An Interesting half-stock flintlock rifle

[Ohio Joe]

I stumbled across this article this afternoon and thought I'd share it here. It raises some questions of interest on this particular 1/2 stock flintlock rifle. Click the link below.

https://ruxtonmuseum.org/2016/01/12/bill-willyums-his-rifle/comment-page-1/

[Rob DiStefano]

good stuff, thanx for sharing joe!  there is SO much about the 19th century we'll never know, about.  anything goes when function trumps form, and that's surely the case for a mountain man's rifle.  i also have no doubt there was at least a few hawken flinter half stocks, too.  i'd read somewhere that lots, if not most of these intrepid hivernants used whatever they could afford for a long gun and lots were older big bore smoothbores, including brown bess variants.  that'd work for me as a smoothie would allow quite a variation of projectiles for hunting game and defending against hostiles.

[rollingb]

Interesting rifle for sure. 

[Ohio Joe]

I personally feel and have always held the belief that folks who started out with flintlocks - simply stayed with the flintlock ignition as it is what they knew and were comfortable with. Also, they didn't have to worry about an extra "percussion cap" expense as nature was their ignition supplier because they knew how to make a flint for their rifle's lock...  (Early percussion caps didn't have a great reputation of always setting off the charge I read somewhere at some time over the last 40+ years)

This could be a rifle of the "mind set" of a person having their (fullstock) rifle rebuilt (for some reason) and some of the parts being re'purposed to keep the price down. The article stated there was no sign of this rifle ever being a caplock...

My own halfstock rifle I converted from cap to flint is based on the paragraph above.

The brass tacks are interesting - though I'm not a tack expert so I don't know it they tell a story,,, and when they were added would be anyone's guess?

We'll no doubt never know for sure the history of this rifle, but its caliber is certainly in the ball park of a originally known caliber from the western fur trade era of 1825 - 1840 (and beyond). 

[Rob DiStefano]

i'd guess tacks served a number of purposes.  adornment, denoting kills, adding some measure of hand grip, and maybe the studs helped when used as a club?

[Uncle Russ]

This made for what I think is an excellent read.

My thoughts are similar to what Joe said,....ie, if the fella started with a Flintlock, he most likely stayed with a Flintlock, but how that particular rifle ever became a Flintlock in the first place really puts the old mind to working overtime.

I also agree with Rob when he says:...." if not most of these intrepid hivernants used whatever they could afford for a long gun and lots were older big bore smoothbores, including brown bess variants."
That statement reflects the Lion's share of my own readings too.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Russ...

[Hawken]

J P Lower was quite well known rifle smith in Denver Colorado!

http://www.historynet.com/j-p-lower-standout-denver-gunsmith-used-sharps-indian-fight.htm

[Uncle Russ]

J P Lower was quite well known rifle smith in Denver Colorado!

http://www.historynet.com/j-p-lower-standout-denver-gunsmith-used-sharps-indian-fight.htm

Another good read....I remember the story, having read it before, but this rendition put a new light on it.
Russ...