I've obtained a circa 1850s target/hunting rifle and cannot find anything on the maker. The name "B. Keller" is stamped on the lock, the top of the barrel, and several times on the bottom of the barrel at the breech. The only other marking is "Muzzy & Co." on the bottom of the barrel at the breech. Muzzy is probably the barrel maker, as two prominant companies of that name operated in the period in Bangor, Maine, and Worchester, Massachusetts. There are no other markings.
The barrel has a choke a little over two inches from the muzzle, a freed bore, a "lollypop" tang peep sight with windage drift, is .38" at the muzzle and .36" at the choke. The set set trigger has a pronounced curve and the hair trigger is a straight, thin variety with set screw. The barrel is octagon for the first 40% and round to the muzzle, 1 1/4" round turned down to around 1 1/8" for a bullet starter/false muzzle (no pin holes). It does not have a patent breech and has never had a rear sight on the barrel. The only original accessories with the rifle are the non-folding, screw-in tang sight and the wooden ramrod.
I appreciate any help.
Dave Stieghan
