Help locating this historic 18th century arm

[Bill Paton]

WHERE IS THIS HISTORIC GUN ?

This German double barreled wender arm came to Philadelphia from Heidelberg, Germany in 1717 as the prized posession of Caspar Wuster (Wistar), a 21 year old immigrant who became a prominent business man and progenitor of an influential colonial family. It is the earliest double barreled predecessor of the Kentucky swivel breech that I have been able to document on American soil. I have traced its provenance in the Wistar family up to 1908. Thereafter the nearest descendants of the last known owner know nothing of the rifle. The trail is lost, in spite of its having a brass plate fixed to its butt stock requesting that it remain in the Wistar line.

I am interested in studying it for my ongoing research into Kentucky double rifles, and am interested in it staying safe, preferably with Wistar descendants. I have other information available to those interested.

CAN ANYBODY HELP ?

Bill Paton
Kentucky double rifle student
Anchorage, Alaska
wapaton.sr@gmail.com
907-230-3600 (4 hours earlier than EST)

[OLUT]

Bill, I commend you for your LONG ongoing search for this gun. After my weak attempts to find it, I am convinced that some Wistar family member does possess it, BUT WANTS TO KEEP THE OWNERSHIP & LOCATION A SECRET. I hope you can prove me wrong.
Note that the 1896 published genealogy of the family indicates that the family believes that this specific gun with its rather long barrel  is the one brought from Germany in 1717 (which I doubt). By 1896, the trigger and lock were missing.
Note also that the Hagley museum has info in the estate of Caspar ( as well as great info on Henry's Boulton Gun Works, Kriders Philadelphia gun store, etc). Unfortunately, I do not live in Wilmington, Delaware any more and can't avail myself of the museum's vast collections