Raimy and Steve,
Thanks for the ID help. It is of a light Cape gun configuration, and in its slender underlever style, sorta svelte. Some small elegance to the triggerguard and horn grip, in that Germanic formal style. The fitting of the under-rib to the two different sized bbls is a study in craftsmanship.
Your idea of me offering to buy it from the customer is quite tempting, tho I am presently in the throes of being a flint longrifle builder, of late. DAMN those rocklocks, for they sure are addictive fun. There's four, hanging around the shop walls now, in various states of unfinish. Orphans, some of them, adopted from owners who...well, can no longer complete their dream.
At any rate, even if the Cape gun is non-Smokeless Proof, would it be a candidate to use smokeless-for-black ALA Seyfried's formula? {which I will have to go look up}. Would you hazard an informed guess if the original round was early smokeless with a metal jacket, or was it one of those paper-patched bullet, transistional bulk powder loads?
Best I can figure, will convey this off to my client, and tell him that I really don't know, beyond a very generalized spread, what such a gun is worth -- with a thorough functioning mechanical restoration and light cosmetic workover. Because I don't. And sight unseen for anybody else, it's just a guess, at best.
The gun is not fine enuff to appeal to a collector and too expensive, or of little interst after being restored, for most gunshow walkabout bargain hunter folks. A German Capegun guy should have a half-dozen better specimens just leaning in the corner!!! ;~`)At least, that there is 'bout how I see it.
Even on a BBS like this, it doesn't seem to me that it would be hot item. Old. Interesting. But general purpose, gleamie-eyed lust inducing? Nuh-unh.;~`)It's the old "Have it done for the sake of what you will enjoy using, not the shimmering mirage of possible profit." That applies to most of the private party furniture that goes thru my door, anyway.
There is occasionally considerable value added, at commensurate cost. Tho, that circumstance is rarer than it was even a decade ago. But a lot of antiques presently just achieve potential value, which about equals the cost of purchase and work done. The margins for antique furniture dealers to afford extensive repairs are closer than I've ever seen them, right now.
My old digital camera doesn't "do" very good closeups, for the flats. However, will give it a try in the New Year, for the sake of adding to the knowledge pool. Thanks again, for providing reasonable assumption that the rifle cartridge can be worked out without recourse to brass bar stock and a lathe. That prolly nudges it towards functional rescue, more than wall hanger.
Have a foine and safe holidays, and don't forget to breath some powder smoke.
