Original U.S. Kentucky Full Stocked .41cal Percussion Rifle with R. & W.C. Biddle & Co. Lock and Set Trigger - Circa 1845

Original Item: Only One Available. Just purchased at a recent military auction! This is a very nice "Kentucky" percussion hunting rifle, more correctly referred to as a "Pennsylvania" rifle. The design developed in Pennsylvania, and then spread down the Ohio River Valley to Kentucky, where it was very popular. This is a very nice example, with a beautiful full length maple stock featuring a bit of curl figuring, a very common wood to use on Pennsylvania rifles. The stock is long and thin, with a curve to the wrist, a trademark of the design.

The rifle features a mixture of brass and "German Silver" mountings, which all show a lovely aged patina. It has a 41 3/4 inch long octagonal barrel with a bore of about 0.41", a common size we see on these rifles, which is cut with heavy 7 groove rifling. Overall length is 57 5/8 inches, and the barrel is relatively heavy for accurate shooting, much like "bench rest" rifles of the day. There are no markings on the barrel, but as we often see, the rifle is fitted with a "Trade Lock", which is maker marked with:-

R. & W.C. BIDDLE & Co.
WARRANTED

This firm is a known maker based in Philadelphia, PA, who made both complete guns as well as "trade locks" for use elsewhere. The "WARRANTED" is a sign that it is a trade lock, and not a gun made by the company. The lock plate is also marked with a lovely hunting scene, showing a game fowl in wetlands.

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. It is fully functional at present, and the hammer cannot be cocked at all until the rear trigger is "set". There is no half-cock position for this reason.

The rifle is in overall very good condition, with wear commensurate with age and service. It features a simple rear notch sight with a front nickel silver blade sight, with no signs that other sights were present in the past. The bore still shows strong rifling, with a partly bright finish. There is some oxidation present overall, but it does not look to have seen extensive use, with the oxidation being from long storage. The metalwork shows a lovely aged dark gray oxidized patina overall, with no major rust blooms or other issues. There is a wooden ramrod under the barrel, which looks to be a working life replacement.

The stock is in very good shape, looking to have been varnished brown long ago, and this finish is very well retained. We can see some cracks on the bottom of the butt stock, which could be past repairs that were finished over. There is also a repaired crack on the right side of the barrel tang behind the lock. The rifle features a lovely cheek piece on the left side of the butt stock with a "Hunter's Star" German Silver inlay, and there is a shield shaped escutcheon on the back of the wrist.

A very nice Kentucky Percussion Hunting rifle, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1845
Caliber: approx .41" with 7 groove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 41 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 57 5/8 Inches
Action type: Back Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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