rifle barrel

[bulletbadger]

hi guys, i have an old barrel that i found a few years ago and dont know what it is. it is 33 inches long from muzzle to nipple, 2 barrel bands, boyle,gamble,&mcfee bayonet adapter, front sight is brass and windage adjustable, rear sight is fixed iron, fore-end cap has 4 digit number i cant make out but has the letters L M III scratched into it. any help would be greatly appreciated. tony

 

[Jim T]

Tony,

You found a Cook & Brothers musket barrel. They made Enfield-like muskets in New Orleans and later in Athens, Ga. Your barrel looks like the gun pictured on the top of page 384 in "Civil War Guns" by Edwards. Go find the lock plate!

 

[bulletbadger]

many thanks jim! in regard to finding the lockplate, the barrel came out of a creek with a few thousand 3 ringers that were dumped on the retreat from brice's cross-roads, i have hunted up and down but apparently the butt plate and lock washed away long ago. Is cook & brothers a rare find? tony

 

[Jim T]

Yes, it's a good one! The reason I mentioned the lockplate is because it is the one that features the Stars and Bars behind the hammer.

Very cool!