Original Item: Only One Available. Recently acquired from a military auction, this is a particularly handsome late percussion era American long rifle attributed to J.M. Jennings of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The rifle combines a heavy 33" octagonal .38 caliber barrel, seven groove rifling, double set trigger, brass furniture, and an exceptionally attractive full length maple stock displaying dense tiger or flame figure with pronounced chatoyancy. The barrel is engraved with decorative work and carries the stylized initials J M J near the breech, while the commercial percussion lock is marked RIDDLE. A period style note found rolled inside the barrel attributes the rifle to Jennings and gives an active period of 1866-1875, making this an intriguing Southern long rifle with strong potential for further research.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The American long rifle developed from the great Pennsylvania gunmaking tradition of the 18th century and gradually spread south and west with generations of gunsmiths, hunters, settlers, and marksmen. Although commonly called both "Kentucky" and "Pennsylvania" rifles by collectors, locally produced variations developed throughout the country. By the middle and later 19th century, percussion rifles of this general form continued to be made as sporting and target arms, often combining traditional full stocks and brass furniture with heavy barrels and sensitive set trigger mechanisms intended for deliberate shooting.

This rifle measures 48 1/4" overall and is fitted with a heavy 33" octagonal barrel. The bore measures approximately .38" and contains seven groove rifling. The substantial barrel gives the rifle the purposeful appearance of a later sporting or target rifle while retaining the graceful full stock architecture of the traditional American long rifle.

The barrel is decorated with engraved designs over much of its length. Near the breech it is marked in stylized script:

J M J

A small handwritten piece of paper was found rolled inside the barrel identifying those initials as:

J.M. Jennings
Fredericksburg, Va.
1866-1875
Established himself as a soldier of merit with the Army of Va. Brother also a gunsmith.
Rifles highly decorated and wood used was of exceptional Quality.

The note is an interesting part of the rifle's history, but we have not been able to independently verify all of the information written on it. Published American gunmaker references do record a James Jennings as a gunsmith working in Fredericksburg, Virginia, after the Civil War and active until approximately 1875. This provides meaningful support for the Fredericksburg Jennings attribution, but we have not established that the initials J M J definitively belong to that maker. We therefore describe the rifle as attributed to Jennings rather than positively signed by him.

The statement on the accompanying note concerning Jennings' military service and the claim that his brother was also a gunsmith remain unverified and are included here only as part of the attribution history that accompanied the rifle.

As was common with individually built American sporting rifles, the gunmaker utilized a commercially produced or "trade" lock rather than manufacturing every component himself. The lock plate is marked within a banner:

RIDDLE

RIDDLE marked percussion locks are known on surviving American long and sporting rifles of the 19th century. Period gunmaker references describe them as commercially produced percussion locks, although the actual manufacturer behind the Riddle marking has not been securely identified.

The full length maple stock is easily one of the outstanding features of the rifle. The wood displays extremely tight tiger or flame figuring for much of its length, with particularly strong chatoyancy that changes dramatically as the stock is viewed from different angles. The warm stain accentuates the alternating light and dark stripes, producing an appearance reminiscent of tiger eye stone.

The rifle is fitted throughout with brass furniture, including an attractive hooked crescent butt plate, ramrod pipes, and a pistol grip style trigger guard. Together with the heavily figured full stock and engraved barrel, these details give the rifle considerably more visual presence than a plain utility long rifle of the same period.

A double set trigger mechanism is fitted. Pressing the rear trigger until it clicks "sets" the mechanism, greatly reducing the pressure required on the front trigger. Such systems were especially popular on American sporting and target rifles where a light trigger pull was desirable for careful shooting.

There are, however, important mechanical issues with the present trigger and lock arrangement. During manual inspection, the hammer will not remain cocked in any position unless the rear trigger has first been set. Once the trigger mechanism is set, a half cock position can be obtained, but pulling the front trigger will release the hammer from both half and full cock. The half cock position therefore does not function as a secure safety notch. Whether this behavior results from adjustment, wear, alteration, or another mechanical deficiency has not been determined.

The bore is in very good condition, retaining strong seven groove rifling and a mostly bright interior. Some wear and evidence of past oxidation are present, indicating that the rifle saw genuine use during its working life.

Condition overall is very good for a late percussion era American long rifle. The stock shows the dents, handling marks, and other wear expected from age and service but retains excellent color and figure. We did not observe cracking through the wrist, an especially welcome feature given the relatively slender architecture of rifles of this type.

There is one significant old stock repair toward the muzzle. Approximately the final four inches of the fore stock have been replaced, with the graft joined to the original wood along a long diagonal cut beginning just below the front sight. The replacement was very skillfully executed using wood with figure closely matching the original stock and was stained to blend with the surrounding surface, making the repair surprisingly unobtrusive.

There is also some erosion and loss of wood immediately around the lock area, consistent with the effects of percussion cap residue and long use.

A simple wooden rod is presently fitted beneath the barrel. This is a replacement intended for display and should not be considered the rifle's original ramrod.

With its extraordinary tiger figured full stock, heavy 33" octagonal barrel, seven groove .38 caliber bore, engraved decoration, brass furniture, double set trigger, RIDDLE marked commercial lock, and intriguing J M J maker initials, this is a highly appealing example of the American percussion long rifle tradition in its later form. The published record of a James Jennings working as a Fredericksburg gunsmith after the Civil War makes the accompanying attribution particularly worthy of further study, while the spectacular wood and honest evidence of long use give the rifle considerable visual character in its own right. It would make an excellent addition to a collection of Southern rifles, Virginia gunmaking, American long rifles, or individually built 19th century sporting and target arms.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1870
Maker: J.M. Jennings of Fredericksburg, VA.
Caliber: approx .38" seven groove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 33 Inches
Overall Length: 48 1/4 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.