I remember when we used to shoot them.

[drm2m]

Canada is not the best place to be a CW collector….however once upon a time there was a supply of CW pieces at a cost that was certainly less than in the U.S.

I realized some years ago that if I wanted to continue my collecting passion for U.S. Civil War stuff it would probably have to come from the U.S. at a time when the reduced value of the Canadian dollar was a serious issue.

For perhaps this reason I started to focus on other stuff…..and my collection went off in a totally different direction……somewhat crazy..as shown below.

Definately not black powder.
(It was not by choise.)

David

Click on the bar to enlarge the images.























Close up photo of markings.

[gunluvver]

Quite the collection!

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Absolutely astounding collection!

[jmoore]

Dang, my primary squirrel rifle is a 42" bbl. half stocked .355" bore that's been in the family since the 1800's. Been shot a blue million times up to the 1930's at which time it sat until I started to revive it in the 1980's. FINALLY reinvented the wheel and freshed out the bore about 7-8 years ago. (hence the odd bore size, that's just at what size it cleaned up!) Shoots thick patched OO buck right well out to 50yds. (.22 rifles just ain't sportin' after the first couple o' hundred or so)

Heck, we'uns have shot an original P'53 Enfield, '61 Eli Whitney, '63 Springfield, '42(?) Springfield percussion musket, plus other stuff I can't even recollect right now, all w/ no harm to the shooters or the weapons. Generally, if they're ugly on the outside but pretty on the inside, its fair game!

[gew8805]

.............................................

Rifle with "Joseph Manton Warranted" marked on lockplate.
The rifle appears to be what is termed a "drum and nipple" conversion of a flintlock. A pity, as it would be much more valuable in its original condition. Note that the angle of the nipple does not match well to the face of the hammer. The marking "Joseph Manton Warranted" does not, unfortunately, prove anything, as label falsification was rife before modern concepts of copyright were developed and enforced. I am sceptical about the origin of that lock (hence the recommendation above).


Patrick

Patrick, some good points made on the shooting of original guns.

I'd like to offer my thoughts on the above mentioned rifle. Due to the configuration of the stock and the style of decoration, I have to say that stylistically the rifle dates to the post-1850 time period and was made as a percussion rifle, it was never a flintlock. The lock can easily date to the mid-percussion period , thus putting the date for the rifle slightly later, my guess would be 1860 - 1870. It was always a percussion lock and is original to the stock inlet. The so called drum and nipple conversion is the simplest way to not only convert a rifle but it is also the easiest way to percussion a new rifle so we find many rifles that were built that way. It has been carefully maintained over the years and the owner should be proud of it as has been suggested.

The hammer appears to be original to the lock, so it is possible that someone over the years unwisely removed the drum (for no good reason, there rarely is) and then, when replacing it, overtightened it throwing out of index. It has been fired many times in it's current position (maybe dry fired?) as the hammer nose is obviously well worn, making actual firing hazardous due to a lack of containment of possible cap fragments.

[wireless_wpn]

Patrick, some good points made on the shooting of original guns.

I'd like to offer my thoughts on the above mentioned rifle. Due to the configuration of the stock and the style of decoration, I have to say that stylistically the rifle dates to the post-1850 time period and was made as a percussion rifle, it was never a flintlock. The lock can easily date to the mid-percussion period , thus putting the date for the rifle slightly later, my guess would be 1860 - 1870. It was always a percussion lock and is original to the stock inlet. The so called drum and nipple conversion is the simplest way to not only convert a rifle but it is also the easiest way to percussion a new rifle so we find many rifles that were built that way. It has been carefully maintained over the years and the owner should be proud of it as has been suggested.

The hammer appears to be original to the lock, so it is possible that someone over the years unwisely removed the drum (for no good reason, there rarely is) and then, when replacing it, overtightened it throwing out of index. It has been fired many times in it's current position (maybe dry fired?) as the hammer nose is obviously well worn, making actual firing hazardous due to a lack of containment of possible cap fragments.

Sorry to replay so late, but now is as good as anytime.

First of all, yes, I have to agree with the above statement.
There are many rifles like this in Southern, Ontario Canada

Joseph Manton was a Gunsmith that was building guns in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
I do not have information on the exact years, but I have a source who will know.

You will see many of his creations threw out Ontario and up-state New York, U.S.A.
He would build to order.
Many of the Manton rifles in Ontario seem to fetch a premium price and not so much in places where he is not known.
There are Manton rifles shot weekly at our Black Powder nights at our local club here in Burlington, Ontario.

Not sure if he produced his own locks or had them stamped.
I presume they where stamped.

[blackcat_attilio]

Hi drm2m! Ya, it's time you went back to the shooting range . Nice couple!!!