Help to identify rifle! Please!

[straightpostal]

I've found this gun for a local guy he's telling me it was his grandfathers in battle of Mansfield. He's sure of this being the gun he used in battle. But I can't find any rifles this small. Bullet would b smaller than a .45 caliber. Please look at photos. I'm waitin on measurements so I can post them also. Any help would be much appreciated thanks josh

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

My opinion: It is not a Civil War military rifle because of the "patch box"......Now, I am by NO means an expert on rifles, so wait around a bit, and someone who knows more than me will be a round in a bit!!
COOL gun, though!!
Thanks for the pics!!

 

[Bob Owen]

It's a turn of the century or later African trade gun. It appears to be a .410 smoothbore. These were made in Belgium by the hundreds of thousands for trade in Central Colonial Africa. These were also sold by Dixie Gun Works and Ye Old Hunter starting in the late fifties and up to about the late '6o's or early '70's.

 

[kevikens]

It's definitely not a military piece. That said, quite a number of civilian arms were used, especially by Southern troops and by both sides in the trans Mississippi theater so any civilian arm of the mid 19th Century could have seen a battlefield. However what this appears to be is a post Civil War piece and as the gentleman above pointed out a cheap firearm for natives to use to shoot pigs and pigeons and not particularly lethal to the local constabulary. I had one of these guns 40 years ago, made in Belgium, about .36 caliber smoothbore ( it actually fired a .38 caliber slug). First class junk. If this guy insists it's from the Civil War I would advise you to think twice about his firearm expertise. I see them frequently at flea markets, and in much better condition. In my opinion it is neither from the Civil War nor an especially noteworthy addition to a gun collection.

 

[johan_steele]

Gospel has been spoken, it is certainly post ACW likely closer to 1960 than 1860. I've seen two similar arms at recent shows. One priced at $150 & the other at about $300 and that was in very nice condition.

 

[ole]

First impression is that it was a Kentucky/Pennsylvania personal rifle which, early in the war, saw much use. But it is rather crudely made. I'll go with Bob Owen's observation that it was a trade gun.

 

[straightpostal]

Wow that was quick. Thanks guys. I really had high doubts that it wasn't civil war. Too good to be true of coarse. Thanks again for all your replies. For my first post it didn't take long will definitely stick around on this forum.

 

[Southron]

In the future, just remember that every gun comes with a "story."

Just keep in mind that 99.99% of the time, the "story" is PURE BULL.

 

[e.r.fox]

I love watchin' the pro's at work!!!! It's why I love this forum!!

 

[unionblue]

Whatever Bob Owen says is good enough for me when it comes to firearms of the period.

I'd go with his observation on this one.

Sincerely,
Unionblue