An ‘Old’ Relic

Old English lock marked 'Brooke'.

Lock.

Close view of lock.

Sheet wrist repair.

Another view of wrist repair.

Sideplate repair also.

Large wood screw adds strength (to repair).

Folk-carved wood lid.

Interior or box mortise.

Closer view of carving.

Carving.

Cheek view.

Cheek side view.

Lock side view.

A pre-War gun of likely Carolina or East Tennessee origin. A great deal of secondary work is in evidence: wrist repair, replacement of (apparently) simple brass box with even more simplistic wood lid, brass tacks etc. I would imagine that these piece saw hard usage before, during and after the Revolution and possibly even into the Civil War-era. The stock is maple, the octagonal/round barrel is 20 gauge smoothbore and 46 inches long and the lock is obviously a very old English ‘3-screw’ trade or pistol lock which was remounted. A classic example of a ‘backwoods’ piece created via necessity. The stocking is relatively rough but displays some evidence of a practiced hand.

Photos and copy from Eric Kettenburg.