Heavy Barreled Pennsylvania Percussion Rifle, ca. 1850

Description

Featuring heavy 36 1/4″ Octagonal rifled barrel of .32 caliber, stamped “D. LITTLE” on the
breech; dovertailed front blade sight and rear notch sight. Percussion lock with flat
lockplate etched with scrolling foliage and fowl. Double set triggers. Tiger stripe maple full
stock with brass mounts, including trigger guard, patchbox, side plate, butt cap, fore end
cap, ramrod thimbles, and star-shaped decorative plate on reverse of butt. Wood ramrod.
Daniel Little worked in Pittsburgh in the early 1850’s. Beautiful workmanship, the highly
figured stock with expert repairs at fore end, lower ramrod thimble, bottom of butt, and
forward of the lock. Lock works well on full cock, but double set triggers are a bit finicky.
Overall length 51″. Such rifles were highly accurate and prized for small game, with some
even being used as sniper rifles during the Civil War.