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Extraordinarily Rare Late 18th Century Ferguson Pattern Breech Loading Flintlock Rifle by Wilson/Barnett - NSN, 65 cal., 38 1/4 inch round bbl., brown finish, walnut stock. Innovative for its time, the Ferguson rifle is considered by many to be the king of early breech loading rifles, and the most desirable, bar none. This is an extremely rare example of a Ferguson pattern rifle made in the late 18th century as a fine sporting rifle for a high ranking officer or a very important individual. These rifles were originally invented by Captain Patrick Ferguson with intent for military use in 1774 and granted 1776 dated British patent number 1139. To operate, the knob protruding off the rear of the trigger guard is able to be turned one rotation clockwise utilizing a multi-start thread system, which opens up the top of the breech end of the barrel, allowing access for loading of powder and ball; during a time when loading from the muzzle end with a rammer on a smoothbore musket was commonplace. In a combat scenario, the advantages of this system include the ability to reload drastically quicker, and also the ability to reload from the prone position in order to keep oneself from being exposed to the enemy, a feat near impossible with a muzzle-loading musket. An 1888 biography titled “TWO SCOTTISH SOLDIERS”, by James Ferguson states, “Always on the outlook for opportunities of action, he [Patrick Ferguson] regarded with attention the aspect of affairs; and the outbreak of war with the revolted colonies found him intent on the invention of a new species
of rifle, with which to counteract the superiority as marksmen of the American backwoodsmen.”. The “Annual Register” of June 1st, 1776 states, “Some experiments were tried at Woolwich before Lord Viscount Townshend, Lord Amherst, Generals Harvey and Desaguliers, and a number of other officers with a rifle gun upon a new construction by Capt. Ferguson of the 70th regiment; when that gentleman, under the disadvantages of a heavy rain and a high wind, performed the following four things, none of which had ever before been accomplished with any other small arms...