Franken' Rifle ID

Northern Amateur

Northern Amateur

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Acquired several BP rifles including this monstrosity. Owner was a gunsmith who liked to build rifles using original and new parts. Anyone have any idea what some of these parts came from, specifically the cylinder? The nipples are new and I don't see any markings.


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Seems impractical as the caps would likely fall off. Some sort of pepper box revolver cylinder perhaps? It looks well made and a complete picture of the gun would be great.
 
tiriaq said:
Why would he not have made the cylinder?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking - doesn't look like anything I've ever seen. Curious what he did based on the almost 90* nipple angles and the odd notches at the front of the cylinder. It looks like the nipples are offset because of the side hammer, but darn near the back of the cylinder.

I think if you're looking to sell the gun as a whole is what's worth money - parting it out doesn't make any sense as the whole things' built to fit itself I'd suspect.

Also, can't imagine I'd want to hold the fore stock on that... just imagine the chainfire potential and gas cutting...
 
It's not a Savage pistol from the 1860's. It kinda looked like it at first, but it looks like Savage didn't flute the cylinder. Also there's a kind of recoil shield on the Savage that's not on this gun.

Can't be some kind of pepperbox: they had full length cylinders instead of a shorter cylinder and a barrel.

The patina doesn't seem to quite match the other pieces of the gun. Doesn't appear to be gunsmith made.

What caliber is it?
 
I am going to go along with Tiriaq and HWally; I think the cylinder was made by the gunsmith himself. I also don't see what indexes the cylinder to the barrel unless it is the hand and possibly some sort of detente inside. Also possible that the ring in the front is actually for turning the cylinder by hand with a spring loaded indexing pin in the breach face

cheers mooncoon
 
could the cylinder be salvaged from a pinfire revolver I wonder?

Otherwise it could even have been reversed for this project, D&T'd at the muzzle end. Looks like a reversed Nagant cylinder maybe with some lathe & mill work, no?? Bore it through or whatever, easy enough. That idea would be consistent with mooncoon's suggestion?

No matter it is a neat piece. Parting it out would not only be a shame, I reckon you'd lose money over selling it as-is.
 
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