This rifle was built by my GG Grandfather Peter Humbarger. Another one back in the family!



This is a classic example of a 1840's to 1850's Ohio style half stock longrifle signed by Peter Humbarger. The Humbarger family are well documented gunmakers with a number of surviving examples of their work documented. Peter I, was a gunmaker in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from 1774 to 1791 and moved his family to Perry County, Ohio in 1802 where he purchased land in 1806 to farm and make guns. His son Peter II, 1795 to 1852, also worked as a gunsmith in Perry County Ohio in concert with his brothers Adam and Henry.

The barrel is a stout 1" octagon by 34" long. The barrel is rifled with a .35 caliber bore with seven lands and grooves with a slow twist for a round ball. The bore has clearly defined rifling with some pitting. The muzzle end of the barrel is decoratively marked with small turned ring and a outer ring of punch marks.






Peter Humbarger Rifle

Interesting story and glad its back in your collection...nice find for you.
Enjoy!

Very nice find

Wow!

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
This rifle was built by my GG Grandfather Peter Humbarger. Another one back in the family!

The "Ohio" style is my favorite & is undoubtably the most practcal style if you want a huntimg rifle.

I built an "Ohio Valley" rifle in .50 caliber for my brother in law several years back.

I used a 36" X 7/8" .50 cal Douglas barrel. Word has it that although Douglas never made a 7/8" .50 cal barrel, this one made it out the back door as a "government project".

W/a "Roller" lock & a premium set of double set triggers, (can't remember the brand but they were top quality) it made a really nice rifle.

It was very similar to the one pictured W/the exception that the one I built had no patch box that I can remember.

Great rifle with special meaning. Looks to be in super original condition.

WOW! What a beauty! Congratulations!

Best,
Dave

Obviously a safe queen for the last 150 years. I don't know how it survived without being made of stainless and plastic.

You need to paint the metal and drop it in a McSwirly to make a real hunting rifle out of it.

A beautiful rifle indeed, and a treasure for your family.

But it never ceases to amaze me how those folks back then could accurately shoot those rifles when they didn't have anything to rest their cheek on due to the stock being so low in relation to the centerline of the barrel.

Doug
How did you ever track it down?

I don't even like those black powder rifles and I think this one is beautiful! wow, it's equal parts gun and art. Post more pics of it please.

I'm also very interested in the story of how it came back into the family, the history of rifles often makes them so much more enjoyable.

Red

Incredible history in your family and finding that piece is a treasure.

Do you have a bunch more that were built by folks in your family?

Also, let us know what your load is after you do the development

quote:

Originally posted by brad may:
Doug
How did you ever track it down?

There is a google app that you can use. I set it up to notify me of any Humbargers rifles that came up for sale.

This one came up for auction but not on the WWW. Track of The Wolf bought it at auction then put it on the Web. Thats when Google alerted us.

There are more Humbarger rifles out there. They tend to show up out west because The Humbarger gun shop was set up on the Zane trace (road used by the pioneers going west) in Sommerset Ohio & sold rifles to folks heading out west.

This is one of the more rare versions due to the short forend more silver inlets. This rifle would have sold for about $25.00 at the time & made for wealthier customers. Their "average " everyday working rifle with no inlets sold for $15.00.

PS: Nope I aint goin to paint it Forrest!

Here is their rifling machine. Thank god it was saved Ohio Long Rifle Collectors Association & is now on display in a museum in Northern Ohio & it still works. It took 8 hours to rifle a barrel. They used either 5 or 7 grooves.

They were kind enough to let me play with it while we were there.

Interesting history.

Congrats!

Wow!!!

Doug, that's fantastic.

You have a neat family history.


.

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
Wow!!!

Doug, that's fantastic.

You have a neat family history.


.

Yeah JTEX to say that I'm kinda proud of it would be a gross understatement.

Doug : Congratulations on the finding of a unique piece of American History !.
A very special honor indeed knowing it was crafted by a member of YOUR family , icing on the cake so to speak !!!.

Outstanding!