How do we know if these items are genuine?

bedbugbilly's long post is excellent, even if very long.
We do not want to use too broad a brush for currenlty made 'old style' items. In the vast majority of cases these are not made to deceive anyone. They are replicas to be owned, used and enjoyed by those who relive and respect history.
It is the eventual seller that one must always suspect.
Oddly, surviving guns are more often than not the fancy ones. They were well cared for and preserved by families.
In many cases a poor mans working rifle can be far more valuable to collectors and historical researchers than a presentation piece. That is because so few survived.
 
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