Barrel Band...Help Identify

[puterdoc]

Barrel Band for Civil War Rifle??...Help Identify

I was in Virginia hunting near the the path that General Lee took out of Richmond in April 1865. Found some artifacts (bullets, buttons, etc.) that were great finds. Also found this item that looks like it might be a barrel Band, but I have not been able to identify it. Can anyone help and point me in the right direction?

Added some extra photo angles per request...

 

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[archer63]

are you sure its not from a rifle?

 

[skeeterd]

It's definatly a barrel band. But someone else will have to give you more information than I can. Searching google, I found very few barrel bands with solid loops for the rifle slings. And most of those were round. A cool find tho!

 

[BosnMate]

Could you give us a sideways photo also. I've never seen a sling swivel that doesn't swivel, and that should aid in an ID, side view would help also. Agree with Skeetered, it's a barrel band, off a rifle or musket and someone on here will know which one.

 

[nhbenz]

The attachment of the sling swivel almost looks like a poorly done modification?? as it would seem to interfere with the fit?? Unless the particular type of rifle already had grooves that aligned with where the welds protrude into the interior of the band? (lotta' question marks in there, eh?)

 

[puterdoc]

Added some additional photos to show more detail

 

[skeeterd]

The sling swivel seems to be an original part of the band by looking at the casting seam.

 

[BosnMate]

Man I'm still stumped. I see the casting or mold mark goes right on through the sling swivel, so it's not an add on or after thought, it was built that way on purpose. It's got to be rare, because I've been a gun nut for at least 65 years, and never seen one. Perhaps it's not a barrel band for a gun. I'm looking into this one further, that's for sure.

 

[puterdoc]

I was stumped on this...that's why I thought I ask the experts...I looked thru my sources and could not find a example...

 

[Ism]

If its for a gun barrel, how bout a toy gun?

 

[taz42o]

If its for a gun barrel, how bout a toy gun?

Thats my guess also judging by the poor quality casting .
puterdoc, what metal is it ?

 

[Retired Sarge]

What has me intrigued is the shape of it, seems more squared off than I am use to seeing! Also all the ones I've seen are either split ring, or have a screw to loosen the tension on it for removal, none in this case!

ETA: Just looked at all my rifles I have a Mauser that the barrel band is solid and has no way to loosen the tension, only the barrel band spring holds it in place along with a pin through the band itself.

 

[taz42o]

Many of the old muzzle loaders had solid barrel bands held by the retainer spring just like your Mauser , Sharps and Enfield are two, but I dont know of any with a square sling loop.
Even those old guns had better finished castings than that.
Just looks to poorly finished to be from a real gun.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Me either with the square loop, and all any fixed loops ones I've seen are the on the side versus the bottom. Looked at a lot of toy rifles and most of them don't have a sling loop or are swivel style, this is going to be a fun one. Might take a while to find a match to this one!

 

[puterdoc]

Not sure on the type of metal. I did not do a lot of cleaning on it because I did not want to damage it. I only used a small nylon brush on it to get the dirt off. It does not show much in the way of corrosion on it. My digital scale shows it weighs in at 15.9g.

 

[skeeterd]

Maybe it's from a foreign rifle. That would open up alot of possibilities.

 

[mick56]

Is it magnetic? Otherwise, it looks like it may be pot metal, and that would make it more likely to be for a toy gun.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

This one has me stumped too. The casting line on it seems to suggest that it was either never finished, or was part of a VERY cheap gun, maybe a toy...... I'll keep looking though because I really want to figure it out now.

 

[puterdoc]

Is it magnetic? Otherwise, it looks like it may be pot metal, and that would make it more likely to be for a toy gun.

Just checked and it is not magnetic....

 

[Retired Sarge]

Remember that just because an item is not finished or is crudely finished that it can't be for a real one. During WWII lots of foreign weapons never received final finishing in order to get them out to the troops. Example would be some of the Russian Mosin-Nagants. Not saying this is the case in this one, but just as a note.