Not sure if that would be the Joseph Bourne and Son, London/Birmingham 577/450 Martini Henry or the Springfield Armory .45/70 Government-both 1880's manufacture and not wall hangers either ; these old thunder sticks make it to the range and throw BIG lead chunks down range! Good old single shots-my brother the career Army man (M16 and M4) says I am daft for loving the old single shots and the bolt action beauties-What the Hell does he know? Being older does not guarantee you are smarter! LOL!!
1837 Ethan Allen Pepperbox. Not operational, but a really neat conversation piece. My Dad told me it has been in the family since civil war times. Maybe.
A .410 single barrel shotgun that my father had when he was a little boy in the 1920's. He told me he was riding on a tractor with his father and jumped a rabbit. It scared Dad, he flinched and accidentally fired the shotgun killing the rabbit. Grandpa was pretty proud of his sons shooting abilities. Dad never told Grandpa the truth. This gun will go to my son, so that is a four generation firearm. The first gun I bought was a Remington 870 that I bought in 1973.
I have a muzzleloading firearm in a glass case which was carried by my great-great-great grandfather in the Ontario Militia during the Feinian Raids soon after the Civil War. This was basically Irish-Americal Civil War veterans invading Canada with the goal of diverting British troops from Ireland so that their bretheren could reclaim the fatherland. I have the belt from his uniform mounted in there too.
The gun was likely in the family long before that...it is clearly a personal firearm, not military issue. I have researched some by markings and have been told by those more knowledgable than myself that the barrel may be from a converted flintlock of 1700s vintage.
I also have a couple shotguns from my great-great grandfather, circa 1920. And a S&W M&P .38 revolver from another great-great grandfather who was the captain of a famous shipwreck...though apparently this pistol was bought to replace the one that went down with the ship.