FINE & RARE RELIEF CARVED NICHOLAS BEYER GOLDEN AGE FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY RIFLE.

FINE & RARE RELIEF CARVED NICHOLAS BEYER GOLDEN AGE FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY RIFLE. Cal.56. Beautiful Kentucky rifle with 44-4/4″ oct bbl, about 60″ overall, with fine dovetailed brass front sight and it’s orig, fixed rear sight. Top flat is hand engraved “N*Beyer*”. Mounted in a wonderful, full length, nicely figured,curly maple stock with untouched orig, dark cherry stain throughout and brass mounted in Beyer’s typical furniture with two faceted & turned ramrod guides with a matching faceted and turned nose pipe, which contain an old hickory ramrod. Bbl is secured into the forestock with four keys and nose cap on forestock is secured with two rivets. Right side of buttstock is inlaid with a 4-pc patch box that has a daisy head finial with two piercings; one with Pennsylvania Dutch filigree heart with an engraved heart above, and another open area above the heart. N. Beyer was one of the few makers in his area who used the Pennsylvania Dutch details of decoration like the heart and tulip. Sides of patch box have dbl scalloped edges with light engraving and a plain, slightly domed cover. The patchbox latch is riveted in the upper corner of the lid with the release in the buttplate. Buttplate is of heavy brass with a faceted wide top tang and an engraved short toe plate. Trigger guard has a faceted bow and tapered front tang with two filed marks across the tip, and a finger rest spur on rear tang. Patch box contains an early iron worm and a cleaning jag covered in tow. This rifle features extremely well-executed Beyer carving including wonderfully relief carved with raised foliate arabesque patterns back of the shallow cheek piece, forward of cheek piece with a raised panel in front of the comb and on right side of wrist above patch box. Sides of stock have raised drop-point side panels with flowing relief carving around top tang and a very nice touch of relief carving around the silver oval thumb plate. Bottom edge of butt has a raised rib on each side and there is an incise carving just forward of the trigger guard finial. Sides of forestock are incise carved with serpentine lines on each side above nose pipe with a dbl line the length of forestock. Trigger has Mr. Beyer’s typical small hooked flare in rear edge. The heavy beveled brass lockplate is 4-7/8″ long, slightly curved with a short square teat and typical of this school. Gooseneck hammer has a flat side with beveled edges and the pan is faceted with bridled frizzen, made without roller. The end of the frizzen spring has a short flared finial. This exact rifle is pictured as Plate 95 on p. 239 with description on p. 234 of Thoughts on The Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age, Joe Kindig, Jr. It is readily identifiable by the carving, patch box and a crack in the wrist which is visible in the photographs. Consignor states that this rifle was purchased directly from Joe Kindig III on October 8, 1979 and retains Mr. Kindig’s inventory tags on the trigger guard & hammer. Nicholas Beyer was one of the master gunsmiths of the Lebanon Pennsylvania School. He is recorded as a gunsmith in 1807 and 1810 in Annville Township, Dauphin County. This Kentucky rifle is certainly a wonderful representative of the Golden Age of the Kentucky Rifle makers and suitable for even the most advanced collector or museum. PROVENANCE: Joe Kindig III Collection. CONDITION: The early flintlock is orig with no signs of reconversion and is one of the nicer Beyer rifles we have seen in unusually fine condition. It is also unusual that the rifle still has its orig ramrod. Bbl, lockplate & hammer retain bright metal finish with scattered spots of surface discoloration. Hammer has a crack in the shank and there is a nearly invisible, possibly period, repair between the hammer and the bbl tang. Stock has the aforementioned crack through the wrist, otherwise is completely sound with minor handling & use nicks & scratches and retains most of its wonderful orig finish. Black light inspection confirms no restoration. Brass retains a medium to dark mustard patina. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore. 4-41805 RG100 (20,000-30,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

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
	2501	$40,250.00	FINE & RARE RELIEF CARVED NICHOLAS BEYER GOLDEN AGE FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY RIFLE. Cal.56. Beautiful Kentucky rifle with 44-4/4″ oct bbl, about 60″ overall, with fine dovetailed brass front sight and it’s orig, fixed rear sight. Top flat is hand engraved “NBeyer”. Mounted in a wonderful, full length, nicely figured,curly maple stock with untouched orig, dark cherry stain throughout and brass mounted in Beyer’s typical furniture with two faceted & turned ramrod guides with a matching faceted and turned nose pipe, which contain an old hickory ramrod. Bbl is secured into the forestock with four keys and nose cap on forestock is secured with two rivets. Right side of buttstock is inlaid with a 4-pc patch box that has a daisy head finial with two piercings; one with Pennsylvania Dutch filigree heart with an engraved heart above, and another open area above the heart. N. Beyer was one of the few makers in his area who used the Pennsylvania Dutch details of decoration like the heart and tulip. Sides of patch box have dbl scalloped edges with light engraving and a plain, slightly domed cover. The patchbox latch is riveted in the upper corner of the lid with the release in the buttplate. Buttplate is of heavy brass with a faceted wide top tang and an engraved short toe plate. Trigger guard has a faceted bow and tapered front tang with two filed marks across the tip, and a finger rest spur on rear tang. Patch box contains an early iron worm and a cleaning jag covered in tow. This rifle features extremely well-executed Beyer carving including wonderfully relief carved with raised foliate arabesque patterns back of the shallow cheek piece, forward of cheek piece with a raised panel in front of the comb and on right side of wrist above patch box. Sides of stock have raised drop-point side panels with flowing relief carving around top tang and a very nice touch of relief carving around the silver oval thumb plate. Bottom edge of butt has a raised rib on each side and there is an incise carving just forward of the trigger guard finial. Sides of forestock are incise carved with serpentine lines on each side above nose pipe with a dbl line the length of forestock. Trigger has Mr. Beyer’s typical small hooked flare in rear edge. The heavy beveled brass lockplate is 4-7/8″ long, slightly curved with a short square teat and typical of this school. Gooseneck hammer has a flat side with beveled edges and the pan is faceted with bridled frizzen, made without roller. The end of the frizzen spring has a short flared finial. This exact rifle is pictured as Plate 95 on p. 239 with description on p. 234 of Thoughts on The Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age, Joe Kindig, Jr. It is readily identifiable by the carving, patch box and a crack in the wrist which is visible in the photographs. Consignor states that this rifle was purchased directly from Joe Kindig III on October 8, 1979 and retains Mr. Kindig’s inventory tags on the trigger guard & hammer. Nicholas Beyer was one of the master gunsmiths of the Lebanon Pennsylvania School. He is recorded as a gunsmith in 1807 and 1810 in Annville Township, Dauphin County. This Kentucky rifle is certainly a wonderful representative of the Golden Age of the Kentucky Rifle makers and suitable for even the most advanced collector or museum. PROVENANCE: Joe Kindig III Collection. CONDITION: The early flintlock is orig with no signs of reconversion and is one of the nicer Beyer rifles we have seen in unusually fine condition. It is also unusual that the rifle still has its orig ramrod. Bbl, lockplate & hammer retain bright metal finish with scattered spots of surface discoloration. Hammer has a crack in the shank and there is a nearly invisible, possibly period, repair between the hammer and the bbl tang. Stock has the aforementioned crack through the wrist, otherwise is completely sound with minor handling & use nicks & scratches and retains most of its wonderful orig finish. Black light inspection confirms no restoration. Brass retains a medium to dark mustard patina. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore. 4-41805 RG100 (20,000-30,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}