✅ SOLVED This Iron Relic is Bugging Me! Please Help to Identify!

[FreeBirdTim]

Had this iron relic for awhile now and I just can't figure out what it could be. Almost looks like a shifter, but not sure. A piece of it feel off when I cleaned it up (last pic). Any help would be appreciated.

 

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[NOLA_Ken]

At this point I think I'd hold off on electrolysis and look into other options a bit, you still have the main spring there, and it looks like the whole mechanism is complete...and it would be a real shame if it cooked away....

I think I would get some evapo-rust from wal mart or some other rust remover and try it out on a piece of similarly rusted junk and see how it does. Whatever you do though I'd say be as gentle as you can with it and don't go too far

 

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[FreeBirdTim]

Okay, here's as good as it's going to get for now. Don't want to push it. Eighteen hours of electrolysis and two hours of Evapo-Rust. Can anyone tell me if it's an 1816 flintlock or is it older than that? I can take better pics tomorrow, but this is the best I can do right now.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Need some more help, guys! I've looked at hundreds of photos of flintlock muskets, but can't find this exact one. Might be a 1700's Charleville musket? Too tired to look at any more pics!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Here's some better pics. This is killing me! I need to know how old this flintlock is!




P.S. Found a hole in the middle that was plugged up, so that might help with the ID.

 

[CoilyGirl]

What a great find! I’m sure someone knowlegble will be able to help you ID that.

 

[BosnMate]

Keep in mind that each gun was a handmade individual. Eli Whitney invented the concept of interchangeable parts in 1798. Before that each gun part was made one at a time. Screws were made one at a time. So even though early guns look alike, the parts did not interchange.
Below, an 1803 lock for a Harpers Ferry pistol. Note the decorative tit on the left end of the lock. By 1816 that is no longer on the lock plate.

Next, Harpers Ferry pistol.

next, 1816 Harpers Ferry rifle.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I guess that's the problem, BosnMate. I've seen a few muskets that were close, but not exactly the same. You would think I could find a match after looking at hundreds of 1700's and 1800's muskets, but I haven't found one yet. Guess I'll have to be satisfied with the fact that's it's probably a 200 year old relic and a cool find. Thanks for the input.

 

[coinman123]

Awesome find! I agree that it might not a mass produced gun model. I bought a musket a few months back for around $150 after seeing it on the floor of an antique shop, and never was able to find a matching one. It is complete, non-dug and with maker marks, it looks like it should be pretty IDable. Anyways, the barrel ended up being from around the mid 1700's or so based on the proof marks and shape, and then converted to percussion cap later on, but the mechanism is a percussion type one from the 1840's. Your look plate also is likely one of a kind, but I am pretty sure it dates from at least before 1840, when flintlocks were either being converted to take percussion caps or replaced by percussion muskets. Considering that most flintlocks still in use were converted to percussion by around 1850, I would feel safe saying that your gun was probably lost before then, and likely a bit earlier. Yours probably dates from the mid to late 1700's until the early 1800's

 

[ARC]

Wow Tim... just saw this...

you knew what this was...

cant tell me you did not have a good idea... :P



Anyway... cant BS a BSer... :P

Anyway anway... super killer find... well done.

GO BACK ! ! !

 

[NoNameJohn]

Nice!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

you knew what this was...

cant tell me you did not have a good idea

If I had known what is was, I would have shot a video of it for my YouTube channel. Sadly, there's no video of this bad boy coming out of the ground! It also sat on my bureau for a couple of weeks before I got the ambition to post it here. Never would have done that if I had a clue as to what it was...

I knew it was something I had never dug before, but that doesn't mean much. I've got a garage full of rusty iron relics that are one of a kind finds. But I never toss anything until I'm sure it isn't something good. Made that mistake a lot during my first year of detecting.

One additional note to this thread. I found .54 caliber musket ball at this spot yesterday. Not sure if it was fired from this gun, but it gives me hope that the rest of the gun is buried there somewhere.

 

[ARC]

Well then Tim.

I thought for sure you were "testing" us.

You have seen so much here I figured that there was no way you did not know what it was.

But heck... you do now.

Go back brother and dig the rest of it... almost certain the rest of it is there.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Go back brother and dig the rest of it... almost certain the rest of it is there

Going to have to wait. Another 6 to 12 inches of snow in the forecast for tomorrow. This had better be the last snowstorm for the next 9 months! No mas! No mas!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

CP Marked Flintlock Rifle

maybe?

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I think you found it! Great job! I found another listing that states it's from 1797 or 1798. That would make it a 220 year old gun! Wow, how cool is that?

Here's the other listing:

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3034M/lots/236