Obverse and reverse sides of a brass patch box for a kenturcky rifle signed by the maker, Henry Boulton, Pennsylvania. Signed parts of this type are extremely rare.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel with G. Miller engraved in script letters on the top facet. The finial of the patch box in the shape of a snake's head is the most outstanding quality of this rifle. Another Lancaster maker named Holtzworth used a patch box that was similar to this one. The products of G. Miller are very rare.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel 40 inches long with S. Pannabecker engraved on the top facet in script letters. The lock-bolt plate, the carved patterns, and the contour of the stock suggest production in the eighteenth century, but the style of the patch box is definitely of the early nineteenth century. Barrels signed by the Pannabeckers are not uncommon, but complete guns by any of them are quite rare.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel with P. Berry engraved on the top facet of the barrel in script letters. The design of the patch-box finial seems to have been used only by Berry and is one of the factors which assist in identifying his products. The carving on the cheek side of the butt is another of Berry's original designs. Berry is known to have made a few fowling pieces. Any of his guns would be a valuable asset to a collection of Pennsylvania guns.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, silver inlays, and octagonal barrel with M. Edwards engraved on the top facet of the barrel. The finial of the patch box on this rifle is obviously the "drooping feather" pattern used by a number of rifle makers in the York County area. The C and S scrolls in the carved portion of the stock are cleverly executed. The wire inlay is an unusual feature of a Pennsylvania rifle. Edwards was obviously a fine gunsmith.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel with M. Shell engraved on the top facet of the barrel. This rifle by Martin Shell is a fine example of the work done in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the eighteenth century. The design of the patch box was used, with some variations, by a number of makers, but this one compares favorably with the best examples. The cheek side of the butt is extravagantly carved. The contour of the stock and the fine curl of the wood are also important features of this fine rifle.
