FULL STOCK INCISED CARVED FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB OR JOHN HAEFFER.

FULL STOCK INCISED CARVED FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB OR JOHN HAEFFER. CAL. 46. Wonderful old Flintlock Kentucky with 45-1/4″ oct. bbl, brass front sight and fixed rear sight. The wood is beautiful tiger stripe maple with incise carving, grooved on the fore stock, light carving near the carry point and floral with daisies carved below the small cheek piece on the left side, on the right wrist and behind the top tang. The buttstock has a double incise line down the sides of the bottom edge. The top flat of the bbl is marked “I. H.” and resembles the signature of Haeffer as pictured on page 103 of “THOUGHTS ON THE KENTUCKY RIFLE IN ITS GOLDEN AGE” by Joe Kindig, Jr. This beautiful rifle has raised teardrop side panels with a brass sideplate similar to picture #26 on page 106 of the same book. The 4-pc brass patch box is nearly identical to those in pictures #26 & #27 on pages 106 & 107 of the same book. Both are attributed to J. Haeffer. Jacob & John Haeffer worked in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and are listed in court records of 1774 with records indicating they probably worked as gunsmiths during the Revolutionary War and that John Haeffer in 1805 had a contract for 500 muskets. Jacob Haeffer, apparently, frequently signed his rifles with a stamped Indian head between the initials. This rifle does not bear the Indian head stamp and therefore is most likely the work of John Haeffer. The bbl is secured with three wedges from the left side and the cheek piece has an eight-point, silver star inlay. The furniture is all brass with two faceted guides and nose pipe. The trigger guard is undecorated as is the smooth brass butt plate with wide faceted top tang. The lock is unmarked but appears orig. to this rifle. CONDITION: Good to very good. The bbl, lock and hammer retain a very dark brown patina with some very old wrench marks on the bbl and moderate to heavy pitting around the flash hole and the lock plate. There is moderate burn-out behind the pan. The stock, with its beautiful tight tiger striping, has a repaired fracture on the bottom and in front of the lock. It also has a replaced piece of wood on the right side of the top tang. There are gaps at the back of the top tang and around the lock plate, apparently from prying out these pieces. There are repaired cracks around the front wedge on both sides. This is a very fine early Kentucky attributed to a fine maker that further research is needed. 4-45387 JL271 (3,000-5,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2002

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	544	$3,737.00	FULL STOCK INCISED CARVED FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB OR JOHN HAEFFER. CAL. 46. Wonderful old Flintlock Kentucky with 45-1/4″ oct. bbl, brass front sight and fixed rear sight. The wood is beautiful tiger stripe maple with incise carving, grooved on the fore stock, light carving near the carry point and floral with daisies carved below the small cheek piece on the left side, on the right wrist and behind the top tang. The buttstock has a double incise line down the sides of the bottom edge. The top flat of the bbl is marked “I. H.” and resembles the signature of Haeffer as pictured on page 103 of “THOUGHTS ON THE KENTUCKY RIFLE IN ITS GOLDEN AGE” by Joe Kindig, Jr. This beautiful rifle has raised teardrop side panels with a brass sideplate similar to picture #26 on page 106 of the same book. The 4-pc brass patch box is nearly identical to those in pictures #26 & #27 on pages 106 & 107 of the same book. Both are attributed to J. Haeffer. Jacob & John Haeffer worked in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and are listed in court records of 1774 with records indicating they probably worked as gunsmiths during the Revolutionary War and that John Haeffer in 1805 had a contract for 500 muskets. Jacob Haeffer, apparently, frequently signed his rifles with a stamped Indian head between the initials. This rifle does not bear the Indian head stamp and therefore is most likely the work of John Haeffer. The bbl is secured with three wedges from the left side and the cheek piece has an eight-point, silver star inlay. The furniture is all brass with two faceted guides and nose pipe. The trigger guard is undecorated as is the smooth brass butt plate with wide faceted top tang. The lock is unmarked but appears orig. to this rifle. CONDITION: Good to very good. The bbl, lock and hammer retain a very dark brown patina with some very old wrench marks on the bbl and moderate to heavy pitting around the flash hole and the lock plate. There is moderate burn-out behind the pan. The stock, with its beautiful tight tiger striping, has a repaired fracture on the bottom and in front of the lock. It also has a replaced piece of wood on the right side of the top tang. There are gaps at the back of the top tang and around the lock plate, apparently from prying out these pieces. There are repaired cracks around the front wedge on both sides. This is a very fine early Kentucky attributed to a fine maker that further research is needed. 4-45387 JL271 (3,000-5,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2002 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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