PRE REV WAR RIFLE Morphy Auction May 18

[WESTbury]

Morphy's May 18th aucton--Lot1142 Pre Rev War Rifle

Looking forward to everyone's analysis.

A couple of J. P. Beck rifles.

[Eric Kettenburg]

It's a fantastic rifle.  Insofar as dating it, well that's of course a debatable subject but it certainly seems earlier rather than later.

There are a couple of schools of thought as to area of origin.  It also has at least two sisters, clearly same stocker.

[rich pierce]

Agree, wonderful gun. Shumway had a nice article on it and rifles with style and carving signatures that he attributed to same hand. “A Case of Lehigh Valley Longrifle Evolution” Muzzle Blasts July 1996.

IIRC Allen Martin made what looks like a bench copy.

[rich pierce]

The Newcomer rifle is another iconic rifle in this sale.
http://auctions.morphyauctions.com/catalog.aspx
Lot 1145.

[Daniel Coats]

Agree, wonderful gun. Shumway had a nice article on it and rifles with style and carving signatures that he attributed to same hand. “A Case of Lehigh Valley Longrifle Evolution” Muzzle Blasts July 1996.

IIRC Allen Martin made what looks like a bench copy.

Allen's rifle is remarkable and can be found on his website under Gallery of Guns 2 Early Transitional Bucks County Rifle.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Shumway's article was interesting and was essentially it's 'coming out' party in print.  I very much disagree with his attribution of RCA 65 to the same guy.

This gun (auction gun) as two very similar sisters that were not pictured in Shumway's article.  Maybe someone will post one of them here that has evolving 'Bucks' furnishings.  There are also one or two potential additional siblings that are not published.  I personally agree with a Bucks origin, pre-"classic" Federal period stockers.

[rich pierce]

The early Bucks County-attributed smooth rifle has perhaps the earliest example of a tang carving motif which I personally call “sheaves of wheat”; also seen on other eastern PA rifles.

I wonder about it’s relationships to Berlin’s rifles, the Deschler rifle, the Musician’s rifle, the Antes daisy box gun, even 42. Fun to think about. I can see elements of similarities among these early guns but I’ve been known to see things that are not there.

[WESTbury]

Lot 1087, "New England Fowler", has post 1813 Birmingham proofs on the barrel and much of the furniture appears to be British, probably Ketland. This fowler may be a restock, said he who does not like the term, in cherry wood. What do you think?

[WESTbury]

In regard to Lot 1087, the side plate is very similar to Grinslade's NE47, as is the triggerguard.

I like this fowler (Morphy's) but I believe that is obviously, in light of the post 1813 Birmingham proofs, 1st quarter 19th Century. Check out Joe Puleo's Ketland article in Vol 33, No 6 2011 Man at Arms Magazine.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Rich they always have looked that way to me, too!  I always think of the "John Barleycorn Must Die" album cover.

[Mike Brooks]

I'm going to assume EK built this.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I only build new, shiny pieces for 2021. 

IIRC, I remember there is a sister rifle to #9 on the KRA Lehigh disc that has a wood box rather than the brass box on #9, and it too (the wood box rifle) has something of an early version of the "sheaf of wheat" at the tang.  Those two rifles (#9 and the wood box gun) also seem fairly early imho.

[rich pierce]

In regard to Lot 1087, the side plate is very similar to Grinslade's NE47, as is the triggerguard.

I like this fowler (Morphy's) but I believe that is obviously, in light of the post 1813 Birmingham proofs, 1st quarter 19th Century. Check out Joe Puleo's Ketland article in Vol 33, No 6 2011 Man at Arms Magazine.

Great gun, lots of nice details on this one. It bring an 1800s gun would not surprise me. Altogether looks that way. Lock style, guard, buttplate. Cool gun to re-create. There are a lot of cool fowlers. 

I don’t know what to make of 1059 with that guard on there.
1070 has a very cool cheekpiece design and carving. Unique I’d say. Not sure where this gun fits in with what I know of Bucks county guns. Carving behind cheekpiece is unexpected. Seems earlier than typical Bucks county and folksy.

I think the fowler estimates are a little low.

[Mike Brooks]

Lots of fowling gun goodness in that auction.

[Daniel Coats]

There's some nice contemporary Kentucky rifles there too. Does that make them Contemporuckies?

Anyway I like the Jud Brennan guns 1067 and 1068. Also 1069 catches my eye.

[ScottNE]

There's some nice contemporary Kentucky rifles there too. Does that make them Contemporuckies?

Anyway I like the Jud Brennan guns 1067 and 1068. Also 1069 catches my eye.

That Brennan 1067 is almost breathtaking. Love everything about it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Could someone post a link?

[JTR]

Here you go, Taylor;

https://issuu.com/morphyauctions/docs/flipdoc_may_18_early_arms?fr=sZGNmZjQ2NjA1NQ

[Daniel Coats]

Another link

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/catalog.aspx?auctionid=544

Select the auction you want on the left and down select a category.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thank you very much for the links my friends.  Wonderful viewing.