A customer brought into my muzzle loading shop, his family heirloom for help to identify it about 11 years ago. Other than being a late flintlock converted to percussion, it offered a number of "puzzles". I took the liberty of taking a couple dozen photos for posterity, which came in handy for study.
I want to start a new post in hopes of identifying the initials on the barrel and architecture.
My customer said his family was in WV and the rifle came from there, which doesn't necessarily mean it was made in WV.
My first thought in seeing this eagle was Western Native-American influence on the design. I believe y'all will agree that the deer inlay came after and by a less experienced hand in detail work, or the same gunmaker getting up in age, whose eyes were going "south". The engraving on the eagle's wings is very precise. I've seen a fair number of antique longrifles, but I've never seen this style of an eagle. I hope you have.