Original Item: Only One Available. Just purchased at a recent military auction! This is a wonderful heavy barreled "Pennsylvania" percussion hunting rifle, often referred to as a "Kentucky" rifle. The design developed in Pennsylvania, and then spread down the Ohio River Valley to Kentucky, where it was very popular. The thin curved stock design was popular for close to 100 years in the region. This is a great example, with a lovely "Tiger" flamed maple stock, which has a beautiful finish and features all brass mountings. The rifle features a 38 1/2 inch long octagonal barrel with a bore of about 0.38", very common for these rifles, cut with seven groove rifling. Overall length is 54 inches, and the barrel is very heavy for accurate shooting, much like "bench rest" rifles of the day.

We checked the rifle thoroughly, but we were not able to locate any maker or other markings on the barrel or elsewhere. As with many rifles produced during this period, it is most likely fitted with a "trade lock", produced elsewhere and sold on the market. There is a lovely "hunting scene" on the rear of the lock, however the front has seen past light pitting, which removed any engraving present, and if it was originally marked, that was probably removed as well. It definitely looks to have been produced in percussion, as we can see no evidence of a removed pan or frizzen.

As with most hunting rifles, this example is fitted with a "set trigger", where depressing the rear trigger first until it clicks and just touching the front trigger discharges the weapon, hopefully with great accuracy. The mechanism is fully functional on this example, and the lock cannot be fired at all until the rear trigger is "set". For this reason there is no half cock position on the tumbler. The barrel features a German Silver blade front sight and a simple fixed "flat-top" rear sight. We checked the bore, and the seven groove rifling is still easily visible, with a mostly bright finish. There is some wear, as well as past fouling and oxidation, so the rifle definitely did see a good amount of use, but was well cared for during it's life.

Overall condition is very good, with a lovely look, showing some past expert repairs around the lock area. We can see that various pieces of tiger flame maple were grafted in place, matching the original stock very well. Due to the design of these rifles, this area is very weak, and being dropped often causes the rifle stock to shatter in this area, particularly with the heavy barrel. The last 6 inches near the nose cap has also been replaced. This looks to have happened some time ago, after which it was repaired sometime in the mid 20th century. Aside from that, it still shows lovely figuring out throughout the entire length.

The rifle is fitted with a lovely brass hook butt plate, and has a carved in German style cheek piece on the left side, which bears a small "German Silver" escutcheon. The brass trigger guard is very nice, and is with most we see, has a "pistol grip" style finial for a better grip. The cleaning rod is a display replacement.

A very nice example of an iconic early American gun design, with a beautiful repaired stock and set trigger. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1850
Caliber: approx .38" seven groove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 38 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 54 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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.