Original Shippensburg, PA Longrifle

Product Description

This is a nice slender little original rifle made by Jacob C. Keefer about 1850-1870. I have been informed by knowledgeable sources that Jacob Keefer lived and worked in Shippensburg, PA.
This rifle is stocked in a nice piece of curly maple. The wood is sound with the typical crack by the rear lock bolt and a sliver of wood is missing near the nosecap on the right side. A piece of wood appears to have come loose at the rear barrel pin on the left side that has been glued back in place. The straight barrel is 40½” long and ¹⁵⁄₁₆” across the flats. It has a new nipple in place. The bore is in good condition and measures .40 and has straight rifling. I pulled the breech plug to make sure. I know some gunsmiths did straight rifling but this is the first one I have run across. It supposedly works well with shot or ball giving the fowling grooves to accumulate in with shot but gives a bit better accuracy with a patched ball over a smoothbore. This bore is good enough to shoot and see if it works. The lock is a typical store bought lock with no name but nice engraving on the plate. As with most percussion locks of the time, there is no half cock. If carried with a cap in place, the hammer would be resting on the cap. The triggers work fine but must be set to fire the gun. The patchbox is a style common to the Bedford, Pa. area and has a release button on the toeplate. It’s unusual to see a full patchbox on a rifle this late in the percussion period. Overall a nice little rifle. Weight is 9 lbs. 14 ozs. Pull is 12½”. Price does not include shipping and insurance cost.