Butt Plate I.D.

[deedubs]

Is there anyway to determine the type of gun and the approximate age by the style of the plate? Any help would be appreciated.

 

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[Tejaas]

General location you found it?


~Tejaas~

 

[deedubs]

South... Plantation ruin.

 

[BuckleBoy]

That's an interesting one. My guess is "Kentucky" Rifle due to how ornate and unusual it is, but I'll let more knowledgeable members reply.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

What material? Iron or brass?

It's pretty flat - usually indicates a smoothbore, musket or rifled musket. Four screws (rather than a screw or two and pinned tang) would indicate 1820 or later. Screws were hard to make before they were mass-produced. So that takes us past flintlocks into percussion era or cartridge.

The "horns" are decorative - which rules out military musket or rifled musket.

So, that leaves: Shotgun/smoothbore (fowler), trade gun (fancier grade), English style percussion rifle (if made of iron/steel).

 

[deedubs]

The plate is brass, I did find a piece of flint wrapped in lead about 2 feet away from the plate, but that could be from a different gun I guess..

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Brass would tend to indicate American (or Germanic states like Austria or Prussia).

Some folks preferred flintlocks right up to the Civil War and they were still being made past that time.