Help me identify this muzzle loader

**mp43sniper** · August 3rd, 2011, 11:16 PM

I was handed down a family heirloom that's in poor condition. I'd like to find out what it was and try and find help restoring or at least repairing this rifle so I can display and possibly shoot it. Usually I am totally against restorations as items are only original once, but this piece is in extremely dilapidated condition and is only good for display (which there's nothing wrong with that, but I'd love to at least have it working again). I can do all the work myself but would also appreciate advice and info along the way.

I believe this to be a locally built muzzle loader which has been in my family for over 100 years.

The only details I can find are on the lock itself, which appears to say ENTERPRISE on it (the NTERPRI or KTERPRI) appears to the right of the hammer in a rainbow orientation (middle of word is higher than the sides). I live 40 or 50 miles from Pittsburgh, where the Enterprise Gun Works made rifles like this so I'm thinking it could be one of theirs. To the left of the hammer it looks like there's a deer jumping over something and some other designs around it but the metal is bad enough it's hard to see. There are no marks of any kind that I can find on the barrel, which has a hexagonal type of rifling (should help date it). The stock is very small in the butt area which may either be an indication of age or it could be a youth sized rifle. I'm also wondering if this was originally a flintlock that was converted to percussion. At the barrel end of the half stock is some type of metal that seems to be lead or silver. I'm thinking it's probably lead or tin since silver would be so much more expensive and this was probably a run of the mill rifle at best.

Things that need fixed:
Stock is dried out and cracked, pieces are missing and it's falling apart. Holes for pins, screws, etc are worbled out and filled in with filler. Hammer is partially eaten away where it strikes cap. Lock does not function (hammer won't cock). Trigger assembly and lock were nailed into stock instead of screwed (repair to keep it together over the years after it was retired from shooting). Front mounting tab for trigger assembly needs repaired (top part of tab broke at screw or pin hole). Steel parts are rusty. Nipple is rusted/clogged shut. Caliber is unknown. Disassembly is going slow due to parts being nailed and use of wood filler. I have the trigger guard and trigger assembly out but the lock is nailed in and I want to take my time getting it apart so nothing is damaged.

Should I repair or replace the stock? Should I refinish the steel? Should I repair the broken parts? Should I leave it as is? Since I was a kid I thought it should be left completely as-is but now I would really like to make it presentable and shoot it if at all possible.

Any help is appreciated. This was my great-great or great-great-great Grandfather's, handed down to an uncle and then given to my grandfather when he was a boy. Grandpa never shot it but kept it for safe keeping until giving it to me a couple years ago.

Thanks