Guns International #: 102505593
Seller's Inventory #: 2

Category - Civil War Rifles

Category
Civil War Rifles

PERRY PATENT BREECH LOADING SELF CAPPING RIFLE

Description:
his listing is for a Fine & Scarce Perry Patent Percussion Breechloading Plains Rifle. This Perry Breechloading Percussion Sporting Rifle was produced as a “Plains Rifle”, likely as a direct competitor to the Sharps Rifles of the period. The gun is 44 1/12” in overall length with a .50 caliber 26 3/8” heavy octagonal barrel that tapers slightly from the breech to the muzzle. The rifle weighs in at a fairly hefty 10 ½ pounds. The barrel measures about 1.1” wide at the breech and .97” at the muzzle, with the flats measuring about ½” along the barrel. The gun is rifled with seven lands and grooves or roughly equivalent width with a slow rate of twist. The rifle is equipped with an elevation adjustable leaf rear sight and a drift adjustable front sight. The gun incorporates Perry’s patented automatic priming system with the original spring loaded brass primer magazine tube in place in the butt. The octagonal barrel is browned,  and the frame and furniture are of blued steel. The Stock is of varnished walnut. The smooth, tapered forend is also varnished walnut with a pewter stock tip and is secured by a screw in the bottom and a single wedge with a German silver escutcheon.

The Perry Breechloading Percussion Sporting Rifle offered here remains in FINE condition and is extremely crisp and sharp throughout. The rifle is 100% complete and correct in every way. The rifle is serial number 578, and this number is stamped on the top of the octagonal barrel flat, on the top of the receiver, inside the triggerguard, on the barrel wedge and on the primer feed tube. It is also present inside the barrel channel of the forend in pencil. The top of the breech block is marked in two lines, perpendicular to the barrel:

A.D. PERRY
PATENTED

The breechblock is also marked in three lines parallel to the barrel:

PERRY PATENT ARMS CO
NEWARK, NJ
1855

The rifle is otherwise unmarked on the exterior however it is marked on the lower right angled flat in two lines:

JH COOK & MUZZY
CAST STEEL

This is the mark of the Worcester, MA barrel maker who provided the barrel to Perry. The barrel retains about 80%+ of its original thinning browned finish with more finish present under the forend where it was protected than on the balance of the barrel. The finish shows thinning, wear and loss with scattered freckled patches of darker, oxidized discoloration and flecks of oxidation shot through the finish along the length of the barrel. The barrel retains fine, crisp edges and clear serial number stampings. The metal is smooth and free of any real pitting, although some freckled patches of light surface oxidation, some minor flecks of minute roughness here and there and a few minor areas of minute pinpricking. The bore of the rifle is in FINE condition and is crisply rifled with seven lands and grooves of roughly equal width. The bore is mostly bright with some scattered oxidized discoloration and along its length, along with some pinpricking. There is some light roughness and pitting in the grooves that is most noticeable in the last two to three inches nearest the muzzle. The frame retains about 10%-20% of its original blued finish, most of which appears to have been lost due to flaking. The balance of the receiver has a pleasing smooth plum brown appearance that is very attractive. The remaining blue gives the receiver a slightly streaky appearance. The action of the rifle is fully function and operates crisply in all aspects. The primer magazine tube is complete, correct and fully functional as well, as is the release mechanism in the butt of the rifle. The original leaf rear sight is present, although the sliding notched elevator is missing. The original dovetailed front sight base is in place, along with the German silver sight blade. The stock and forend are in FINE condition as well and retain much of their original varnished finish. The wood retains very crisp and sharp edges, particularly along the top edge where the top of the forend and the barrel meet. The wood is solid, full length and free of any breaks or repairs.  The wood does show scattered bumps, dings and mars from handling and use but shows no abuse or damage.

Overall, this is really attractive example of a Perry Breechloading Percussion Sporting Rifle in a large caliber, heavy barrel “Plains” configuration. These are scarce guns and rarely show up in such nice, crisp condition. This would be a fine addition to any collection of mid-19th century American sporting rifles and could well have been built for use out west as a large game gun. With only about 1,500 Perry long arms of all types produced circa 1855-1860 these rifles do not appear on the market very often and this is a really fine example of these scarce and desirable guns. 
 

SOLD

Antique: Yes