October 22-23, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/22/2019
This rifle was prominently displayed as part of the 2018 Powder Horn Exhibit at Fort Pitt Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For an example by the same hand, see rifle number 76 on pages 203 and 204 in the book "Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age" by Joe Kindig, Jr. Kindig attributes this rifle as being made by someone with a close association to Wolfgang Haga. The rifle was clearly made in the Reading, Pennsylvania area. Kindig attributes the example shown to be an early Wolfgang Haga. The full length rifle octagonal barrel has a dovetailed brass front blade sight and an iron rear sight. There is also an empty sight dovetail towards the breech. The flat handmade lockplate has a groove at the tail and is unmarked. The brass furniture includes a classic Haga style Reading four piece patchbox terminating in a pineapple finial and retained by seven screws. The thick, nearly straight buttplate measures 1-7/8" across the back and the buttplate tang has a high relief wedding band and an iron push button patchbox release. The early trigger guard is classic Berks County and surrounding it is a period brass repair to stabilize a break, and the front of it mimics the design of a shell which is carved around the barrel tang. The sideplate has beveled adges and is of the classic design attributed to Wolfgang Haga. The full length figured maple stock is of classic Roman nose, Berks County form and has relief carved panels terminating in a teardrop around the lock and the sideplate cavities. There is an early relief carved shell around the ramrod entry ferrule and around the barrel tang. The left side of the butt is decorated with relief 'C' scrolls both in front of and behind the molded relief cheekpiece. Complete with period, probably original ramrod. CONDITION: The barrel retains a spotted brown patina with some corrosion near the breech. The lock is a good, professional reconversion and retains a brown patina. Brass furniture retains an unpolished dark mustard patina. One lock screw is a replacement. Stock shows some scattered marks and retains an old finish. There are two minor pieces of wood replaced around the barrel tang. This is a very nice and very early example of a rifle attributed to the famous maker Wolfgang Haga. DG
Manufacturer
Wolfgang Haga, Attributed