December 16, 17, & 18, 2020 Field & Range Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/16/2020
Percussion patent breechloading carbine by T.J. Hart. Blued barrel with Birmingham commercial view, provisional proof and definitive proof marks as well as a pair of “30” gauge marks indicating it was originally nominally .54 caliber. Barrel secured with a single wedge and a Palmer patent clamping band. Top of chamber marked “T.J. HART’S PATENT”. Unmarked percussion lock, Pattern 1856 carbine leaf rear sight, musket style front sight. Carbine is not mounted with sling swivels or sling bar. Brass trigger guard and buttplate, figured walnut stock. Enfield style ramrod cut to fit the gun. Thomas Hart was a Birmingham gunmaker who worked as a gun, rifle and pistol maker as well as a gun barrel maker circa 1840-1865. In 1859 he received British Patent No. 1580/1859 for a percussion ignition bolt action breechloader of the type offered here. The design appears to blend features of both the Terry’s patent and the Wilson’s patent capping breechloaders, with a simple and effective rotating breech bolt with a sliding lock. Sliding the wing-shaped bolt lock out releases the bolt lock. The lock can then be rotated 45-degrees upwards unlocking the bolt and allowing the mushroom-shaped disc at the rear of the bolt to pulled out. This exposes the chamber, allowing for the insertion of the combustible cartridge. Pushing the bolt closed pushes the cartridge into the breech and then rotating the locking handle back down locks the bolt. An interesting and unusual early English breechloading system that never really got off the ground. CONDITION: Good to very good. Barrel with a thickly oxidized brown patina showing some pinpricking and light pitting at the breech and some more moderate pitting around the muzzle. Barrel band with moderate pitting as well. Lock thickly oxidized as well, with crisp action. Action is mechanically functional. Barrel has been bored smooth and now measures about .59 caliber. Bore shows moderate oxidation and a thick layer of Cosmoline. Brass with an untouched bronze patina. Stock with attractive figuring and possibly lightly sanded as the edges are slightly soft. Wood with scattered light handling marks and minor dings, otherwise solid and free of break or repairs. Gun with an old thin coat of Cosmoline over much of its surfaces. TP
Item Dimensions: L - 37 - 1/2"
Caliber/Bore
.59 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
Thomas James Hart
Model
Hart’s Patent Breechloading Percussion Carbine