Musket parts; Help needed please!

[relic lover]

A while back I posted a brass flintlock side plate with a "N" stamped into it now I found another piece it is a brass trigger guard also with the "N" and three slashes next to it which is also on the side plate but went unnoticed till now. They came from the site my 1810 belt plate in my avitar came from. I am dieing to know what they are from and what the "N" and three slashes mean please help ID them for me! Are they war of 1812 or newer?

 

[Montana Jim]

Your first piece, not the trigger guard, resembles the left side (counter) plate from a model 1816 Springfield musket. But further research shows me it could have come from a cap & ball pistol too... specifically the model 1819 single shot military revolver... I have no idea what weapon yours came from but I am confident it's a counter plate.

 

[TiredIron]

I agree with Montana Jim in that the counter plate looks like those very "close" to the plates used on the 1816 Martial Pistols of various manufacturers.
The trigger guard looks to be from a rifle of the approximate same era +50yrs, don't know who's? It doesn't look military.
Here's some pistols that are...close.
http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/142936000/142936149/pix801644000.jpg
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/images/5cc7ee23a63066cf0ceab4713b39d9bf.jpg
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/images/18ebfc41a8d67dd67c0eee50aea9bb9b.jpg
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/images/ae5f326e8e13fa9517e18acae3b29348.jpg

TiredIron
but..."Single Shot Revolver"......?? Monty!!!!
(There was one I can think of....it was the Ruger Hawkeye 256 Win Mag
only made two years 1963-64....less than 3000 made.)

 

[relic lover]

Any idea why they have the exact same markings?

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Nice digs from PA

 

[Montana Jim]

Any idea why they have the exact same markings?

They are most likely from the same weapon, or same type of weapon.

 

[TiredIron]

Any idea why they have the exact same markings?

They are most likely from the same weapon, or same type of weapon.

That is a mystery. I just know that was a period of time when weapons were completely hand crafted and interchangeability didn't exist. I'm always baffled when just certain parts of a weapon are found and not "most" of the whole weapon. I can see how in a plowed field parts could get scattered.... or if a soldier holding a weapon got blown up. With your parts being similarly mark I would expect there to be more of it.

TiredIron

 

[dcinffxva]

I believe what you have found may very well be the sideplate, and triggerguard to a US Model 1803 Harpers Ferry rifle. Not sure about the markings on yours, but some Confederate arsenals used Roman style numerals when marking parts. That may be a possibility.

Here are some pictures to compare with.

 

[TiredIron]

"dcinffxva......excellent ID".....I think your right on.
Good Job......

TiredIron

 

[kuger]

Any idea why they have the exact same markings?

They are most likely from the same weapon, or same type of weapon.

That is a mystery. I just know that was a period of time when weapons were completely hand crafted and interchangeability didn't exist. I'm always baffled when just certain parts of a weapon are found and not "most" of the whole weapon. I can see how in a plowed field parts could get scattered.... or if a soldier holding a weapon got blown up. With your parts being similarly mark I would expect there to be more of it.

TiredIron

VERY GOOD POINT,WE HAVE WONDERED THAT TOO.MY GOOD BUDDY IRONMAN FINDS A GUN PART JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME WE GO OUT,(FOUND AN INCREDIBLE PIECE LAST WEEKEND............SHARPS).ALWAYS SEEMS TO FIND MIXED PARTS TOGETHER TOO?

 

[relic lover]

I believe what you have found may very well be the sideplate, and triggerguard to a US Model 1803 Harpers Ferry rifle. Not sure about the markings on yours, but some Confederate arsenals used Roman style numerals when marking parts. That may be a possibility.

That is a perfect match! Thanks

 

[relic lover]

Any idea why they have the exact same markings?

They are most likely from the same weapon, or same type of weapon.

That is a mystery. I just know that was a period of time when weapons were completely hand crafted and interchangeability didn't exist. I'm always baffled when just certain parts of a weapon are found and not "most" of the whole weapon. I can see how in a plowed field parts could get scattered.... or if a soldier holding a weapon got blown up. With your parts being similarly mark I would expect there to be more of it.

TiredIron

VERY GOOD POINT,WE HAVE WONDERED THAT TOO.MY GOOD BUDDY IRONMAN FINDS A GUN PART JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME WE GO OUT,(FOUND AN INCREDIBLE PIECE LAST WEEKEND............SHARPS).ALWAYS SEEMS TO FIND MIXED PARTS TOGETHER TOO?

There could be more the two parts were 50 yards apart!

 

[Tnmountains]

Lots of times after a battle was over and the men moved on scavengers moved in and removed everything they could find. Lots of times the things we find were the things that they missed. After the war even, I have heard of men going back to certain battle sites and collecting souvenirs. So maybe many of the small things we find were damaged or very small and trampled into the mud and a hard eye ball find ?
Nice finds and I.D
HH
TnMtns

 

[Montana Jim]

I believe what you have found may very well be the sideplate, and triggerguard to a US Model 1803 Harpers Ferry rifle.

Nice work!

 

[rjw4law]

Makes ya wonder where is the rest of it.

 

[MilitaryCollector]

Between 1807 and 1808, the U.S. Government issued contracts to private manufacturers to produce rifles based on the Model 1803 weapon.
Now go do more research