Rocketman you are right on that as they would have used up parts that were made for the earlier guns. The hammers are of the percussion type with the cupped noses to prevent fragments of the cap flying off, similarly the fences are shaped to also deflect percussion cap fragments and the metal butt plate so that the gun could be stood on the ground whilst being loaded. I would think that these common muzzle loader features would have continued in vogue for some time. It was just the shape of the barrel flats that puzzled me slightly. I have one or two early breech loaders that still show one or more of these features. Beautiful specimen none the less. Lagopus.....
