4/27/2022 - Arms & Armor

.54 caliber. 45.5" wedge retained octagonal barrel. No S/N. Browned finish, brass furniture, German silver inlays, raised carved hardwood full-length stock. A masterful recreation of the George Nunnamacher 1797 dated rifle in the collection of the Wintethur Museum in Wilmington, DE executed by famed contemporary long rifle maker Wayne Watson. Unmarked flat stepped pointed-tail flint lock with bridled and fenced faceted pan and flat faceted swan neck cock. Equipped with double set triggers, fixed dovetailed notch rear sight and dovetailed German silver front sight blade. Top flat of barrel singed like the gun it was copied from, GEORGE NUNNAMACHER 1797 in three separate engraved inlaid silver plates. Right angled flat below the barrel marking is signed W Watson in script, flanked by a 0 and a 9, indicating 2009 production. Rifle is mounted with engraved brass furniture including a large, fully engraved four-piece patchbox with open work sections filled with engraved German silver decorations. The patchbox door is engraved Henry Eiler, possibly a former owner. Rifle is further mounted with brass buttplate and full-length engraved toe plate, finger spur triggerguard with foliate engraved bow, masterfully engraved open work saddle plate running from the triggerguard to the entry pipe and engraved two-screw semi-geometric rudimentary arrow side plate. Plain brass fittings include nose cap and faceted ramrod pipes. Seven engraved German silver inlays are set into all of the open work in the brass fittings, with additional German silver inlays including an oval thumb piece, an engraved crescent moon on the top of the stock comb and an inlay in the cheekiest that depicts a circle with thirteen stars next to what appears to be a a Native American women wrapped in a blanket. Stock with raised carved Rococo style flowing foliate decorations at the wrist and to the rear and underneath the raised cheek rest. Simpler raised carvings  are present around the lock mortise and the counterpane. A simply masterful recreation of a late 18th century long rifle by one of the most acclaimed rifle maker of our time. Wayne Watson is probably best known for producing the wonderful long rifles used in the movie The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis and his rifles are always in great demand.