I would still be interested in seeing the bottom side of the barrel. It's the only place left that there could be markings.

Frank

OK, here are better photos of the trigger guard, closed and open

Now for the trigger questions, more photos

That is a really interesting rifle.  The rear sight could be a replacement, as the barrel metal appears to be displaced by a too-large site wedge.  Also check under the buttplate for markings.

Those are typical 2 lever set triggers.  The design was used in German, British and American muzzleloaders and later rifles so for me it doesn't help with where the rifle was made....doggone it.  The rifle may well pre-date 4 lever triggers.  I don't know when they, 4 lever triggers, came on the scene.

Even though you don't know who or where the old piece is still an absolutely wonderful acquisition.  One I would be proud to own.  Again, congrats!

The mix of European and American elements is interesting,   the foreward wood looks "Western American".  The folding leaf sight and the way it was chiseled in rather than tapped into a filed in dovetail; with no provision for an early screw-into-the-breechplug-"tail" looks traditionally "frontier American".  The unmarked barrel itself could go either way (though by that late date manufactured barrels were commonly available)  as could the lock.    
However the butt design, buttplate,  the detachable trigger unit; And especially the hinged trigger guard  (I've never seen one like that on a ML before) certainly give an European taste.       

If it were mine I'd be inclined to remove the barrel again, plug the nipple,  clamp it vertically in a padded vise and soak the bore with Break-Free for a few days warming gently it occasionally with an electric heat gun.  then drain it and try to carefully remove the breech plug to see how secure and solid it is (my basic approach with any New-to me old ML) and then clean and inspect the bore from the breech once it was good and clean (and barring major corrosion) I'd slug the bore and check the twist rate.

2coltkid wrote on Mar 13^th, 2017 at 1:55pm:


No, not much. But probably plenty for a round ball gun.