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Fine Ohio ‘Half Stock’ Percussion Indian Rifle Gun
Guns International #: 101875539 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Antique Rifles - Flintlock - Antique Rifles - Flintlock
Seller's Information
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Seller: A & A Gaines Antiques
Member Since: 11/2/08
State: Rhode Island
Zip: 02840
Country: United States
Phone: (401) 846-0538
Number of Active Listings: 0
Total Number of Listings: 66
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
3 days
Payment Types Accepted: USPS Postal Money Order or Bank Check
Description:
An especially fine example of an American percussion half stock hunting rifle - likely of Ohio origin - showing decoration and usage by Native Americans during an important period in the history of the American West.
This well made rifle is engraved on the top flat of its middling heavy octagon barrel, “S. Bates. Dec.2, 1871”. It is unusual to find dated rifles of this style and period. The rifle barrel is 35” long, .45 caliber, and rifled with six deep grooves. The percussion sidelock is unmarked and the rifle is fitted with double set triggers. This rifle is brass mounted with a full four piece patchbox not common in rifles of this late period. The rifle also has a German silver ‘sickle moon’ inlay on its cheekpiece and and odd looking german silver barrel pin escutcheons. The stock is tightly grained tiger maple.The plain hickory ramrod appears original.
It is pretty well known that though metallic cartridge firearms became popular after their introduction and use in the Civil War percussion muzzle loading hunting and target rifles continued to be widely used across the United States (“The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle”, by Ned H. Roberts, goes into this in detail). Muzzle loaders saw considerable use well into the 1890s on the American Frontier due to difficulties of obtaining cartridges in wilderness areas and their cost of both arms and ammunition on the frontier. Native Americans in particular retained muzzle loading arms for these reasons and - despite what we’ve seen in the movies - the reticence of most white civilians and military to afford them modern firearms, especially repeaters.
This rifle displays classic characteristics of Native American ownership. In the course of its working life it was broken through the wrist area of the stock and very well repaired with soft iron wire - soft iron wire, copper wire, and brass tacks were staples of the ‘Indian Trade’ - areas of the stock are decorated with brass tacks, and the bottom of the stock ahead of the lock and on the left side of the foreshock show heavy saddle wear. The bottom of the foreshock shows the ‘washboard’ like surface abrasion particular to tiger maple that has become saddle worn against wood or leather covered saddles over a long period.
This is a very handsome rifle with great character but its most impressive feature is its condition. This rifle is in excellent absolutely untouched, as found, attic condition. All iron surfaces retain an excellent untouched deep age patina. The lock and set triggers work well and rifling at the muzzle looks fine. The brass mountings and decorative brass tacks have excellent never polished patinas. The stock has excellent unmolested original surface, color, and age/use wear. The wood behind the hammer and . percussion nipple displays the bleached/burned surface unique to percussion arms having seen heavy use…and amazingly the rifle retains its early cut leather drum & stock protective skirt. The patchbox interior still contains some grease and old patch material.
This rifle was found in Iowa some years ago and has been in a private collection since then. It must have been well cared for over the years to have come down in its present state of preservation - it is a ‘Poster Girl’ for what a native American used frontier rifle should be.
SOLD
Antique: Yes