.40 caliber double rifle

[Rev]

I finally got a chance to shoot this on Saturday. SAWEET! I had an inquiry from a potential buyer who wanted photos, so I figured I would post them for everybody to see...



What is really unusual (& unseen in my experience) is the trigger set up. You push the trigger forward to fire the right hand barrel, backwards to fire the left. Or, fire both at the same time from the forward position... The photo shows the trigger in position to fire the left barrel. There are also "ports", for lack of a better term , actual holes in the side of the barrel near the breech, (easily visible in the close-up of the lock). A .395 ball & a .010 patch with 35 grains of fffg this past weekend proved extremely accurate. As I was walking back to camp several people commented that they figured the price had just gone up! 

The trigger was so sweet the only shot I missed (the 1st) was because I was just settling onto the trigger & it went off. Surprised the hell out of me... Once I adjusted, the rifle was a pleasure to shoot.

My bore light is too large to fit down a .40 cal., but I suspect the barrels could use some TLC. It is, after all, about 150 years old. The forestock is missing, my buddy smallpatch, (Andy Lund) is going to replace it for me, assuming I don't sell it first.





Here is some more detail...



The butt plate has a recess for the cleaning jag, which is still in there. I have not removed it.



This is the right side lock, the left is even more pristine. The smudges you see are 150 year old oil that has thickened up. I put a very small amount of Break-free on the moving parts after this photo was taken.



The muzzle... that triangle shaped piece is in front of the ramrod to keep it in place, not allowing it to slide out with the muzzle pointing down.



The patch box inside lid is the only part of this rifle with any markings at all. I think it says G.D. Rice.



The rear sight has a shim for elevation adjustment. You can't see it very well, but there are three dovetails. The third is about halfway between the second & the sight itself. It does not appear to have a function, possibly the original sight was different.



A close up of the sight...

[Dryball]

That's a real beauty Rev! Do those vents spit at you when you fire it? And what purpose would they serve?

Dennis

[Rev]

Well, I wouldn't want to stand next to it! And, as I said, I have no idea why they are there. Hopin' somebody can tell me...

[FrankG]

In an old DGW cat. I had , it suggested venting pat'd breeches to ensure powder filling chamber in them in the event of a plugged nipple .

[roundball]

Those holes may have been 'clean-out' holes that used to have screws / set-screws in them

[peabody]

now thats a pretty nice rifle !

fix er up, and KEEP IT !!!

[voyageur1688]

 Cool gun. Not sure what the vents would be for unless they were cleanout ports. I cant see anyone filling them with powder if the nipple plugged as how could you set it off without it being an un-aimed shot?
  HMMMMMM Maybe they were for lighting a smoke after ya got yer deer? LOL.
Voy