[Dave Beck]

Hello folks - this gun has been passed down in the family and I would like to start identifying what it is and possibly the origins. Can you help? I thought it might be a 1817 Common Rifle but it does not have the patch box on the stock. Do you have a wag on the value?

 

[Old Guns]

Here is a link to site with a fair amount of information on Derringer Rifles. It looks like your gun is built or based on a US model 1816 stock. The 1816 stock has no comb and is straight like your gun. What caliber is your gun and is it rifled?

 

[Dave Beck]

Here is a link to site with a fair amount of information on Derringer Rifles. It looks like your gun is built or based on a US model 1816 stock. The 1816 stock has no comb and is straight like your gun. What caliber is your gun and is it rifled?

Old Guns...it is .69 caliber and rifled. We successfully shot 5 minie balls @ 60gr. Last weekend. So from a historical perspective, why would a musket with military markings not have a patch box or did those come along later? Also, when did they start flintlock convertions? Was it around 1816?

 

[Old Guns]

I forgot to put the link in. It has some good history on Derringer.

https://www.collegehillarsenal.com/shop/product.php?productid=1478

The gun was built as a Percussion rifle. It may have used parts from older guns. The link gives some history. Patchboxes more or less fell out of favor in military guns pretty early. The US model 1816 was a flintlock and had no patchbox. It was in production for many years. Conversions started more or less around 1840. The US 1842 was a percussion model. Many older guns were converted for the civil war.