Thought you might like to see these and I'm sure Roger wouldn't mind me showing you - he based that sweet little rifle, especially the hardware, on this original that I used to own. Roger got it from me about 4 years ago and is in the process of restoring it to original length and reconverting it.
Over the years that I owned it I showed it to Myron Carlson, and Hershel and Frank House, and all of them thought it to likely be a Bean, and fairly early (1820-30 period). Myron examined it closely several times and said he felt certain of the Bean attribution.
The barrel is swamped, and had been cut by about a foot or so at the breech end and moved back. Maybe to make it easier to carry on horseback or under a wagon or buggy seat. The square tail lock was originally flint and marked "AW Spies Warranted". Unfortunately, the original nosecap and forward thimble were lost when the barrel was moved back, and it has a simple poured lead or pewter nosecap now - the original was probably iron two piece brazed.
The original has a more angular shape to the rear of the lock panels and flat look to the stock through the trigger area, which looks really neat with the square tail lock. But Roger's reproduction really looks great too.
Over the years that I owned it I showed it to Myron Carlson, and Hershel and Frank House, and all of them thought it to likely be a Bean, and fairly early (1820-30 period). Myron examined it closely several times and said he felt certain of the Bean attribution.
The barrel is swamped, and had been cut by about a foot or so at the breech end and moved back. Maybe to make it easier to carry on horseback or under a wagon or buggy seat. The square tail lock was originally flint and marked "AW Spies Warranted". Unfortunately, the original nosecap and forward thimble were lost when the barrel was moved back, and it has a simple poured lead or pewter nosecap now - the original was probably iron two piece brazed.
The original has a more angular shape to the rear of the lock panels and flat look to the stock through the trigger area, which looks really neat with the square tail lock. But Roger's reproduction really looks great too.
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