February 24th & 25th 2012 General (02)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/24/2012
School: Huntington County School. Circa 1840 to 1865. Overall length: 57 – 1/2”. Caliber: .45. Barrel length: 43” (original). Octagonal barrel. Percussion mechanism. Four-piece patchbox. Curly maple stock. No carvings. 26 silver inlays. This Huntington County rifle made and signed by Jacob Snider is an excellent representation of Pennsylvania’s “last of the period” gunsmithing. It has 26 German silver inlays as well as a fully pierced (7 piercings), four-piece patch box (also done in German silver) elaborate engraving of floral and “c-scrolls” combination. The rifle’s stock has fine curly maple with an original amber, patinated surface. The wear plate in front of the trigger guard is made of German silver and incorporates three piercings also. The rifle, signed with the gunsmith’s script initials on the barrel and his surname on the lock, shows that the care in making fine Kentucky riffle’s is still the case at this late period of time, even though the artwork and design is radically different from the earlier made rifles.