This rifle, which I have named the “Baroque Rifle,” is a fantasy gun. It is my idea of what an European trained gunsmith might have produced after arriving in this country and after having been exposed to the long rifles being produced by colonial gunsmiths. The gun is profusely carved with Baroque details in high relief. The butt stock shows strong “Jaeger” influence, and then the gun transitions into the longer barrel as was used in Colonial America. The cheek piece inlay is of ebony and ivory (old piano keys.) The wooden butt trap is ornately carved, and the rose carved in the center of the decoration is the release mechanism. The 54 cal. barrel is 40” long, is slightly swamped, and it is engraved at the breech & muzzle. The Golden age Jim Chambers lock is also engraved. The double set triggers are by R.E. Davis, and the hardware was cast by the Mold & Gun Shop. This is a truly unique and ornate rifle that could well have come from the earliest time of our country’s development.
