Hugs and kisses from the business end?

[desidog]

Any idea about what these markings mean? I assume that my thread title is a bit off...



I've seen various muzzles on BP guns marked with X's and O's before; I've never really thought about it much...but i just got a heavy barreled target .45 (w/ a Springfield 1865 lock) and it piqued my interest. Is it a maker's mark of some sort, a decoration, or what?

Thanks for the help, i'm stumped.

 

[J-Bar]

The dimples between the X and O may be for aligning a "false muzzle", a device for starting a projectile without endangering the barrel's crown. But they seem small even for that.

Otherwise, I got nuthin'!

 

[Gordon]

old time bling

 

[D. Buck Stopshere]

Yea, just fancy decoration.

 

[MikeJackmin]

The early version of "Smile, Wait For Flash".

 

[4v50 Gary]

Thanks. Never seen that before.

 

[desidog]

"The dimples " are just that; not deep enough for alignment pins, and there's no other point of purchase, so it's strickly aesthetic.