GUNS!!!

[edgy46]

As I stated before it belonged to Nathanial Evans Wright 1815-1888 brother of Richard E.. Wright my great great grandfather. the gun is 48" long. I had to go to the family history book to check my facts. There is a piece of wood between the nipple and the hammer that was there when I recieved it. The top of the barrel and the lock are stamped C.C. AICHELE. I recall Grandpa telling Dad about an old gun with an unsafe trigger that he had put back and wouldn't shoot again. This gun has has a hammer that can't be trusted to not drop. As old as it is I am afraid to fire it. The hammer dosent scare me, but I don't want to trust the breech plug. There looks to be a modern screw in the back strap. A dealer in old percussion and flinters told me he could take it apart and repair the trigger, and also possibly tell if it started life as a flintlock. He also told me that the style of the lock was sometimes used when converting to percussion. I declined to have it touched. The dealer said it was common to move the rear sight into focus as the owners eyes aged. Uncle Ev was born in N.Y.state and moved with his family (dad brothers and sisters) to Michigan in 1835 then to N.E. Indiana in 1836. Two of his brothers left for Oregon in 1858, and I went to a reunion there in 1995. I think I have answered all of your questions (and a lot more) so I'll stop here. Thank all of you for your comments.

Special thanks to Wullie for the link

[Aimus Moses]

I'm sorry FRJ, I meant edgy. I'm not very good at scrolling the screen on this laptop when my fingers won't hardly bend right. edgy, not having the old rifle reworked was a wise choice.
People would be surprized at the loss in value on an old firearm when they clean off what they thought was gunk to them but really was patina to a collector. I know the rifle would never be sold because of the family history it has so collector market value is useless. The wood at the nipple that wullie was talking about could mean it was converted and he's most likely right or sometimes the old timers would pack the side with powder to try to get damp or misfired powder loads to fire. It's a fine part of history and nice looker to boot, thanks for sharing it with us.

Aimus

[jerryd6818]

Thanks Guy's.. ..I thought it was cool to see a gun,like the one you own, being used in a movie.

Gmusic..I know what ya mean..my Old Man had a gun back a few years ago that a single cartridge cost Him $1.25..that could get costly.

My son-in-law has a S&W 500. I hope to get to shoot it this Thanksgiving weekend. Take a look at ammo cost for that beast http://east.outdoormarksman.com/index.p ... h=65_1_203

Year before last, one of the Christmas presents I gave him was a box a box of 20 I bought at Gander Mountain. I paid $60 for that dad-gummed box of cartridges.

I did get to fire the S&W 500 this past weekend. You were right Gringo, the fun does end after the first two rounds. I shot ten rounds. By the end of the first cylinder I'd had just about enough but like the old fool I am, I came back later for a second cylinder. The second time around I should have stopped after the first shot and saved $12. It doesn't buck like they show in that video that was going around (maybe because that idiot was holding it wrong?) but it kicks back into the wrist and after four or five rounds, it's painful. I think it needs a fatter grip across the back strap but even then, I doubt it would be a pleasure to shoot. Everyone should shoot one once, just to say they've done it.

[johnnierotten]

Everyone should shoot one once, just to say they've done it.

.I know I would love to. .....I don't plan on buying one..but who knows.

Thanks for the input,Jerry.

[jerryd6818]

Everyone should shoot one once, just to say they've done it.

.I know I would love to. .....I don't plan on buying one..but who knows.

Thanks for the input,Jerry.

At around $1300 a pop, I can understand that.

I think you mean, "thanks for going through that painful experience, Jerry, so we don't have to"

[FRJ]

Jerry, I've got to hand it to you. 10 rounds of 50 cal. seems a days work. I have never shot one, but I would love to.
I don't think I could put up with 10 rounds though. Did you hit anything, thats the question. For instance, coud you put that poison pill in a bears shoulder to keep it from ............ becoming social?
For me, that would be something to consider. Ya, I could probably shoot the gun, but could I crank it right to keep myself alive. Of course if your just hunting with it that's another story.............. I guess.

[johnnierotten]

I guess I should of wrote thanks for the WARNING!!

[Owd Wullie]

Great pics Edgy,

I think it was born a cap and ball. The missing wood around the thimble is not uncommon as the fulminate from the old caps would get into the wood and soften it over time in that area. I'd still run it by those guys at the longrifle forum. Be interesting to know where that maker was from. I know they'd like to see it too.

She's a beautiful old rifle.

[jerryd6818]

Jerry, I've got to hand it to you. 10 rounds of 50 cal. seems a days work. I have never shot one, but I would love to.
I don't think I could put up with 10 rounds though. Did you hit anything, thats the question. For instance, coud you put that poison pill in a bears shoulder to keep it from ............ becoming social?
For me, that would be something to consider. Ya, I could probably shoot the gun, but could I crank it right to keep myself alive. Of course if your just hunting with it that's another story.............. I guess.

Actually, with the first cylinder, I put three out of five in the black from about 35-40 yds. That's not bad considering it was starting to get dark, I was shooting downhill and with these bifocals I can't see squat (especially the sights and target at the same time). I didn't even check the target on the second cylinder 'cause by that time, it was getting really dark, my hands were about frozen stiff, my wrist hurt and I didn't care anymore. The fun had left the building and we still had to pick up after ourselves before we could go to the house.

