19th C. Rifles

[kiltedguard]

So, 19th Century rifles should be inspected inside and out before any attempt is made to fire them. Who is there in PA is can "proof" a rifle this old?

[762xIan]

Depends on what it is, a buddy has a Krag he shoots every so often. There are many old Mausers from the era folks own and shoot. Personally I wouldn't hesitate shooting an old well maintained rifle.

Best thing to do is give a couple of your smiths in the area a call, explain what you have and if they are familiar enough with whatever it is to give it a clean bill of health.

[indianjack]

And don't forget that most 19th century rifles were made to use black power, not smokeless.

[tdyoung58]

So, 19th Century rifles should be inspected inside and out before any attempt is made to fire them. Who is there in PA is can "proof" a rifle this old?

http://dixonmuzzleloading.com/

If it's a muzzleloader you won't find much better in the country

[kiltedguard]

Wow.......

[Ecclectic Collector]

Since the 19th century spanned from the flintlock era through automatic weapons, you've really got to be more specific about what kind of black powder rifles you're asking about.

I second Dixon's if your gun is some form of muzzleloader as an expert source.

Otherwise post specific models on this forum and maybe of few of the collector sages out there can opine where to find sources for more info on them, and where/who to check it out for safety.