This old rifle caught my eye.  It is unsigned, .36 caliber with an overall length of 51 inches and a barrel length of 36 inches.  It has a trade lock, which is marked Moore.  It is brass mounted, nose cap, trigger guard and butt plate with set triggers.  It's really not anything special, even so it is well built, has a nice, tiger striped maple stock and has good architecture.  In other words, it has good lines.  The whole gun comes off in a delicate, graceful manner.  I don't know where it was made.  My guess would be Indiana, eastern Kentucky, maybe Ohio.  I just like the look of the gun and it is reasonably priced.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

About 5000 of these .32 caliber, front loading cylinder, Pond Revolvers were made, commencing in 1863.  This particular gun has an early serial number of 1652 and is all matching.  The left frame, forward of the cylinder, is marked Kittridge, Cin. Ohio.  Kittridge was a major firearms dealer during the Civil War period and responsible for many sales to military personnel.  The top of the barrel on this gun is marked J. W. Pond, Worcester, Mass. Patented September 8, 1863.  The left barrel flat is marked Patented November 8, 1864.  The gun is complete, including the steel chambers which facilitate the front loading aspects of the revolver.  This design was an attempt to circumvent the Rollin & White patent for a bored through, rear loading cylinder, which was held by Smith & Wesson.  While this gun is late Civil War era production, it is amazingly accompanied by a notarized statement, which was dated in 1971.  The statement, which identifies the gun by serial number, and is signed by Mrs. L. A. Johnson an 82 year old resident of  Savannah, Georgia, indicates that it belonged to her grandfather, Edward Stipes, who captured it from a Yankee officer just prior to General Lee's birthday in January of 1865.   She recounts that every year on General Lee's birthday, he took this pistol out and shot it.  She clearly states that he was an officer in the Confederate Army.  The statement was signed and notarized, by a Georgia Notary on December 20, 1971.  Our review of Civil War records reveals that there was only one man named Stipes that held a commission as an officer in the Confederate Army.  He is Daniel E. Stipes (E. for Edward, we presume).  He was a captain on the General's Staff of the Confederate Army.  You may also find a reference to him as the clerk to the Master Armorer at Macon Arsenal on page 265 of Albaugh & Simmons book Confederate Arms.  The gun is in a solid, very good condition, with a crisp action and still resides in its original, form fitted holster.  A neat little historic item.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!

This gun is best described as of Rhode Island style with a Nelson Lewis of Troy, New York barrel.  It is 45 inches in overall length with a .40 caliber barrel, which measures 28 3/4 inches in length.  The gun shows moderate use with relatively smooth metal, retaining most of the original finish on the butt tock.  The butt plate, patchbox and inscription plaque are in German silver.  The gun has a globe front sight and fairly sophisticated adjustable, vernier peep rear sight.  The bore is actually in very good condition, would likely clean a little but is pretty strong as is.  This gun is one of very few Civil War era presentation Target Rifles that I have found.   The plaque, on the left side of the butt stock, reads "Presented to Geo. B. Cobb by the Troy Citizens Corps for the First Best Shot Oct. 3, 1864."  The gun is obviously the first prize in a shooting competition, promoted by the Troy Citizens Corps of Troy, New York.  I assume the Troy Citizens Corps is a state militia unit.  While the gun reflects the characteristics of guns made in Rhode Island and used as Sharpshooter Rifles during the Civil War,  the barrel of this gun was made by Nelson Lewis of Troy, New York.  His barrels were so well made that they were in significant demand for making these rifles.  The man who won the rifle must have been a crack shot.  His name was George B. Cobb, Private Company D of the 22nd New York Infantry.  The 22nd New York was organized at Troy, New York and mustered into service June 6, 1861.  It was a very active unit in the Army of the Potomac.  The unit's service spans most of the major battles in the Virginia campaign, ranging from Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville.  From the documentation I have, it looks as though the regiment mustered out of service June 19, 1863.  I don't have Private Cobb's personal service records but it looks as though he was either back in Troy in the New York State Militia or perhaps in another unit when he competed for and won this rifle in a shooting competition.  When the 22nd New York disbanded, some of the men were transferred to 76th and 93rd New York Regiments and still others went in other directions, joining other units.  According to the documentation I have, there is a distinct possibility that George B. Cobb had already joined another regiment and was killed in Virginia shortly after winning this rifle.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!

