OldSarge79
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2017
- Location
- Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
As we all know, @Lanyard Puller's motto is, "Your first purchase should be reference books." I have long shied away from expensive reference books but with L.P.'s motto in mind, I shelled out a good amount at the Doswell show last month for a copy of Confederate Rifles & Muskets by Murphy and Madaus. I had a dream that maybe, just maybe one day I would stumble across a rare Confederate rifle in the wild (at a pawn shop or estate sale, etc.) that no one knew what it was...except, armed with my book, me.
Be careful what you dream of, it might come true.
Last week, I was in a local establishment to rent some equipment, and walking toward the desk, an old rifle laying on a sofa caught my eye. It was missing a lot of major parts, and I had no idea what it was, but it was going to be put up for sale soon. They didn't know what it was either, but I strongly suspected that it was Confederate, so when I got home, pulled out my expensive reference book. It wasn't five minutes before I found it.
I made a very modest offer and yesterday morning, I brought my Clapp, Gates & Co. (North Carolina) Confederate rifle home, or at least what's left of it.
It appears to be a transitional Type II - III model, .50 caliber with 36 inch barrel, 2nd type bayonet lug and brass Enfield-type washers opposite the lock. As can be seen, it consists of only the stock, which is in pretty good condition, barrel, ramrod, nose cap and washers. Workmanship is not great, and the stock is made of substandard walnut. There is a crack behind the barrel, with a nice period repair using a pin. This could be one that was rejected for military use.
The only mark I can find is a "P" on the top of the breech, and maybe a small, faint few letters on the flat opposite the lock. Not sure about those, though.
That expensive reference book has already paid for itself....many times over.
Anyone have a spare Clapp lock, butt plate or trigger guard laying around?
Be careful what you dream of, it might come true.
Last week, I was in a local establishment to rent some equipment, and walking toward the desk, an old rifle laying on a sofa caught my eye. It was missing a lot of major parts, and I had no idea what it was, but it was going to be put up for sale soon. They didn't know what it was either, but I strongly suspected that it was Confederate, so when I got home, pulled out my expensive reference book. It wasn't five minutes before I found it.
I made a very modest offer and yesterday morning, I brought my Clapp, Gates & Co. (North Carolina) Confederate rifle home, or at least what's left of it.
It appears to be a transitional Type II - III model, .50 caliber with 36 inch barrel, 2nd type bayonet lug and brass Enfield-type washers opposite the lock. As can be seen, it consists of only the stock, which is in pretty good condition, barrel, ramrod, nose cap and washers. Workmanship is not great, and the stock is made of substandard walnut. There is a crack behind the barrel, with a nice period repair using a pin. This could be one that was rejected for military use.
The only mark I can find is a "P" on the top of the breech, and maybe a small, faint few letters on the flat opposite the lock. Not sure about those, though.
That expensive reference book has already paid for itself....many times over.
Anyone have a spare Clapp lock, butt plate or trigger guard laying around?
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