antique rifle flint-lock? no indications of date, or brand VERY OLD

By cliffdimerandy, 30 September, 2013
Description

my godfather gave me this gun before he passed in 1994. i dont know anything about it, can you tell me possibly what kind of gun it is and perhaps the date? that would be great as i know nothing about guns,

the gun isnt in the best of shape, he told me they found it underground while digging a foundation for something, from what ive researched its an antique flintlock black powder rifle, but i could be wrong, i know nothing about guns and there values, i was told by someone it was made before 1900. any help? that be appreciated

Category
Militaria
Medium
wood and steel with some iron
Distinguishing marks
there really is no actual company stamp, there is however a very nice design into the iron above the trigger
Condition
Good
Size and dimensions of this item
i believe its the size of a normal shotgun u would see now
Date Period
1899
Weight
its not very heavy. i cant even guess a weight
History
llike i said i dont know much about it, i did some research and ive kind of narrowed it down, but nothing so far as far as date or what its worth... i made a detailed video of the gun which i uploaded to my youtube account. here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf68NfW6Ih0
Price Paid (If known)
i was given it by my godfather before he died in 1994
For Sale?
No
Photos

iceblade10

11 years 7 months ago

I'm not an expert, but I'll tell you my hunches and educated guesses.

- This is not a flintlock, but a percussion cap firearm.  You can see the nipple, where the cap would be placed on, but the hammer is missing.

- Percussion caps were used until the end of the Civil War, so I would guess your firearm is from the 1850s-1860s.

- I can't tell if it is a rifle, as it's possible it's actually a shotgun.  Is the inside of the barrel large and smooth, or a bit narrower and rifled (twisted spiral alone the inside)?

- It's definitely not military, but rather a sportsman's firearm.  Possibly for birding?

- Value-wise, this probably would not be worth much, as it is in pretty rough shape, and condition is very important for antique firearms.

I would recommend trying to do a web search for the markings you mentioned, as that will tell you more about who made it.

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hey thanks for the info. yeah i dont know much about it. someone told me about the flintlock and i looked up images and there was one page that had an image and the side of the gun was exactly like mine and that one was a flintlock one.... uh the barrell to me looks pretty much round inside as the outside if that makes any sense. 1850's? wow... thats pretty old. didnt think it could be that old. im gonna do more research on it. i wish there was some identicating factors on it, but theres none that i can tell...to brand it and give it an accurate year but thanks for your reply!

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this is what i was told by an appraiser

 

Dear Sir,
It is a single barrel muzzle loader probably 12 bore. Made in roughly 1850, condition wise is extremely poor. Commercial value almost none existent.

 

so..... yeah i guess

 

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Jim Hartz

10 years 9 months ago

It isn't a flintlock but a percussion single shot.  There's no way to tell gauge without measuring.

Without info about proofmarks I can't tell  where it was made.  Most were Belgian made and would have a proof under the barrel.    I think the shaft is gone that the hammer mounts to.

It is a neat old gun probably a "farm gun" that brought home the bacon sometime ago.

I would say value is $65 tops as a piece of Americana and a wallhanger.

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