Elaborate and beautiful rifle by Keith Casteel.
The rifle features a 35-inch 50 cal brass barrel by Bill Large, octagon to 16-sided back to octagon with bands at transition. Sights are a rear buckhorn and decorative front with ivory inset.
Lock is a British armory marked 1835 tower musket flintlock. The ****, top jaw and lock plate are all highly engraved with animal/hunting themed inlays. I suspect this lock was chosen for it’s thick plate with hidden frizzen spring –allowing the entire surface to be engraved and inlay brass. The frizzen has been resurfaced. The lock functions very well and fires with the slightest touch of the trigger.
Stock is a nicely figured with both incised and raised carving. Metal to wood finish on the rifle is exceptional. There is wire inlay surrounding the engraved patchbox, as well as on the comb and fore of the long toe plate. The toe has two mother-of-pearl inlays and a very nice finial. Butt plate is engraved, with some discoloration in the brass at the heel. An inlay brass woman’s face adorns the cheek rest and just below is a bit of turned antler that holds a vent pick. The ram rod has a turned antler tip.
This rifle has been fired. There is some discoloration around the vent and a small scratch under the cheek, generally hard to see.
This certainly isn’t for everyone –it is fancy and, although it shoots, it’s for the collector who enjoys firearms as art as well as function and form.
The rifle features a 35-inch 50 cal brass barrel by Bill Large, octagon to 16-sided back to octagon with bands at transition. Sights are a rear buckhorn and decorative front with ivory inset.
Lock is a British armory marked 1835 tower musket flintlock. The ****, top jaw and lock plate are all highly engraved with animal/hunting themed inlays. I suspect this lock was chosen for it’s thick plate with hidden frizzen spring –allowing the entire surface to be engraved and inlay brass. The frizzen has been resurfaced. The lock functions very well and fires with the slightest touch of the trigger.
Stock is a nicely figured with both incised and raised carving. Metal to wood finish on the rifle is exceptional. There is wire inlay surrounding the engraved patchbox, as well as on the comb and fore of the long toe plate. The toe has two mother-of-pearl inlays and a very nice finial. Butt plate is engraved, with some discoloration in the brass at the heel. An inlay brass woman’s face adorns the cheek rest and just below is a bit of turned antler that holds a vent pick. The ram rod has a turned antler tip.
This rifle has been fired. There is some discoloration around the vent and a small scratch under the cheek, generally hard to see.
This certainly isn’t for everyone –it is fancy and, although it shoots, it’s for the collector who enjoys firearms as art as well as function and form.
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