Flintlock Musket

[sawdust51]

I am trying to identify my dads old flintlock rifle, he was originally from southern Pa. and moved our family here to Alaska in the 50's. He brought three rifles with him one flintlock and two precusion, the flintlock and one of the precusions have some sort of initials hand carved into the barrel.
The only thing he knew about the flintlock was that his father had some work done on it in the early 1900's before that he had no clue, both my parents passed last year so I am left kicking my self for not asking more questions. I am most interested in the markings on the barrel and what its age might be.
I will try an attach a couple pictures

 

[spartand003]

Could we see some proof markings?

 

[spartand003]

The lock looks like a Charleyville rifle.

 

[spartand003]

Is it rifled? Sorry I have so many questions, I'm researching this currently. It looks like a Springfield Musket from the turn of the century (late 1700s to early 1800s).

 

[sawdust51]

It is smooth bore...I have never measured it but you can stick your thumb down it...

 

[4v50 Gary]

Concur. It is a Springfield or Harper's Ferry musket. Get a close up of the lockplate.

I can't do more definitive ID as my books have been packed away.

 

[sawdust51]

the lettering...was it common to "mark" your rifle for identifying? or would this have been a gunsmiths mark?

 

[Cosmoline]

GMH doesn't look like any military mark, BUT a very similar mark appeared on this otherwise unrelated flintlock:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/223073/pid/595228/

I suspect it's the mark of whatever smith was "cleaning up" these old flinters back in early 20th century. More research might uncover the identity.

 

[sawdust51]

thanks for the link to the other rifle....it looks a lot like the marking we have...also the other rifle we have with the GMH on it is a precusion octigon(sp) barreled rifle that my dad suspected of being "modernized" from a flintlock....again thanks

 

[Jim K]

I think it may have begun as a military musket, as indicated by the stock and the sling swivel hole in the trigger guard. But it is not a Springfield or Harpers Ferry musket, nor is it a Brown Bess. It has some features that might be French, but I don't think it is. The vertical line behind the cock is more characteristic of German (or German-American) workmanship than English or French, although the Mle. 1717 has a similar line.
Reilly shows a couple of muskets that have similar characteristics, but described only as being "unidentified" militia or colonial contract muskets from the pre-revolutionary war period.

The lockplate appears to have been "cleaned" and any markings removed.

The marking on the barrel looks a lot newer than the gun. If I mistake not, that is a Palmer Method "G" and if so would not have been used until the 1890s. (I suspect it was put on when the gun was "cleaned", and tend to agree with Cosmoline.)

Jim