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Kentucky Rifle .32 Made by whom/when? ~Pictures~
Conis
Member Posts: 12 ✭✭
Calling all experts.
This rifle was won in a poker game in the 50's. Hung on the wall for another 50 years. All I know was the previous owner (poor poker player) was from S Illinois and used it for match shooting. Still In excellent firable condition.
I can find no identification anywhere on the rifle, nor am I at all knowledgeable about these antigues.
Any insights appreciated. Maker.. vintage... aprox value?
Thanks in advance
This rifle was won in a poker game in the 50's. Hung on the wall for another 50 years. All I know was the previous owner (poor poker player) was from S Illinois and used it for match shooting. Still In excellent firable condition.
I can find no identification anywhere on the rifle, nor am I at all knowledgeable about these antigues.
Any insights appreciated. Maker.. vintage... aprox value?
Thanks in advance
Comments
Very unusual to see a little patch box on the cheek piece, I have never seen such a thing. I think that would be a little uncomfortable to shoot.
You can't find ANY marking or numbers on the metal?
Well I am of no help but maybe mongrel will be able to id this gun.
Did you look inside the patch boxes for some markings?
You could remove the lock and side plate and see if there are any markings on them. The lock is held on by that screw whose head you see on the side plate. You could remove it in a minute. Just cock the hammer and out it comes.
The crack which I think you are referring to (in top photo) is actually a an inletted piece of the stock that joins the stock ahead of the trigger assby. Not a repair. There is only a small crack down by the heel/butt plate.
No luck removing the brass plate on the LH side. The screw came out but the plate wasn't budging. Not about to force things.
Looked in a couple books, perused the gunbroker listings. Not coming up with much.
Only other thing I noticed was a trigger adjust set screw ahead of the set trigger.
The barrel is octagon.
Remove that screw again. Grasp the hammer and wiggle it a little, and the lock will come right off.
Then you can get another screw, or nail, or small screwdriver, and poke it through the screw hole, from the lock side, and push against the side plate, and out will pop the side plate. These things are made to be taken apart. In case the lock broke it would have to be removed for repair, also had to be removed occasionally for cleaning.
Probably won't be any markings on the side plate but might be something on the lock.
Two other odd things on this rifle, there is a hole in the stock about an inch behind the side plate. An inch behind that is the head of a screw. Never seen that before.
Take the hammer to half cock, to clear it from the nipple.
Remove that screw again. Grasp the hammer and wiggle it a little, and the lock will come right off.
Then you can get another screw, or nail, or small screwdriver, and poke it through the screw hole, from the lock side, and push against the side plate, and out will pop the side plate. These things are made to be taken apart. In case the lock broke it would have to be removed for repair, also had to be removed occasionally for cleaning.
Probably won't be any markings on the side plate but might be something on the lock.
Two other odd things on this rifle, there is a hole in the stock about an inch behind the side plate. An inch behind that is the head of a screw. Never seen that before.
Look at the wrist, that might be an old fix, and your right, that is a pretty rifle.
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
Take the hammer to half cock, to clear it from the nipple.
Remove that screw again. Grasp the hammer and wiggle it a little, and the lock will come right off.
Then you can get another screw, or nail, or small screwdriver, and poke it through the screw hole, from the lock side, and push against the side plate, and out will pop the side plate. These things are made to be taken apart. In case the lock broke it would have to be removed for repair, also had to be removed occasionally for cleaning.
Probably won't be any markings on the side plate but might be something on the lock.
Two other odd things on this rifle, there is a hole in the stock about an inch behind the side plate. An inch behind that is the head of a screw. Never seen that before.
Look at the wrist, that might be an old fix, and your right, that is a pretty rifle. Could be the holes from an old reciever sight? no?
No real idea as to maker, locale, or value, though. It looks to me like one of the thousands of "hardware store" guns turned out for distribution through, as the nickname indicates, small stores across the country. Lord knows how many rifles of this sort potted small game in the settled rural areas of the United States, or rode in wagons across the continent -- not everyone migrating west had a Hawken or similar plains rifle [:D]! This particular gun could just as easily have been made in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, or a dozen other states. This isn't to be critical. The guns of this period were in no way inferior to guns made earlier or later -- just hard to pin down as to precisely where and when a specific piece might have been made.
I'd contact Dixie Gun Works, which offers an appraisal service for the owners of antique guns like this. The more detailed pictures you can provide, the more they might be able to tell you.
Very nice rifle for its approximate age. I agree with rgerge, that it appears to have been repaired in the wrist (grip) area, but if so the photo makes it appear to be a better-quality fix than some I've seen. Most rifles of this vintage and quality are pretty used-up by the time we get to see them in this day and age -- even if it has no significant monetary value, it's a pretty thing.
It looks like the rifle has been repaired. Whomever did it... did a decent job. A piece of the stcok looks to have been replaced, which accounts for two screws on the LH side holding the inleted piece in place. All of which demonstrates how little I know about these? I assumed this was some sort of "standard" building technique.
It is likely a low cost production gun as has been pointed out? Was a "shooter" and still is... to be kept in retirement as a wall hanger.
A couple more pictures. You can see just a little bit of engraving behind the hammer. enough for a clue?
It was pointed out to me these smaller calibre .32-.40 "squirrel rifles" became more popular as the midwest became settled and larger game was becoming scarce... Makes sense.
Thanks again for your insights and input.
Conis