Original U.S. Rare Whitney Burgess Morse Model 1878 Lever Action .45-70 Repeating Rifle with Shortened Barrel and Modified Lever - Circa 1880

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very nice example of one of the Lever Action repeating rifles made by the Whitney Arms Company, later known as "Whitneyville Armory", located in Whitneyville Connecticut. This area, today near Hamden Connecticut, was so named due to it's association with the famous Eli Whitney, the inventor of the Cotton Gin. Whitney also manufactured firearms, such as Springfield Muskets, and his son, also named Eli Whitney, followed in his footsteps. The factory was expanded, and the area became known as "Whitneyville", making firearms throughout the 19th century. Eventually, after several consolidations, the factory became "Whitneyville Armory."

This is a very interesting example of one of the rarer lever action repeating rifles made during the late 19th century, the "Burgess Model 1878 Long Range Repeating Rifle", also called the Whitney Burgess Morse. While made by Whitney, it utilized patented designs by A. Burgess and G.W. Morse. It was made to compete in upcoming military trials in 1878, however it suffered from unreliable lifter mechanisms caused rampant double-feeds, leading it to fail the trials. The tube magazine also had issues with the sensitive primers on the .45-70 Government ammunition, leading to cartridges detonating in the tube magazine, an equally if not more serious issue.

In spite of this, the company had not finalized tooling prior to the trials, so Whitney did offer the design as a military carbine and sporting rifle for a short period of time (1878-1882) in various configurations, including both top and side loading variants. From 1880 to 1886, Whitney Arms would also produce the "Whitney Kennedy", which featured refinements to the design, and was also chambered in the very popular .44-40 cartridge. These originally had the "serpentine" loading lever from the earlier design, but would later switch to the loop used in most other repeating designs of the time.

This is a very interesting example of the Whitney Burgess Morse Model 1878, which was later modified by having the round barrel shortened to 21 1/2 inches, and the magazine tube shortened even more. It also had the original operating lever modified by bending it flat along the receiver tang, and then another piece of iron was riveted on to make a loop. The original rear sight was replaced with an adjustable "flat-top" style sight, and the front sight was replaced with a dovetail sight with a large nickel silver blade. We were not able to find any serial number for the rifle, however these were all made during 1878-1882, so it is definitely considered a Pre-1899 Antique Firearm by the BATF.

The top of the barrel has the Morse patent information:-

G. W. MORSE
PATENTED OCT. 20TH 1856

The chambering information is noted on the breech end of the barrel: 45 CAL 70 GR. C.F., which means 45 caliber, 70 Grains, Centerfire, or .45-70 Government. The barrel tang also indicates the patent information that the rifle was manufactured under, which is partly faded.:

A. BURGESS
PATENTED JAN'Y. 7TH 1873.
PATENTED OCT. 19TH 1875.

The rifle looks very nice, now being more of a carbine length, which was probably just as useful for self defense as it was for hunting. It shows an overall matured gray oxidized patina, showing just a bit if past peppering, now removed. The walnut stocks are lovely, showing light to moderate wear, and the butt stock features some lovely figuring to the grain on the right side, which also has some brass tack adornments. The butt stock is fitted with a crescent butt plate that has a storage compartment, which is unfortunately empty.

The bore shows clear lands and grooves, though there is definitely some wear to the lands. The finish is bright in most places, and the bore probably rates an 7 out of 10. The action opens and closes correctly, with a crisp dry fire.

A very interesting example of a scarce repeating rifle design, modified to make it more suitable for frontier use. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1878-1882
Caliber: .45-70 "Government"
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 21 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 40 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: tube magazine

NOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. 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.