I have sent images of this BP rifle around to various custom BP rifle makers and also to the National Muzzle Loaders. They put an honest effort into it and they could only speculate.
There is a name on the side plate of E. Barber. Unknown whether it was the owners name or the maker. However no gun maker came up as E. Barber.
No markings any where except on the trigger group that has a old style 35 stamped on it. Possibly the makers number to keep track of the items he made.
Caliber is .45 without a place for a false muzzle. First image shows what the rifle looked like before I put pins in the under lugs to hold the wood to the barrel. I also added a brass lip to the front of the rifle.
Front sights are original but the rear are probably added as an after thought.
Has a real decent set trigger and it goes off crisp.
I first thought it was a plains rifle but i think mine weighs 16 pounds. Somebody else thought it was a target rifle or a mixture of German and English styles
Well, what ever it is I will keep it. I shot a few Power Belt bullets out of it and I just guessed at the load. Had to use regular black powder as the spark was not hot enough to set of Pyrodex.
At one hundred yards I was able to get a group the size of a .50 cent piece off of a rest. The rear sight is a Redfield (#1?) held on by a custom made twisted piece of steel!
Need to put a deflector on the nipple as I was getting sprayed with cap parts. Those hurt!!
Take a look please and offer any comments. I can get better images if somebody wants to see them.
Front of barrel....
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