Utica rifle

[eddillon]

For you folks out there who like New York State rifles, here is a gem I recently picked up here in California.  No ramrod.  About .40-.415 caliber.  Brass trigger!  Small lock  Marked James & Ferriss/Utica.  My home town.  In the 1950s my father had his business located at the same address as the James and Ferriss business in the mid 19th century.

[JCKelly]

H.J. Swinney in The New York Firearms Trade says a lot about Morgan James.
Has about 3-1/2 pages on the James & Ferris partnership. It lasted about 2 years, from 1850/1851 to 1852/1853, according to Utica directories. Swinney says "...according to tradition, latterly somewhat stormy - partnership...both among the renowned NYS masters. "
He has 12 pages on George H. Ferris alone, including one photo of the man. And ~34 pages on Morgan James.