September 29, 2021 The Bill Myers Collection
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2021
According to John duMont's notes on this rifle, he wrote that Joe King, Jr. said that "this rifle was the finest over/under swivel breech rifle that he knew of". It originally belonged to the Myer family, who migrated to Ohio in 1823 from the east. In 1975, John duMont purchased this fine and early circa 1780 Berks County, Pennsylvania swivel breech from fellow Kentucky Rifle Association member George Murdock for $21,500. Today, this is the equivalent of over $105,000. It is featured on page 120 of "Kentucky Rifles & Pistols: 1750-1850" by James R. Johnston. It is also featured in "Rifles of Colonial America: Vol. I" by George Shumway and on pages 23 and 24 of "Accouterments IV" by James R. Johnston. This rifle, attributed to Nathan Boyer, also comes with it's sterling silver hanging award tag for "One of Five Best" Award at the 1968 Kentucky Rifle Association meeting, displayed at the time by George Murdock. Also included are quite a few letters about the rifle from George Shumway, photos of the rifle in front of duMont's home in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and duMont's original hand written inventory for the rifle in his collection. The rifle features twin octagonal rifled swivel-breech barrels, both with silver and brass front blade sights and notched iron rear sights. There are pans and frizzens on both sides at breeches. There are full-length panels of wood along foreshocks between the barrels on both sides. Each side features three s-shaped brass inlays. Barrels swivel by pulling back the front of the wide heavy brass trigger guard bow. Ramrod on one side retained by three brass ferrules. The lock itself is on the right side and is flat with beveled edges. Rifle has double triggers. The brass furniture includes an early un-pierced four piece Berks County patchbox retained by five screws; release located on top of faceted buttplate tang. Wide buttplate of 1-7/8" across. Plain inlaid toe plate with shaped acorn finial. There is a silver-inlaid eight point star above the cheekpiece on the left side of buttstock, retained by a screw in the center. The heavy figured tiger maple buttstock is of classic early Berks County form with a heavy Roman nose profile. There are high relief carved panels around lock and brass sideplate, with teardrops at backs. An early relief shell design is carved around the long iron barrel tang. High relief-carved C-Scrolls are carved on both sides of the molded cheekpiece. Two iron loops below cheekpiece for touch hole pick. CONDITION: Barrels retain a dark brown patina and rifling is very good. Locks are very good professional reconversions and function well, retaining a brown patina. Brass retains a mellow mustard patina and shows some wear and scattered marks. Swivel mechanism is crisp and functions well. There is 5-1/2" of wood just in front of lock on ramrod side of forend which have been professionally replaced. Buttstock shows some wear to carving around wrist. A very important and fine early swivel breech Kentucky with great collection provenance. PROVENANCE: Ex. George Murdock; John S. duMont Collections. DMG
Barrel Length
(BOTH) 39 - 5/8"
Caliber/Bore
(BOTH) .47 Rifled
Model
Kentucky Swivel Breech