I was at a local pawn shop, they had a beautiful long rifle with curly Maple stock. The stock had curl from one end to the other, a full stock. The lock looked like a quality lock, the double triggers look like quality triggers, the wood had some nice carving basically 3 D relief carving and it was fairly well done. They only wanted 100 bucks for the rifle.
I look down the bore and it was cruddy rusty. It appeared to be 50 caliber and it was rifled. I pulled the ram rod and ran it down the barrel, and it appears that the barrel is loaded. On the other end of the barrel the drum and nipple are missing. When you look in the hole where the drum is, it was solid. So either this gun was left loaded and is going to be a challenge to clean out, or someone filled the bottom of the barrel with something to make it a wall hanger.
The hammer on the action was full cocked, and pulling the triggers would not drop it. neither trigger would move at all like they were jammed. I am betting that I could get the lock in the triggers to working, probably something minor. But the barrel I have questions about. I don't know if you can make a rusty boar shoot worth a darn especially pushing club patched round balls down the bore.
I am thinking of going back and offering them 25 bucks for the rifle as a wall hanger. The barrel has 3 options, possibly 4. Either leave as is and use with a rough bore, assuming I can clean it out. Coat the bore with something to smooth it out, like fuel tank liner type stuff. Replace the barrel, or possibly get it rebored to 54 caliber or drilled out and lined.
There were no makers marks on the gun at all, I don't think it was a kit gun, but a gun that somebody put together from parts such as from track of the Wolf, it's etc.
I am pretty sure I can get the lock and trigger working well, but what are your thoughts on how to deal with this rusty bore barrel?