So, I Found a Gun...

[Driftwoood]

Hello all! I was out detecting an old home site in the woods the other day, taking advantage of the warmer-than-usual January weather. The site seems to be from the mid 1800's through the very early 1900's. Below are some finds from the site that I have dug over the past several months just to give you an idea of what is there:







So, the other day, I found a nice convex one-piece floral patterned button, another buckle like the ones pictured above and a gun... the gun is a smooth bore percussion pistol. It has a brass barrel and frame... the barrel is octagonal and of the 'cannon' type. It seems like the trigger and guard were iron and are now gone. The hammer is still there, but rusted heavily. The bore measures aprox. .38"...




Does anyone know about these kinds of pistols? I'm guessing mid - late 1800's... the proof mark is not clear and there are no other markings on the piece.

 

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[jimzz977]

Nice old gun

 

[Driftwoood]

Nice old gun

Thanks, man!

 

[Icewing]

I don't know if this will be much help.
You really need to sort out the makers stamps for a positive ID.

http://www.birminghamgunmuseum.com/media/Provincial_Makers_Marks.pdf

 

[Driftwoood]

I don't know if this will be much help.
You really need to sort out the makers stamps for a positive ID.

http://www.birminghamgunmuseum.com/media/Provincial_Makers_Marks.pdf

Thanks, Icewing! That's interesting stuff, though unfortunately it seems there is no maker's mark... just what looks like a proof stamp (which, if it was legible, would likely give some kind of clue). As I add magnification, the stamp just gets more pitted and grainy... maybe with the right light or a rubbing would prove effective.

 

[villagenut]

It looks like a Belgium stamp mark to me.ELG in an oval.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You can't ask for better Americana "wild west" relicky thing than that. And the compliment of the buttons, the IH, etc... all drips of cool "oldness" for a display shadow box. Great pix !

 

[Auriemma]

Sweet! Excellent finds. The gun is very cool.

 

[Driftwoood]

It looks like a Belgium stamp mark to me.ELG in an oval.

I agree... I was looking at pics of similar pistols by just doing a Google search and saw the Belgian stamped samples and it was the closest thing to what I have. Thanks for your input!

 

[Driftwoood]

You can't ask for better Americana "wild west" relicky thing than that. And the compliment of the buttons, the IH, etc... all drips of cool "oldness" for a display shadow box. Great pix !

I think you're right. Once I get in another several days of detecting the site, it might be a good project to set up a display of some kind... so far everything is just packed in drawers. The sites around my area seem to have been built around 1850 and were abandoned by 1900 or so. There are tons of cellar holes like this... old stone-lined roads through the woods with cellars and barn foundations all along. Once in a while, I find one that dates from about 1800.

 

[Ender_boy24]

Is that button in the picture a dragoons button? i saw the letter D and i supposed that was it. Great job on these finds!

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

ca 1840s to early 1850s would be my guess given the unusual end of the barrel.

 

[Driftwoood]

Is that button in the picture a dragoons button? i saw the letter D and i supposed that was it. Great job on these finds!

Thanks!! Yep, that's a Dragoon cuff button. I had never seen one before finding that one... just the plain general service and the 'I' infantry ones to that point.

 

[Driftwoood]

ca 1840s to early 1850s would be my guess given the unusual end of the barrel.

Thanks for that... yeah, it's like a mini-cannon... pretty funny actually.