This is a real live Kentucky Pistol, something I don't see much of anymore.  It has an overall length of 12 inches with a .50 caliber barrel, which is 6 3/4 inches in length.  It has a trade lock marked London Warranty and is unsigned, as to the maker.  The wood is tiger striped maple and shows no cracks or repairs.  Overall, the gun was well used but wears its age with dignity.  The barrel is recycled from another gun and appears to be very early.  It has a distinct "swamp" constricting in the center and flaring out toward the muzzle.  The nosecap and ramrod ferrule are brass, while the trigger guard and all the inlays appear to be coin silver.  The styling would indicate it is a fairly early percussion piece.  These pistols were made by the gunsmiths who made the Kentucky rifles.  It seems that if a man had a good rifle, a pair of these pistols, a tomahawk and a mean looking knife, he was ready to visit the frontier.  A genuine piece of early American history.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is an early production Confederate, Paris made, Lemat Revolver, which is strong on condition.  This gun is not coming from anybody's collection.  It is straight out of the woods and is 100 percent intact.  It has no repairs and no replacement parts of any kind.  It is authentic, in detail.  Every screw is original.  Nothing has been altered, replaced or repaired.  It has a crisp action and sharp nipples with distinct coining on the front of the cylinder.  The barrel address is sharp and crisp.  All components are properly serial numbered.  The right side of the pistol barrel bears the serial number and the star over LM trademark.  The serial number is then found on the shotgun barrel, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, trigger, side plate, hammer, cylinder pawl, bottom of the grips, grip escutcheon screw, loading lever, plunger, ramrod inside the lever and the lever screw.  All the screws have decorative engraving.  The grips are solid and sound with sharp checkering.  The gun is tight with sharp lines and edges.  There is some roughness toward the muzzle of the pistol barrel (probably from being kept in a leather holster, which no longer accompanies the gun).  Even so, the patination is smooth and there is an absolute minimum of dents and dings.  My records indicate that I have bought and sold over 130 of these guns in the last 20 years and believe me, these early ones are hard to find in this level of condition and  completeness.  Click on image for additional views. SOLD!!

Even though this nice little Deringer is unmarked, its origin is obviously R. P. Bruff of New York City.  It has a 2 1/2 inch barrel with 5 3/4 inch overall length.  It is German silver mounted, well made and nicely engraved.  Most of the original finish is still in the wood with very sharp checkering.  There are no repairs and the lock, hammer and barrel have a pleasant patination.  It is a strong, very good condition little Deringer that is almost peanut size.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

A fabulous J. Henry & Son Rifle, probably from the 1850's, maybe a little earlier.  This gun is almost brand new.  It is the nicest condition J. Henry Rifle I have ever had.  It has an overall length of approximately 48 inches and a barrel length of 32 1/4 inches.  The barrel measures 1 1/8 inch across at the muzzle and is in .45 caliber.  The wood is virtually dent free and in its original oil finish with feathered grain.  The bore is new and the barrel retains at least 98% of the original brown finish.  The breech of the barrel still retains all of its case colors and the lock assembly retains the majority of them.  The trigger guard and butt plate have patinaed ever so slightly.  The nose cap and barrel key escutcheon are brass.  The trigger guard, butt plate and toe plate are of iron.  These guns were ruggedly built, simple but solid.  J. Henry & Son built rifles for the United States Government, which handed them out to the various Indian nations as a part of their treaty obligations.  The guns are usually stamped with a US or an inspection mark behind the trigger guard tang.  This gun is clearly stamped with a "G".  The weight of the barrel is somewhat unusual to my experience.  It is heavy and gorgeous.  Without doubt, the nicest J. Henry I have ever seen.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!

This handsome little Deringer is 6 1/2 inches in overall length with a barrel that is 2 1/2 inches and is .44 caliber.  You will note that the lock and barrel are marked Deringer Philadela.  There is even a "P" proof on the left barrel flat.  These are correct Henry Deringer markings.  If you look close, you will notice that these markings are hand engraved, not stamped as on a Henry Deringer.  All the mountings on this gun, trigger guard, escutcheons, inlays, etc. appear to be of Sterling silver.  There are even silver hallmarks on the tail of the trigger guard.  This gun is not a Henry Deringer.  It even has a Birmingham, England proof mark on the bottom of the barrel.  It has high grade burl wood, sharp checkering, good lines and edges and is a pretty little silver mounted gun.  But it is in fact a high grade, of the period, English copy of a Henry Deringer.  Now many of these copies are far rarer than the original Henry Deringer and they were made for the American market and historically share the same significance as the originals.  A very pleasant little gun.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!  