[tjmurphy]

Jerry, I've got to hand it to you. 10 rounds of 50 cal. seems a days work. I have never shot one, but I would love to.
I don't think I could put up with 10 rounds though. Did you hit anything, thats the question. For instance, coud you put that poison pill in a bears shoulder to keep it from ............ becoming social?
For me, that would be something to consider. Ya, I could probably shoot the gun, but could I crank it right to keep myself alive. Of course if your just hunting with it that's another story.............. I guess.

Actually, with the first cylinder, I put three out of five in the black from about 35-40 yds. That's not bad considering it was starting to get dark, I was shooting downhill and with these bifocals I can't see squat (especially the sights and target at the same time). I didn't even check the target on the second cylinder 'cause by that time, it was getting really dark, my hands were about frozen stiff, my wrist hurt and I didn't care anymore. The fun had left the building and we still had to pick up after ourselves before we could go to the house.

I feel your pain Jerry. Ain't that the sh*ts

[jerryd6818]

Yes, T.J. that sucks swamp water through a flavor straw.

BUT

I hear there's a little device you can clip on your glasses that has a pin hole in it that solves that problem. http://www.amazon.com/Lyman%C2%AE-Hawke ... B0001EQEIC

If that works as well as I've been told, it just might put the joy back in shooting.

[FRJ]

Jerry,
as much as I hate to admit it I have the same problem. My buddy has that Lyman device; I've never seen him use it much, but it's slick. His has an adjustable aperature.
I made my own out of brass strapping that I got .......somewhere. Notice the first prototype; the hole was too big and see the light reflecting off the hole edge. I didn't like that, so I remembered I had small brass tubes from God knows where
(I'll buy anything) and I soldered one into place. The aperature seems out of place, but that is actually where I view the sights in shooting position. lots of extra material below the apperature to reduce incoming light. My lens is glass. The new plastic lenses, which I have in current glasses, I fear, will scratch.
If I couldn't hit squat I would still find joy in shooting, part of the reason I do it is just to smell the gunpowder.
SMELLS SOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!

[jerryd6818]

Well, ain't you the clever little dickens. I guess you could make it out of most anything. I think I read someplace where even a piece of cardboard like the back of a paper tablet will work. I'm going to have to try that. Thanks for the tip.

[edgy46]

aimus moses

When the dealer looked at the gun he said it was worth 400-600 dollars, and that he didn't want to buy it. I wouldn't sell it for ten times that. Family relics do not belong to us, we just hold them for a while and look for a younger family member that loves family more than money. Pass it on while you are alive,because wills are pretty much useless if anyone wants to hire a lawyer. As to your mistake, I made the same one in the last few days

wullie

My confirmation E-Mail arrived today from American Longrifles, and I will persue any information that they can offer. The original owner was 21 whan he moved with his family to Indiana in 1836. His father expected sons to work for him until age 21, he then gave them a new axe and a twenty dollar gold pieceto start their life. Here is a picture of the nipple area. the wood and metal is ate up. the cutout in the wood is unusual. Scanned a picture of the original owner.( no date) P.S. he is the one in the middle

[Owd Wullie]

COOL Bill,

I'm thinkin she's been re-breeched at some point in time. I'd bet it originally had a fancy shield around the backside of the nipple, hence that cut out on the front of the lock. You can look through their library and see some similar back action locks with the type of nipple guard that I'm talking about.

Keep us posted on what the "eggspurts" over there say.

W

[edgy46]

Wullie
I recieved a lot of information on Americanlongrifles from msmith. Charles G. Aichele 1834-1914. He relocated to Kendallville, Indiana in 1866 and opened a gun shop where he worked until 1873. My Grandfather 1888-1981 lived his adult life in Kendalville, and loved guns as much as I love pocketknives. This timeline does not line up very well with the family history, so I am at a loss as to the real story. From what I have learned I believe this gun to predate his time in Kendallvile. At the least I now know who made it. Thanks again for the link. Happy hunting.

[Owd Wullie]

Cool beans!!

It's a bit later than I thought, but it is a very nice old rifle. Interesting differences on the family timeline. I'd bet that over time somebody got confused about the rifle and the story stayed.

Either way it is a great piece of history and even greater piece of family history!

[JWS]

Here is a few of my handguns.

[fergusontd]

These are pictures for a recent post about zbout a 25 cal. pistol. It was made in Germany in the 30's. I hope someone can idenify it. ftd

imagesCAVSW297.jpg (9.64 KiB) Viewed 693 times

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[FRJ]

WOW!! JWS.......nice guns..........what are those revolvers at 1 and 7 O'clock? English I reckon.

[jerryd6818]

By doing a Google search, I found this on The Firing Line Forum.

"Hawes was a major importer during the 50s and 60s. Their single action type firearms came from Germany (JP Sauer). Their little inexpensive .25 however was Italian made by Galisi. It was sold under several models numbers and names, the most common was the Courier and Model 50 and 504-505. Hawes did import a few .25 cal that were made by JP Sauer. They were clearly marked Made In West Germany."

[JWS]

WOW!! JWS.......nice guns..........what are those revolvers at 1 and 7 O'clock? English I reckon.

Thank You;
1 oclock is a Webley (English Issue .38 S&W) 7 oclocke is a Mosin Nagant Russian Revolver
( sliding cylinder ) Center is my pride & joy 1918 colt .45 Army.

J.W.

[johnnierotten]

The 7 o'clock looks like a Webley..
Very nice assortment of firearms!!

[fergusontd]

Thanks Jerryd6818 for that info! I'll pass that on to my son-in-law. ftd

[Gunsmoke47]

Love that Nagant!