[Henry455]

Need help again with a BP rifle/shotgun with no markings I can find. The bore appears to be approx. .65 inch. Here are a few pictures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/Henry455/Unknown%20Shotgun/UnknownShotgun004A.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/Henry455/Unknown%20Shotgun/UnknownShotgun003A.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/Henry455/Unknown%20Shotgun/UnknownShotgun007A.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/Henry455/Unknown%20Shotgun/UnknownShotgun013A.jpg

[4v50 Gary]

Looks like a Springfield 1861 or 63 that was sporterized and cut down. That was quite common.

[Jim K]

I think it may have been a Model 1863, but the trigger guard appears to be from a Model 1873 carbine (the long gun trigger guards had a sling swivel). I can't tell from the pictures whether that is a patch box on the stock or just some kind of plate or label. If it is a patchbox, that means the stock is also from some other gun, since none of the rifle muskets had patch boxes.

While it could have been cut down by a gun owner or gunsmith, the mixed parts lead me to conclude that it was made up as a shotgun out of various surplus parts by one of a number of shops. The rifling, if present, was reamed out. These were advertised in dealer's and distributor's catalogs as late as the 1890's, selling (depending on the period) from $2.00 to $4.00. One St. Louis firm, Meacham's, advertised them in 1884 at $3.33 or $3.20 in lots of 20.

Unfortunately, those guns are common (hundreds of thousands were sold) and are of little collector interest or value even in very good condition.

Jim

[4v50 Gary]

BTW, the rear sight is non-military. There's no .65 Cal and is it possible that the lands were bored out from .58 to make it .65 smoothbore? Post-war poor man shotgun perhaps?

[Henry455]

Thanks for your input. I finally found some faint markings on the sideplate. "US Springfield" in front of the hammer and "1864" to the rear of the hammer. It appears to be a smooth bore. There is a brass plate on the rear right side of the stock with a person's initials stamped in the plate. As has been said, it appears the original sight was replace because there is a unused screw hole about a 1/4" in front of the rear sight. Thanks again for your help.