This is a stunning example of the Civil War Remington Zouave Rifle with its original bayonet and scabbard.  This gun was discovered in an out-building and it was completely black, as if it were painted.  Now you old timers are going to know what I'm going to say next.  The gun was completely covered in the original grease, which had dried as hard as baked on paint.  We used to see quite a few like this, many decades ago, but they don't show up much anymore.  Many years ago, people referred to it as being in the original Bannerman grease.  For those of us who have lived long enough to have seen it, we know that underneath that black coating, is a brand new, unfired gun.  In most cases, you cannot take it off with paint remover, it is so tough.  And many guns have been destroyed with sandpaper, buffing wheels, etc., etc.  The correct way to clean it is to disassemble it carefully and drop the parts in lacquer thinner.  The large parts, such as the barrel and stock, have to be cleaned with a terry cloth that is moistened with lacquer thinner.  No steel wool, no abrasives what-so-ever.  You just slowly dissolve the grease and rub it with a terry cloth rag.  If you do it that way, you can lift the grease off the wood and retain the original oil finish.  The third photo down, in our detail photos of this gun, gives you an idea of what it looked like before it was cleaned.  The brass has not been polished, the grease has simply been lifted off it.  The wood is as good as it gets.  There are virtually no dents or dings in this piece of wood.  The lock assembly retains 100 per cent of the bright case colors.  The barrel is at least 98%+ bright blue.  The gun was stored in the out-building with the bayonet fixed to the barrel.  There is slight roughness, where the ring of the bayonet surrounded the barrel.  This is because it sat there for decades probably and the dissimilar metals, brass and iron, tend to create a subtle corrosion.  The bore is .58 caliber, seven-groove rifling and is brilliant new.  The bayonet is virtually new.  The only thing that did not survive sitting in that out-building for years, was the leather on the bayonet scabbard.  It dried, cracked and flaked.  A superb, excellent/new condition Remington Zouave.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

On the Pratt List, there are two revolvers listed as issued by Confederate Lt. Julian Pratt, which are marked D. Bentley.  One is serial number 3111, the other is serial number 3221.  This gun is serial number 3193 and it is marked D. Bentley Patent on the top strap.  I have learned a little about these guns over time and it seems that they are really a Webley Revolver, produced by John Adams, who was Robert Adams' brother.  Robert Adams of course was a shareholder in the London Armoury Company and seems to always figure prominently in exports of English handguns to the South.  Apparently when John Adams built these guns, he incorporated a Bentley Patent, probably the loading lever, but I don't know.  The Pratt issue log is the single most significant source regarding the issue of English made pistols to Confederate soldiers.  It lists, by serial number, the issuance of Kerr, D. Bentley, Tranter, Webley and Adams Revolvers.  The first digit in the serial number of this gun is tough to read.  First, the English engravers barely touched the metal when they engraved numbers, then there is a series of dents laying across it, but I am pretty sure it is a three.  That would place the serial number of this gun between the two Bentleys recorded on Lt. Pratt's issue log.  This gun has moderate wear, nice checkered grips and is tight.  It functions perfectly in single action.  The double action mechanism is temperamental and only works when it wants to.  A fairly rare Confederate issue handgun.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is a truly decent Model 1833 Ames Dragoon Saber.  It has a good blade with only minor staining and one chip.  The sword still retains the original washer and nice grip wrap.  The blade is basically bright.  The brass guard has a real smooth, mustard patina.  The scabbard is brown and smooth with a light pepper and a couple of minor dents.  The left side of the blade is engraved "United States" over olive branches  The right side of the blade, just above the guard and washer is engraved, N. P. Ames over Cutler over Springfield over 1839.  The blade is also sub-inspected WS, as is the quillion of the guard.  The top of the guard is sub-inspected MPL.  The right side of the scabbard drag is sub-inspected WS.  The left side of the drag is sub-inspected MPL  The blade is a typical, quill back design, which has a reinforced back edge that runs through the tip of the blade.  A nice sword, which still has a matching sub-inspected scabbard.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!

This Model 1816 North is original flint, missing a ramrod and with a replaced top jaw.  It is otherwise in a decent, untouched condition with no repairs.  It is truly an original flint gun with typical US proofing to the rear of the barrel and matching sub-inspection marks on all the metal parts.  The final acceptance cartouche is visible on the left side of the stock, opposite the lock.  A very good, untouched condition, US issue, 1816 North.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is a really nice .36 Flint.  It is in original flint condition, not a reconversion.  It has no pitting in the metal and only minor dents and abrasions to the original wood surfaces.  The lockplate assembly retains virtually all the case colors.  The metal parts, excepting the lockplate assembly and breech plug tang, are in bright burnish.  The inside of the lock is like new.  The barrel is marked US over JH over P.  The lock is marked US over R, Johnson over Middn Conn over 44.  The JH and WAT cartouches, opposite the lock, are sharp as a tack.  An unusual gun in such nice condition.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!

A solid, very good condition Colt 1851 Hartford address Navy.  The gun has matching serial numbers to include the grips and barrel wedge.  The lip of the barrel wedge has broken off but the wedge itself is original and has the correct serial number on it.  A significant amount of the original cylinder scene is still visible, though fairly light.  The gun functions well with the cylinder rotating and locking, as it should.  This gun would have been manufactured in late 1860 during the period when the Southern states were arming up.  I have always been partial to them because they were very much a part of Confederate accoutrement.  By 1860, New York was the center of the abolitionist movement.   The 1851 Navy was so popular in the South, just before the Civil War, that Sam Colt changed the barrel address from the standard New York to the Hartford, CT address, in order not to offend his southern clientele.  Click on image for additional views.   SOLD!!