Hi Fellas, here is a rifle I recently picked up. I think it is quite a find, let me know what you think?
John Moll I, 1746-1794. He was a gunsmith in Allentown, PA during the Revolutionary War. According to article by Sam Dyle and Earl Heffner Jr. "On June 8, 1778, John Moll I, swore an Oath of Allegiance. He had been a member of Northampton County Militia. He was a member 8th class, of the 3rd company of the 1st Battalion. He was never called to active duty, since his services were used in the State Gun Factory in Allentown, PA."
"After the war, inspite of a bad economy, Moll prospered in his trade. His inventory exhibited a vast store of tools and personal property. Totaling $1.,221.,00, a large sum at that time."
This rifle is a single shot flint converted to percussion. 39-1/2" octagon barrel. Single trigger. Maker Name: JOHN * MOLL on top of barrel, with some indistinct markings between the word JOHN and the upper tang. They could be unit markings.
Browned barrel with brass furniture. Full length wood stock with high comb and cheek piece for the right handed shooter.
FEATURES: Brass blade front sight. V-notch rear sight. Brass fore end cap, ramrod guides, trigger guard, side plate, modestly engraved patchbox and crescent shaped butt plate. Top rear of barrel signed "John Moll". Brass patchbox, in typical MOLL design. Wood ramrod with metal tips on both ends. The brass tip appears to be from a spent .32 RF brass casing.
According to the previous owner:
" This Kentucky rifle was inherited by Murray B. Schroeder from W. John Merkle, Mountainsite Farms, Allentown, Pa., at the time of his death on July 2, 1932. It was sold out of the Estate of Murray B. Schroeder in 2014. The gun was originally a flintlock and was made by John Moll of Allentown, Pa. about 1750. (This is clearly not correct, since JOHN MOLL I would have been 4 years old at the time.) According to Col. Dillon in his book "The Kentucky Rifle", Moll was one of the very early gunsmith's in this country. According to Dillon, the rifle was changed to percussion ignition around 1840. The lock was made in London. All metal work not part of the percussion ignition is part of the original gun."
CONDITION: Very Good. Modest loss of brown finish with signs of old pitting, especially at the nipple and rear of barrel. The barrel appears original length. Patchbox is very good. Hammer and trigger operate correctly. Stock shows very light wear with loss of finish at the edges. Traces of what appears to be some numbers between name and barrel breech. Unit markings?
According to Flayderman's Guide the guns made for the Revolutionary War were plainer, had sturdier stocks and shorter barrels than later guns made for the commercial market. This gun is much plainer than later JOHN MOLL II guns that have been seen on the market, Rock Island recently sold a later JOHN MOLL II gun for just under $29,000. The signature is very similar to the signature on this gun, but from reading I have done, both gunsmiths signed guns identically.
John Moll I, 1746-1794. He was a gunsmith in Allentown, PA during the Revolutionary War. According to article by Sam Dyle and Earl Heffner Jr. "On June 8, 1778, John Moll I, swore an Oath of Allegiance. He had been a member of Northampton County Militia. He was a member 8th class, of the 3rd company of the 1st Battalion. He was never called to active duty, since his services were used in the State Gun Factory in Allentown, PA."
"After the war, inspite of a bad economy, Moll prospered in his trade. His inventory exhibited a vast store of tools and personal property. Totaling $1.,221.,00, a large sum at that time."
This rifle is a single shot flint coverted to percussion. 39-1/2" octagon barrel. Single trigger. Maker Name: JOHN * MOLL on top of barrel, with some indistinct markings between the word JOHN and the upper tang. They could be unit markings.
Browned barrel with brass furniture. Full length wood stock with high comb and cheek piece for the right handed shooter.
FEATURES: Brass blade front sight. V-notch rear sight. Brass fore end cap, ramrod guides, trigger guard, side plate, modestly engraved patchbox and crescent shaped butt plate. Top rear of barrel signed "John Moll". Brass patchbox, in typical MOLL design. Wood ramrod with metal tips on both ends. The brass tip appears to be from a spent .32 RF brass casing. According to the previous owner:
" This Kentucky rifle was inherited by Murray B. Schroeder from W. John Merkle, Mountainsite Farms, Allentown, Pa., at the time of his death on July 2, 1932. It was sold out of the Estate of Murray B. Schroeder in 2014. The gun was originally a flintlock and was made by John Moll of Allentown, Pa. about 1750. (This is clearly not correct, since JOHN MOLL I would have been 4 years old at the time.) According to Col. Dillon in his book "The Kentucky Rifle", Moll was one of the very early gunsmith's in this country. According to Dillon, the rifle was changed to percussion ignition around 1840. The lock was made in London. All metal work not part of the percussion ignition is part of the original gun."
CONDITION: Very Good. Modest loss of brown finish with signs of old pitting, especially at the nipple and rear of barrel. The barrel appears original length. Patchbox is very good. Hammer and trigger operate correctly. Stock shows very light wear with loss of finish at the edges. The barrel markings are hard to see I the photos, but unquestioned when seen in hand.
According to Flayderman's Guide the guns made for the Revolutionary War were plainer, had sturdier stocks and shorter barrels than later guns made for the commercial market. This gun is much plainer than later JOHN MOLL II guns that have been seen on the market, Rock Island recently sold a later JOHN MOLL II gun for just under $29,000. The signature is very similar to the signature on this gun, but from reading I have done, both gunsmiths signed guns identically.
