Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

[fire_zouave]

Has anyone ever come up with a definitive picture list of federal proof marks and stock cartouches? Is there a book out there that lists who the various inspectors were and where they worked? Is there a book that shows, for instance, the various lockplate eagle stamps used at Harper's Ferry? Is there something out there that shows the variations of barrel proofs and where and when they were used?

[David Fox]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

Turner Kirkland included a list of U.S. inspectors in his Dixie Gun Works catalogue and it's been reprinted in each subsequent issue. I'm sure there's newer and more extensive information out there.

[fire_zouave]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

David, thanks. The Dixie website also introduced me to the book "the Eagle on U.S. Firearms."

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

Hallo!

Jordan's book does an excellent job on the evolution of the Federal eagle and the various armory and contractor proof marks.

The Hartzler and Whisker books dabble in inspector stock making a tiny bit.

Beyond the lists of names and their intials, there is only very minor sporadic hit-and-miss references as to the evolving types of circles, ovals, squares, and rectangles used between the 1820's and the 1860's by inspectors reviewing work done by the two armories and the various contractors over the decades.

NUG, services do not use inspector stock cartouches at all, or John Zimmerman uses his three initials in a CW era style rectangle whether an 1820's or an 1860's piece. And they use a "generic" set of War Time barrel "V P Eaglehead" stamps for all guns they stamp. (A set of three can run as much as a thousand dollars- and for a customer base that does not know or care, well...)

(In the mid 1990's a pard and I were going to go into the defarbing as well as retro-stamping of guns, clothing, and gear business, and had replicated over 200 sundry inspector stamps- of which a handful had been ID'd to names, and we were just starting to cross-reference armories as well as the type of stamps and intials used on original armory and contractor guns.
When he suddenly died at 52, his disinterested widow gave away his professional computer containing all of the art and the documentation.)

Curt

[fire_zouave]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

Kurt,
That was the answer the I was looking for. I wasn't expecting the answer to be so disheartening though. That you actually got into cross referencing is impressive and the loss is depressing.

[weed]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

As this site pertains more to the "living historian" than the hardcore collector, here is an interesting note. Each arsenal, and contractor had their "own" eagle design for their muskets as well as their own cartouche. At a collector show one time (I think it was in Ashland, when the show was still being held there) I had a table next to a gentleman/collector who had a book he had made himself of the EXACT eagle design and cartouche (photographs from originals) for every arsenal and contractor. In that way, he (or who ever had his book) could look at a original musket and tell in an instant if it was totally original to a specific arsenal/contractor or a musket put together from various parts taken from the differant contractors (lock, stock and barrel - to use the phrase). As we were sitting at our respective tables selling our original items I must of spent the entire day, looking at the various and differant markings. It was fasinating to say the least. I remember I bought my Austrian Lorenze from him at that show for a whole $275.00

JW

Note: the eagle stamp that I am referring too, is the one on the barrel not the lock plate.

Boy, how long has that show been out of Ashland in Mansfield? I remember the all nite drives me and my wife took to get there. Back when we were actually young.

[hiplainsyank]

Re: Barrel Proof Marks, Stock Cartouches and Lock Stamps

It's been probably since at least the early 90s since the show has been in Mansfield, maybe earlier... Grew up a half hour from both and remember that I couldn't take in enough the first time I went as a child after becoming hooked on the Civil War. It was like walking into something almost like heaven!