficionado (yet).



The leather in one of the pics was added later by someone who took it out for a shoot and didn’t want the stock to split (there’s a small crack). That was about 15 years ago.

It’s curious there’s a considerable amount of brass work and scrollwork, but no lettering or identification of any kind. Is this typical?

Clicking on the link below will take you to more detailed photos; I hope I’m posting this right. The ladies at the museum would be most appreciative of anything y’all could tell them.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/9749123@N06/10820Q

Thanks in advance!

 

[yober]

More pics from the link:

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

It makes me think it's an Ohio or a Vincent rifle. Any idea what caliber?

 

[yober]

No idea, and neither does the donor.

 

[arcticap]

I suggest to post the same photos and info. on the AmericanLongrifles forum under Antique Gun Collecting.
You should be able to obtain more detailed answers from the experts there.
A lot of gun builders and antique collectors frequent that forum.
If you can tell them which state or region where the rifle has been stored for all of these years that may also help to identify the builder's school or rifle style.
The more details that you can provide the better such as caliber, length, if it's rifled etc....
The unique engraving pattern may even help to identify the builder.
Here's the link to ALR. --->>> https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php
It's a fine looking piece of history.

 

[yober]

Thanks, I’ll do that.

 

[Jim Watson]

Has the muzzle been turned down to take that bayonet?
An in extremis modification by the Confederacy.

 

[yober]

No, I don’t think they were connected to each other, but next time I see it, I’ll look.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I've never seen a brass & iron trigger guard before. Very unique & Interesting.

How about a full length image of it, both lock side and cheekpiece side?

 

[Jim Watson]

It was a pretty thing when new.
Looks like there was something on the lock plate in front of the hammer, but lots of corrosive caps left it illegible. And that might have been just the lockmaker's name; lots of trade parts in muzzleloaders.

I wonder if the brass section in the trigger guard was to "stretch" it for the double set triggers from a single trigger size.

 

[yober]

Doing some casual research on auction sites, the scrollwork and pheasant pair point to a Golcher lockworks mechanism.

there’s a full-length panorama with a wavy middle (cuz I can’t hold the phone straight for that length) in the link I posted.

Im curious why the plates aren’t at least initialed with something, they’re all blank.

 

[noelf2]

The bayonet is French, and doesn't go with that sidelock rifle. Specifically it is St. Etienne model of 1877, and it fits on a model 1874 French Gras service rifle which has a bolt action.

You are correct regarding the lock plate. You can clearly see the beginnings of the Goulcher emblem engraving near the hammer.