Requesting Info on Henry Leman Rifle

ATGOWTWT

October 06, 2009 13:13

My dad's relatives just visited and brought us an antique rifle that had belonged to my great grandfather.

The rifle is 54" long with a 38" long barrel. It has a double set trigger. The firing assembly is broken and has been removed from the rifle and disassembled. On the left side of the assembly plate below the hammer the faded lettering "LEMAN" and "NCSTRPA" are visible. The muzzle is 15/16" wide with a 5/16 bore (not sure how that equates to caliber measurements). Below is a link to a Photobucket album with pictures of the rifle and assembly. I would have embedded the images here but they are fairly high resolution and would probably create a lot of lag for anyone trying to view this topic.

http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/ATGOWTWT/Henry%20Leman%20Rifle%20Pictures/

I know next to nothing about rifles antique or otherwise and would be grateful for any assistance in identifying the exact model of this gun as well as any history on the rifle and how much it might be worth.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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  Spider7115

  October 06, 2009 14:17

  The markings would be that of the lockmaker, Henry Leman (also sometimes spelled Lehman), of Lancaster, Pa. Look on the top barrel flat behind the rear sight for a name of the actual gunmaker. This may also be Leman, who was a well-known gunmaker in the Lancaster area from 1837-1860.
  
  This website may help: http://www.prospector-utah.com/leman.htm
  
  

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  ATGOWTWT

  October 06, 2009 20:02

  Thanks for the fast reply. The barrel does have a marking on it, opposite of the nipple(?). The maker's location, Pittsburg, PA, is barely visible. Unfortunately, the maker's name has completely worn away.

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  rhmc24

  October 07, 2009 02:54

  Something of Leman history, I have a Leman rifle & will post pix of it later today. Rifle was given to my father in 1940s by his long time friend who had some Indian ancestry, with the story it came from his grandfather who came to Oklahoma, then Indian Territory, from Alabama or Mississippi. Years later I ran across an article about an early treaty in which Indians were given a rifle and a mule when they agreed to move West. It gave a pretty good description of the rifle which fit mine.
  
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  Here is my Leman. About 1954 I reworked it as a shooter, mainly refinish & rebore/rifle to .54 from .50. Now I would leave it like it was - but that was then. Barrel 36", 1.60" across the breech, 1.40" at muzzle. LOA 52". Both barrel & lock marked Leman Lancaster
  
  
  
  

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  Spider7115

  October 07, 2009 04:33

  quote:Originally posted by rhmc24
  Something of Leman history, I have a Leman rifle & will post pix of it later today. Rifle was given to my father in 1940s by his long time friend who had some Indian ancestry, with the story it came from his grandfather who came to Oklahoma, then Indian Territory, from Alabama or Mississippi. Years later I ran across an article about an early treaty in which Indians were given a rifle and a mule when they agreed to move West. It gave a pretty good description of the rifle which fit mine.
  
  
  Apparently, Leman was well-known for making trade rifles. You can even get a Henry Leman kit here:
  
  http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(d0djtie3rp041v55zxy5wq45))/categories/partList.aspx?catID=13&subID=80&styleID=315
  
  

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