any info on a J Young rifle?

[kckid101]

Hello all i acquired a muzzleloader that i need some info on. it's stamped J Young on top of the barrel with Jwilt&co stamped on left side by the breech plug. seems to be a 38 caliber,41" barrel. all i can find is that there were 2 young's in ohio88963 889608896188962and w.virginia that built them in the early to mid 1800's. has a elabrote patch box,which seems to be engraved also stamping are engraving on the barrel and buttplate as well. any info will be helpfull. thanks Kevin
http://www.aolrc.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/vol-viii-no-2-oct-1986.pdf

[DIRT Farmer]

All I know is that it looks like a nice rifle.

[451 Pete]

Just a guess here so don't take this as the final answer but I think you may very possibly have a converted flint lock where the lock was not converted to percussion but changed out for another lock by a second gunsmith. While I found several references to J Young none of them are listed as being in business past 1783 or into the percussion era. One was a John Young that worked as an armorer to the Maryland Colony from 1728-1740 , the second is Henry and John Young, brothers, who had a shop located at Easton Pennsylvania and were in business from 1774 until 1783. J Wilt and Co. , the stamping by the breech would have been the second gunsmith who did the conversion from flint to percussion. He is listed as a general gunsmith at Dayton Ohio from 1850 - 1854.

Pete

[kckid101]

pete thanks for the info i didn't find that info but did add a link to the op as to the youngs out of Ohio and wv.
kevin