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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Mystery falling block (Read 3218 times)
13bravo20
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Mystery falling block
Oct 23rd, 2023 at 12:18am
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I bought a bit of a mystery rifle at an online, but local auction house. It is a falling block rifle that has absolutely no markings with the exception of a B on the inside of the buttplate. A 45/70 rim fits the recess but does not fit the chamber. Someone cut the forestock down and installed a trapdoor barrel band on it, and the rear sight is not original. I can get more pics, but only have my phones camera for now. It is missing parts so don't mind the drill bit stuffed backwards into the trigger assembly. It has a roller that engages the levers spring, not shown in pictures. Forgot to mention it is in the 40 to 41 caliber range. I am currently cleaning the very rusty rifling which is 7 groove and as soon as i can will get a chamber casting
  
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rodneys
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #1 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 8:46am
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My first impression is that it is a Brown rifle I have forgotten his first name. If it is they were made for the longrange team to England in 1884 ish. W. M. Farrow was on the team. Nevertheless it is a interesting rifle.
  
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GT
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #2 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 9:23am
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Agree Rodney, a Brown:   

BROWN MFG Co NEWBURYPORT, MASS. / BALLARD’s PATENT / NOV 5, 1861. The left side of the hammer spur is clearly marked: PATENTED JAN 5, 1864. 

Greg
  
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Old-Win
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #3 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 11:12am
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Here's some more on the "Brown" rifles.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #4 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 11:42am
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Awesome, thank you. This one doesn't have any visible markings even after a thorough outside cleaning and going over with a magnifying glass.
  
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Old-Win
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #5 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 1:44pm
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Yours has some differences from rmc's rifle. Can't wait to see some better pictures.
  
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oneatatime
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #6 - Oct 23rd, 2023 at 3:52pm
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Probably the prototype;-)
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #7 - Oct 25th, 2023 at 1:05am
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I will have more pictures in a couple of days. This may be a later date of manufacture as the chamber may be .40/65. I'm waiting on some cerrosafe to be delivered to know for sure. I am sure the spring that was in the place to actuate the hammer is not correct for the rifle. I will need to make up some screws for it, but that shouldn't be a problem with the exception of the screw that goes through the tang area and joins everything together. The upper tang is stripped of threads, again I should be able to thread it. I'll try to take plenty of pics of all the pieces. This will hopefully be a neat and not too drawn out adventure.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #8 - Nov 13th, 2023 at 1:03pm
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Here are some pics, will be multiple replies. Please don't mind I buffed it as a previous owner had sanded some of the metal down. Still waiting on a ladle to pour the cerrosafe for chamber cast. I did find an article on another page where W.M. Farrow alluded to working with an unknown "Mr. Brown" on developing a rifle to sell in and around the 1892 or 1893 time period.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #9 - Nov 13th, 2023 at 1:05pm
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Pic of trigger and hammer
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #10 - Nov 13th, 2023 at 1:10pm
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Sorry I'm trying to remember how to do thumbnails. New computer I no longer have the old program I used to use.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #11 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 12:38am
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Here are some more pics. I've resized them, hopefully they are good enough.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #12 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 12:41am
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More pictures. The rusty are before and of course the buffed ones are after cleaning. The rear sight turns out to be a Winchester Hotchkiss sport rifle sight or a Winchester 1876 or 1886 rifle sight. It is marked with an H stamped into it. The last picture shows the flat spring I believe is wrong or a replacement.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #13 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 12:43am
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More pics. The receiver has a bar that is dovetailed into it. Interesting design.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #14 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 12:46am
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The last few pics I have as of now. I can get more if anyone is interested in specific pics let me know. Their may be some stamping in the inside of the forestock, but the camera doesn't pick it up and even under magnification it's just a guess.
  
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13bravo20
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #15 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 1:22am
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Resized pic of lever and block and the trigger which has a really long tang. The upper hole in the breach block is just a straight through hole. It sort of reminds me of the M119 Howitzer's breach blocks that I used to man back in the 90's. Now to think of it that was technically a single shot of 105mm. lol
  
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jhm
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #16 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 8:30am
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And to imagine "no CNC machines were used " in the manufacturing of this rifle...



JMH
  
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rodneys
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #17 - Nov 16th, 2023 at 9:07am
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Thank you for posting the additional pictures. I definitely believe it is a J. H. Brown rifle but it differs slightly from the two originals I have seen and the patent drawing. Which makes me think it was a prototype. It will be interesting to see what caliber it is.
  
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MrTipUp
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #18 - Nov 18th, 2023 at 5:04pm
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The most obvious difference from the one or two Browns I've seen photos of is the spurred hammer.

Bill Lawrence
  
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TRowe
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #19 - Jan 8th, 2024 at 7:53pm
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I think you might contact Dick Binger and send him photos. Is their a possibility that it could be a D. S. Cole? I don't know but Dick would.
  
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KWK
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Re: Mystery falling block
Reply #20 - Jan 16th, 2024 at 6:49pm
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The parts are more less as in John Brown's US patent 290,737 (google will have a copy). The patent does not show a hammer spur.

Overall, the basic action is similar to the D.S. Cole (patent 291,153) in that both have a cam on the back of the breech to push back the hammer, but Cole's is a bit simpler overall.
« Last Edit: Jan 16th, 2024 at 11:10pm by KWK »  
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