Gentelmen!
I recieved an offer to purchase a W. Bailes flintlock rifle...
Please see these pics:
[img]http://s666.beta.photobucket.com/user/DEWISZ/library/W%20BAILES[/img]

I'd like to know Your opinion. Does it look like genuine piece for You?...

Your comments will be most appreciated.

Newbie,
It looks like a shotgun, rather than rifle, to me.
Mike

That gun looks like the real McCoy to me. Silver mounted, too.

W.Keith Neal's series of books "Great British Gunmakers 1740 - 1790" (both books) has a great deal of information on Bailes.

This gun may have come from his collection. There were four huge auctions in the '90's when the collection was dispersed upon his passing.

It looks like it might have been a rifle that was bored out smooth. It has a rifle front sight. Also look closely at the muzzle, it looks like the left muzzle has been completely bored through where it touches the right barrel. It might have coned muzzles though, it's hard to tell from the pic. The rifling might start a couple inches back. Inspect it in person if you can.

Beautiful gun, but it may be un-shootable which will affect it's value even if you have no plans of ever firing it.

Boy, those barrels are close together.

very cool!