Gun Barrel from New Jersey site

[randazzo1]

Hey all - went out this morning with my brothers and our buddy despite the rain and pulled more cool relics from the site we've been hitting the last six months.

Today we got a real mind blower - what we believe to be a gun barrel or some other sort of weapon barrel. Looks like there is a spot for a fuse or flint spark.

We cleaned the hell out of it and can barely make out a series of roman numerals on the bottom of the barrel that say 'Xllll Xllll".

On the top of the barrel it has two silver bars one has what looks sort of like an O or a D at the back end and one that appears to be an H at the other. In between the two it looks like their are letters but it is very hard to decipher. The more we clean it the harder it gets to read so no more cleaning that the moment.

Its iron and seems like silver but hasn't been tested.

Any and all info greatly appreciated, thanks.

randazzo1

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

It does resemble a very short muzzleloader barrel. Too bad yuou cant post a clearer picture with a camera.

 

[randazzo1]

Thanks for the info bigcypress - i only have the scanner right now. dropped the cam in the water.

I'm searching muzzeloader on google images and see why you say short - they're all rifles. maybe somebody cut it down like a sawed off shotgun and then put the silver metal sight on the front? The opening in the barrel actually looks like it might have been cut.

thanks

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It even looks like it has a tang on the end and a place for the nipple. The pictures are not clear on this.

 

[trusty]

randazzo,

Probably from one similar to this one

 

[randazzo1]

cell phone pic of gun barrel attached for added clarity. controller for scale.

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

Pistol barrel, need clearer picture of pan area, for that is what it looks like to me, not the area for a nipple bolster for percussion, but rather a flintlock pan. Usually the pan is part of the lock, but I have seen pictures where the pan is intregal with the barrel. Better pictures would be good. also one odd thing, the number 14 twice in roman numerals, usually you see XIV for 14 not XIIII maybe that means something.

 

[sharpshooter]

IMO a barrel from a Derringer pistol. Dovetail front sight and the two bands on the breech plug are most likely German silver which was common. Definitely a cap lock, not a flintlock. Marking on the bottom of the barrel may be proof marks when the barrel was proofed. There should be some more parts near where the barrel was found such as lock parts, trigger guard, etc. Gunmakers from that era usually signed their work with a graver on top of the barrel, top of the breech plug tang and very often on the lock plate. Neat find.

 

[randazzo1]

Maybe something like this. Looks a lot like it except no silver. Friggin Awesom if you ask me.

 

[l.cutler]

Beautiful little percussion pocket pistol barrel, awesome find!

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

""One thing that is throwing me sideways on this is that I don't remember seeing a blackpowder pistol with a dovetail front sight..""

there are a lot of pictures of flintlock and percussion pistols with dovetail front sights, just google
when I was looking for something that looked like the barrel in question, I saw many.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If it is a percussion cap type muzzleloader, there would be a threaded hole for the nipple. The cap goes on the nipple and the hammer hits down on it causing a spark. Is there a threaded hole?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here are the missing parts.

 

[lonesomebob]

tHE TWO SILVER BANDS AT THE BREECHare decoration,from what I can see it looks flint to me. the marks on the bottom are assembly marks put in by the smith to identify parts for the assembly and to mark the bottom flat. Keep diggin. Bob

 

[randazzo1]

THanks justgeese, l.cutler, sharpshooter, littleneckhalfshell, trusty, bigcypresshunter and lonesomebob. Based on the info you provided I've found dozens of guns it could be online.
Bigcyrpress- I can't tell if its threaded. It looks smooth to me.

I'm going to bring it to the next local gun show that comes around.
I'd love to find the rest of it so I'll think I'll head out tomorrow and look around.

randazzo1