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LOT 274
Desirable Golden Age American Flintlock “Smooth Rifle” - NSN, 44 cal., 42 1/4
inch octagon bbl., brown finish, maple stock. Includes pages from a Norm Flayderman
catalog featuring this rifle as item 2578 and identifying it as a Berks County rifle c.
1790s. It is noted as originally from the Cook Collection before being sold in 1952 and
as in “Remarkable condition showing only very, very light use in untouched/uncleaned
exactly as it was put away almost 2 centuries ago.” As noted in the catalog, the gun
is unsigned but is very similar to the rifle on page 39 from the Clegg Collection in
“The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle” by Kauffman. The barrel has a ring on the face
of the muzzle, no rifling visible, and traditional rifle sights. The lock has no visible
markings. The furniture is brass and consists of a forend cap, three round ramrod
pipes with simple banded accents, sideplate, trigger guard, oval wrist escutcheon,
patchbox, and buttplate. The patch box release is on the heel, and there are incised
borders to the sides of the lid. The maple stock has a cheekpiece with incised lines on the edge and very nice molding along the bottom of the butt.
CONDITION: Fine with dark brown patina on the lock and barrel, attractive aged patina on the brass furniture, and mild age and storage related wear. The stock is also fine and has a dark appearance overall with grain and striped patterns visible, crisp molding and accents, some thin cracks and small chips, and general light scratches and dings. Mechanically fine.
Provenance: The Cook Collection; N. Flayderman & Co., Inc.; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 7,500 - 12,000
LOT 275
Engraved and Inlaid “JS” Signed Flintlock American Long Rifle - NSN, 45 cal.,
44 3/8 inch octagon bbl., brown/German silver/brass finish, curly maple stock. This
rifle was once attributed to James Stapleton but has since been re-attributed by
the more recent owner who had a large number of Bedford County rifles to Jacob
Snider/Snyder (1821-1875). He trained under George Fay and was a gunmaker
in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and later a miner, banker, and land speculator
in Georgetown, Colorado, where he was shot and killed after winning a court
case. Also see his rifle in LOT 3282. The cheekpiece inlay and arrow shaped
forend inlays are nearly identical to those other rifles attributed to Snider.
The rifle is signed “J*S” on the barrel and has traditional blade and notch
sights, adjustable double set triggers, an unmarked lock, and brass furniture and German silver inlays with wavy
line border engraving, the noted eagle motif on the cheekpiece, and an “X” on the left side of the butt. The rifle was originally a percussion gun but has been converted to flintlock. It also previously was noted as having taps in the tang for a peep sight that are no longer visible.
CONDITION: Very good as converted and partially restored with brown patina along the barrel, some artificial brown patina on the breech and lock, nice aged patina on the brass and inlays, and general mild overall wear. The stock is very good and has very attractive figure throughout, a crack on the left at the breech, mild scrapes and dings, and general minor wear. Mechanically fine (trigger must be set first).
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000
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