April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2019
This gun can easily be mistaken for your typical Triplett & Scott carbine, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The right side of the frame is stamped "W. Johnston / Cin. Ohio / Patented 1862". The name William Johnston can be found in the book "American Gunsmiths" as a builder during the Civil War who filed for two patents 35241, May 13th 1862, and 84868 on November 1st, 1864. This carbine is not exactly either of them but is instead a variation on the 1862 patent, hence the date on frame. The 1862 patent shows three screws on frame with a rimfire hammer but a lack of two firing pins. The addition of a second firing pin would provide additional insurance that the round would ignite correctly. There are no other markings on the rifle, including no serial number. Features a round barrel with a dovetail front sight, military ladder rear sight, 2 - 3/4" breech that swings up from the frame to the right to allow loading and unloading. The release is a top slide lock. Two triggers with rear set trigger and forwarding trigger dropping the firing pin. There is saddle bar and ring on left side. Has a walnut stock with rifle butt. CONDITION: All of the metal finish is now a soft bluish brown patina on barrel and more of a brown gunmetal patina on frame with some age spots. Inventor's stamp is crisp. Walnut stocks are excellent, proud to metal, with usual dings. Buttplate is brown patina. There is a small nailhead sized hole at bottom of butt. Double set triggers work correctly. Fine action. Three groove rifled bore is fairly well defined with some black powder residue. This gun never went into production, at least not in its current form, as either a Johnston prototype or a patent having been sold to Triplett and Scott. When comparing this to a Triplett & Scott or Greene carbine, it is immediately noticeable that there is no exposed hammer and no forend. Part of these patents, sold and used by either Greene and Triplett & Scott, are possible but we have no records to prove it. In either case, this is a unique, Civil War patent, one of a kind carbine and the only known existing patent W. Johnston carbine that we are aware of. Included with carbine are copies of the two patent drawings.
Paperwork
Two patent drawings