Red Painted Percussion Altered Smooth Rifle with Powder Horn & Pipe Tomahawk

.62 caliber. 34.5" pinned octagonal barrel. SN: NSN. Oxidized metal, brass furniture, full-length hardwood stock. Percussion altered two-screw flint lock marked "TAYLOR". Barrel with drum bolster conversion and no external markings other than a small 5-pointed star at the rear of the upper left angled flat. Gun is mounted with a lightly engraved two-piece brass patchbox with the release in the buttplate tang. Other brass furniture include a crescent buttplate with faceted tang, toe plate, triggerguard, lock screw escutcheons, nose cap, two ramrod thimbles and an entry pipe. The gun is painted red with an older paint that has crackled and has an alligatored appearance with much of the paint worn away on the bottom of the forend from handling. The gun is accompanied by a pipe tomahawk and powder horn, both of which were painted red as well. The tomahawk has a 9" long iron head with a 5" long blade that is 3.375" wide at the beak and nominally 2" long pipe bowl that is about .85" in diameter. The eye, part of the blade and part of the bowl were painted red with much of the paint having worn and faded. It is mounted on an old pipe haft with some moderate wear and shrinkage, allowing the head to move out of alignment with the holes that allow the pipe to be functional. The haft shows some reasonable age and appears to be from the period of use of the tomahawk. The naturally curved cow's horn powder horn is painted red as well, although the tone and coloration seems brighter than on the other pieces. The horn measures just under 12" in length with a wood base secured by finishing nails and a large baluster turned ring at the spout. The accompanying notes say that the three pieces were collected together by an employee of the US Indian Department in New York state. A number of American gunmakers named "Taylor" worked during the 19th century in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, but there is not enough information to try to pin down a specific maker for this gun. A very interesting and attractive grouping with an interesting percussion altered smooth rifle, a very attractive pipe tomahawk and a large powder horn.

The Collection of Larry Ness