Second muzzle loading rifle !!!

VERMONTPACKRAT · Aug 14, 2007

Diggin' bottles this morning I found my second old rifle !!!
The one on the top is from this morning, the bottom one I found when I was probably 14. " an interesting story about that if anyone would like to hear "
I have a GARRETT on the way but I have never owned a metal detector. I am excited to see what is out there buried for me to find.
Anyway, here is a picture of them....

romeo-1 · Aug 14, 2007

Oh no...where's the pic?

VERMONTPACKRAT · Aug 14, 2007

piggman1 · Aug 14, 2007

COOL finds!

Shady Digger · Aug 14, 2007

wow those are cool
the bottom looks like a lever action to me & the top is the muzzle-loader.....looks like percussion cap type, maybe late civil war?

lumbercamp · Aug 14, 2007

Guns are always a great find. Does the top gun have an octagon barrel?

VERMONTPACKRAT · Aug 14, 2007

lumbercamp said:
Guns are always a great find. Does the top gun have an octagon barrel?

About 1/3 of the barrel from the breech end is octagone.

l.cutler · Aug 15, 2007

The bottom one is one of the many variations of Cosmopolitan or Gwyn and Campbell Civil War Carbines.

theloadroom · Aug 15, 2007

VERMONTPACKRAT said:
Diggin' bottles this morning I found my second old rifle !!!
the bottom one I found when I was probably 14. " an interesting story about that if anyone would like to hear "

Please do tell !!!!

Huntr1 · Aug 15, 2007

theloadroom said:
VERMONTPACKRAT said:

Diggin' bottles this morning I found my second old rifle !!!
the bottom one I found when I was probably 14. " an interesting story about that if anyone would like to hear "

Click to expand...

Please do tell !!!!

What he said!!!!!

ravenguide · Aug 15, 2007

Holy maceral! would have loved to find them!
good diggin!

VERMONTPACKRAT · Aug 15, 2007

Here is the story of my first Muzzle loading rifle that almost drowned me...
I grew up in East Corinth, Vermont. A small river called the Tabor Branch runs through the village. I was alwas at the river fishing for trout and exploring for treasure.
I was fishing at one of the deeper swimming holes when I got a snag and lost my newly bought lure.....
The next day a friend and me went to the spot with out swimming masks to get it back. The current gets a little swift where the lure got snagged so we resorted to jumping in holding bowling ball sized rocks to carry us to the bottom. Once on the bottom, +/- 6 feet, I could see the lure tangled up with this piece or metal sticking out of the rocks and sand.
I couldnt seem to get it so I came up for air, grabbed another rock and back down knowing exactly where the lure was now.
There was what looked like an iron bar sticking out of the sand beside the strange, bent piece of metal holding my lure as prisoner. I grabbed the bar to try to loosen up the other piece of metal and presto I was holding a muzzle loading rifle with my lure hooked to the "LEVER" under the trigger!!!
Have any of you ever tried to swim in 6 feet of water holding a rifle? It is not easy. I had to drop the rifle and go up for air one more time. Kirk, my friend said that when I came up I had eyes as big as dinner plates and was gasping for air. One more time down and I had my treasure.
The rifle still had the wooden stock but as it dried in the sun on the front porch it turned to dust, now only the metal survives.
I think this gun is actually a breech loader, one that would take a paper cartridge. There is still a lead bullet in the chamber......Cant help but wonder how it ended up in the river.

Hope you like.... Be kind I type with one finger....

kenb · Aug 15, 2007

Great finds and story, congrats.

kenb

desertfox · Aug 15, 2007

VP, nice story and pictures, thanks for sharing with us. I hope you enjoy that new 250 when it comes. Most of us would be lucky to find one gun, let alone two. WYG...... HH when you get that detector.

Desertfox