Beautiful old rifle

[Cap n Ball]

A friend of mine owns this old rifle. He says his father bought it back in the 50s from a guy who needed money and it hung above the fireplace in a cabin they have in the Ozarks. He said it was never fired. I believe its 32 caliber and the lock looks like a conversion. The bore is dark but the rifling is deep and clear. It needs to have the lock tuned and the set trigger adjusted. It was sold by the R.W. Booth Company in Cincinnati Ohio. That companys name is on the lock. They were a hardware outfitter that operated from 1797 to 1820 so it must have been a flintlock originally. I don't think they manufactured it. There is a persons name of 'Joseph Carter' on top of the barrel near the breech. He may have been the gun maker. It has very handsome but simple engraving all over it and a fancy patch box in the stock. The tiger stripe maple wood is very beautiful and unvarnished as it should be. The wood is pinned to the barrel as is the triggerguard. I removed one of the screws in the buttplate and it appears to be handmade. The original ramrod is missing and there is just a piece of dowell in the thimbles but a suitable replacement shouldnt be too hard to find. Next time I get a chance I will more closely examine it for other markings. We are going to have it looked at by my gunsmith and determine if its shootable. I can't hardly wait to do that!

 

[MCgunner]

Man, that is some BEAUTIFUL wood! Amazing shape for being that old. I wouldn't worry TOO much about the bore being "dark". Probably just cured.

That's one handsome shootin' iron ya got there!

 

[Cap n Ball]

Speaking of 'shootin iron'

Heres a picture of what I do on weekends. Ours is an authentic 1832 Fort Pitt six pounder. I am on the far side of the breech in the rear. Not much detail but I like the shot. Makes it pretty clear how fellas got confused and sometimes shot at their own. Whole lot of smoke! We were part of a six gun battery doing a movie shoot for the Arts and Entertainment Channel. Bill Kurtis was making a film about the Battle of Mine Creek.

 

[Rex B]

Gorgeous piece, that

If I were you (and I'm not) I'd be afraid to shoot it, on the off chance it might damage it. That thing is to nice to take a chance on, IMO. Shoot the replicas, keep the gennies for posterity and regular fondling

 

[Cap n Ball]

We don't plan on taking it out in the woods or doing any barking of squirrels with it. If we do fire it at all it will be with a soft load and patched round ball. Just to hear and feel it one time.

 

[Third_Rail]

That rifle is very fine looking - you are but a custodian in what has been so far a line of very good caretakers. Continue the tradition, good sir!

 

[frosty]

Old OHIO Rifle

Cap and Ball: Your rifle is in great condition and is quite original and appears to be unaltered You could build the same gun or similar for around $380 bucks for the parts. Enjoy the gun; study it and build your own!

 

[Duncaninfrance]

Heres a picture of what I do on weekends.

Nice wall piece Cap!
Duncan

 

[Steve499]

Cap n Ball, I have a 42 3/4 inch, straight grained, hickory ramrod I whittled out several years ago for my .32 caliber Dixie mountain rifle. It has a cleaning jag made from black cow horn permanently attached to one end and the other end is encircled with a 1/4 inch brass sleeve I cut off of a cartridge case mouth. I made it because the original ramrod with the gun was just some diagonally grained dowell of some sort and I just won't use one of those. Shortly after I made it, I discovered that Dixie sold .32 caliber fiberglass ramrods so I got one and have not used the hickory one since. I don't know if it would work in your rifle, diameter & length wise, but it looks authentic, I don't use it and you can have it if you want it. We don't live too far apart, e-mail me if you are interested.

Steve

 

[Cap n Ball]

Thank you very much Steve. I sent you an e-mail of acceptance and appreciation. We will get together soon on this.

Lee