✅ SOLVED native american gun part?

[Older The Better]

Found this today in my native American trade era site, im looking for confirmation that it is another gun part, I already have the lock and pan, trigger, main spring, trigger guard, and ramrod holder. the pattern on this piece matches the pattern found on the ramrod holder. from what I see the opening is shaped to wrap around an octagonal barrel, the round groove underneath was for the ramrod, and the wood inside is remnants of the wooden gun stock. and long shot if anyone could tell me what gun this was that would be awesome.

 

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[Fullstock]

You found a nose cap for a Kentucky Rifle/longrifle. Nice find!

 

[Joe-Dirt]

Zackly, that’s a nose cap allrighty, nice find, look around for the rest of it

 

[jewelerguy]

very cool find

 

[Yak1366]

Great find, congrats!!!

 

[Older The Better]

ive gone over that place a thousand times, with multiple detectors, multiple heads, and multiple settings. found a lot of great stuff but no gun barrel, I suspect it was repurposed and destroyed... after several visits where I didn't even get an junk iron hit I thought id found everything there is to find, then I find this today. maybe that barrel is out there under a tree or just outside of my search area.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Nose cap off a Pennsylvania longrifle for sure. No way to determine who owned it, however.

 

[ToddsPoint]

The barrel was the hardest part to make on guns of that time period. Your thought that the barrel was saved is probably correct. Gary

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

ive gone over that place a thousand times, with multiple detectors, multiple heads, and multiple settings. found a lot of great stuff but no gun barrel, I suspect it was repurposed and destroyed... after several visits where I didn't even get an junk iron hit I thought id found everything there is to find, then I find this today. maybe that barrel is out there under a tree or just outside of my search area.

First off, congrats on your find and getting an I.D. on your nose cap for a Kentucky Long Rifle by Fullstock!

Secondly, I want to compliment you for your persistence on detecting your Native American trade era site.

Persistence does pay off,
Dave

 

[Reanm8er]

Nice finds!

If you could perhaps find the barrel many makers ID-ed their barrels either by proof marks near the breach or by marks around the muzzle. I wouldn't expect Remington but perhaps French!

Best wishes!

 

[A2coins]

Go to where you found the nose piece the barrel could have sunk deeper cause of its weight dig a few inches around the area and see if you get any signals worth a try.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Nice finds!

If you could perhaps find the barrel many makers ID-ed their barrels either by proof marks near the breach or by marks around the muzzle. I wouldn't expect Remington but perhaps French!

Best wishes!

No way French. Remington unlikely (Eliaphet Remington only started up in 1816 and there would have been few such nose caps on his offerings). Most with a nose cap like that were made in Pennsylvania. If it was from an Indian trade rifle most likely Leman; but the Natives were no fools and appreciated the work of the better gunsmiths.

The barrels were made by the same gunsmith that would have made the nose cap. Or, more likely, the apprentice made the nose cap and the smith made the barrel. That is where all the talent was required. On very early rifles it was mandated that the barrel be made in England (pre-Revolution). But also the reason many old rifle barrels have no maker's marks. Screw the King!

 

[Older The Better]

great id guys it gets me much much closer to figuring out what gun ive been finding pieces of, it also falls right in line with the date for my site. Maybe ill use some of my Christmas bonus to get one of those big deep seeking heads and take some more cracks at finding that barrel.

 

[Older The Better]

would a gun in the Kentucky long rifle mold shoot .50 caliber roundballs, if so I can tie it to the bullet mold I found. and maybe .50 cal would help narrow down the gun more

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Kentucky is where some were used. Pennsylvania is where most were made.

.490" was a common ball size for use in a ".50 caliber" rifle (you have to leave room for the cloth patch. Calibers went down as time went on (fewer bears and elk east of the frontier).

Possible there is a match, but hard to say. What is the distance between the short vertical flats of the nose-piece? If it is less than 7/8" it likely was not a .50 caliber. The five flats are the lower dimensions of the eight-sided barrel.

 

[Older The Better]

bullet mold is .49 size ball so I say its .50 cal, one single side of the octagon measures .45 inches with the calipers if you go corner to opposite corner its .95 inches if that makes sense. I guess im not following where the "5" comes from on an octagonal barrel