October 30, 2019 The Collection of Steve & Marcy Hench
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2019
This rifle is photographed and featured on pages 173-178 of "Moravian Gunmaking II" by Robert P. Leinemann. Peter Neihart was born in 1743 and died in 1813. He worked in Whitehall Township, Northampton County and is regarded today as a grand master of the region. His architecturally graceful rifles present many Germanic features which reflect the influence of the Moravian masters at Christian Springs, but Neihart’s guns usually do not present the pronounced buttstock curvature seen in the guns of the later, fully-developed Lehigh pattern. Neihart’s work is not commonly encountered today and any genuine specimen can be regarded as a rarity. This rifle has a tapered, round barrel with a small brass front sight and a dovetailed notched rear sight. There are private English view and proof marks on the left side of the breech. The rounded trade lock has some scroll decoration, a detached pan, and a long frizzen spring finial. The brass furniture includes a sideplate in the Moravian style and an early, cast trigger guard with trifid finial on front tang. Buttplate measures 2" across the back with a tang in the German or Dutch style. Open-ended Northampton County nosecap and early turned ramrod ferrules. Full length, partially figured maple stock in the early Northampton County style. Decorated around the comb with a rope border and on both sides of the wrist with C-scrolls and chevrons. There are relief carved C-scrolls and foliate designs around the barrel tang, as well as surrounding the ramrod entry ferrule. CONDITION: Barrel retains a brown patina with some scattered dark spots and some corrosion at breech. Lock is in its original flintlock configuration and retains a dark grey patina. Lock is replaced but of the correct style. Brass furniture shows some marks from use and casting flaws and retains a polished surface. Some minor pieces replaced around lock and one sliver along barrel on left side of forend. Stock retains a mostly dark patina with some age cracks and scattered marks. Buttplate shows some cracking and minor losses. This is a very nice and early fowler by one of the scarcest Northampton County makers. PROVENANCE: Ex. Steve Fuller.
Caliber/Bore
.72 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
Peter Neihart