Sunday, July 5, 2009

This is my Rifle

There are many almost none like it, but this one is mine ...


When I was a kid growing up, there was a storage trunk in the basement. A trunk with a gun.

It was quite safe - not only was the barrel separate from the stock, there was no ammunition, percussion caps, or powder. But it was a gun nevertheless. Great-grandfather's gun.

I thought that it was Great-Great-Grandfather's Civil War musket, that he had carried with Sherman through Georgia. Kind of interesting when we lived in Roswell, where Sherman had burned the mill. To this day they hate him - maybe it was less burning the mill as it was packing the women folk up on trains and sending them to prison camps in the north. Don't think that Great-Great-Gramps had anything to do with that, but you never know.

Last week when we were in Washington DC, we stopped at my older brother's house to see them. We drove it back with us because after all, I'm the shooting nut of the family. I hadn't seen it for thirty years, and so was surprised when I unboxed it.

This is no Civil War rifle. It's a hunting rifle. Percussion cap, second half of the nineteenth century, but it's clearly not military. There are no markings on it, other than an engraving of some birds.


So dad and I had a chat on its history. He found it in his Grandfather's house, back in the 1930s. He thinks it was originally his Great-Grandfather's rifle. Says he was told that it took the last deer in Elk county, Kansas (one of the probably thousand rifles that took the last deer in Elk county, no doubt). Family tradition is that there's a ball stuck in the barrel. I don't think that I'll poke around to find out about that ...

It's sadly abused. The stock is broken in a couple of places, likely when the barrel was removed. My plan had been to get it repaired, when I thought it was a Civil War rifle. Now, I'm not sure. I'll probably reattach the barrel so that I can hang it on a wall, along with its powder horn.

Historical value? Probably none. Family value? Immeasurable, at least to me. My family never came from money, and this put food on the table, nourishing past generations of the Borepatch clan. It's earned a place of honor.
My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life.

Thus, I will learn it as a brother.
Welcome home, brother.

UPDATE 25 July 2009 13:52: More here and here.

12 comments:

Z@X said...

That is a super-cool old rifle!

Whether it was used for war or for hunting, that rifle is a true family treasure.

Borepatch said...

Thanks, James. It seems like a crying shame to leave it in the attic.

I'm going to hang it on the wall, once I have the barrel back on.

Paladin said...

Oh man... that's awesome. Especially with the family historical ties that surround it. Defintely needs to be out where you can see it daily. That's how we stay immortal - through people saying our name and thinking about us after we're gone.

ASM826 said...

Take a rod smaller than the bore, like a cleaning rod, and slide it down the barrel. Mark the point where it hits the bottom. Then remove it, lay it along side the barrel, and you will know if there is anything in it. If the rod reaches to the rear of the barrel, it is clear.

There are a number of safe ways to get an old ball out of a barrel and repairing these rifles is not that difficult, I know two people at my club that do it as a hobby.

That being said, you still would want experienced help if you ever decided to fire it. I fired a flintlock "Tennessee" rifle yesterday at an Independence Day shoot. It was a modern replica, and lots of fun to learn about.

doubletrouble said...

At LEAST, let's get a suitable-looking ramrod on the thing...

Borepatch said...

Paladin, you're absolutely right. We had a lot of discussion about where to put it so we actually see it. I posted a pic.

ASM, it might be interesting to see if it could shoot. But as I said in my post, it's been sadly neglected over the years. I'd absolutely want someone who knows what they're doing looking at it.

Doubletrouble, do you know anyone who might have something? Probably the right diameter metal rod cut to length would work, but I'd like something that looked right for the period.

doubletrouble said...

Check @ Dixie Gun Works.
They have tons of BP stuff, including rifles.
You probably ought to do some research to see what the rod looked like originally, then get a replacement from Dixie.
They are typically less than $10, fancy ones up to $20.

doubletrouble said...

PS-
it's important to note that ramrods are not sold specific to the caliber- they are specific to the thimble inside diameters on the gun.

Shy Wolf said...

Looks like a Hawken style, to me, anyway. As to the ramrod- well, oak, ash, birch or maple all make a pretty serviceable rod for charging. If you want to get fancy, order a factory built one from Dixie, maybe even Thompson Center, that has the cleaning jags.
Shy III

Borepatch said...

Doubetrouble, it doesn't sound like a big hit. I'll look into it.

Shy, I've never heard of a Hawken style, but will use my Google-fu. I looked all over the rifle (with a magnifying glass), and literally the only markings were some engraved birds. Interesting mystery. I do know that the family was living in Kansas then, but nationwide distribution was decently good by the 1880s.

Borepatch said...

Hokey smokes, Shy - it sure does look like a Hawken.

I'll take it down and measure things tomorrow.

Thanks!

Buffboy said...

BP, I don't know if I'd say its historical value is nil, if that is a "real" Hawken then you have a low 5 figure(in $) wall hanger even in that condition. Though a lot of rifles were called that(the two brothers Hawken started a trend that was widely imitated) throughout the 1830s-70s, the chances almost guarantee that it is one of the imitators. Still, the imitations get into serious value too. It might not hurt to have a professional appraisal. I know you have no plans to sell, but you may want to insure. It would also be nice to know its maker for your future generations.

As to shooting it, I wouldn't completely give up that idea just yet. With the old animal fat lubes used back in the day, they would literally soak into the metal, like a well seasoned cast iron skillet. You might be surprised to find the bore cleans up pretty well.