Need help identifying a gun
I was recently showed this gun can anyone identify. It is either .45 or .50 There is very little writing left on it. On the tang there is (patent) there is a (y 23,) and then (74) Obviously a date. possibly Patent July 23, 1874. It is a breech loader. Instead of a falling block, or rolling block. You pull the hammer back, then you flip the "block" to the right. It is hinged on the right side. Single trigger can't find a caliber on it any where. Overall the gun is very rough. Bore is horrible Barrel is half octagon and half round. I will post pic's as soon as I figure out how.
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Hope this works0 -
According to my reference, it's a Phoenix. Made by Whitney, in New Haven
Conn. Circa, mid 70's - mid 80's. The marking on the top of the tang should be "Patent May 26 74 Phoenix".0 -
The illustrated rifle is a Whitney Phoenix. Designed by Eli Whitney III (The cotton gin and gun designer's grandson) and produced in the Whitney Firearms Co. plant - "Whitneyville" - at New Haven, CT in the 1870s.
They are not often seen, Flayderman says most of them went to military contracts in South America. But your half octagon barrel says it is a sporting rifle of which there were less than 2000 made. Pity it is in rough condition.
Frank DeHaas says it is not a very good design, the swinging breechblock can be wedged tight by a fired case. Yours has bash marks on the side where it was knocked open with a rock or hammer. DeHaas had a very nice example... but with pry marks where it had been opened with a knife or screwdriver.0
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