xxSOLDxxN Beyer Raised Carved Kentucky Rifle ex Kindig

Pristine condition golden age signed Nicholas Beyer of the Lebanon (County) school of Kentucky rifle makers.  This longrifle is from the famous Joe Kindig Jr. collection and is pictured as rifle No. 95 on Pg. 239 of Kindig's seminal book "Thoughts On The Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age".  This rifle still retains the Kindig collection tags.  Kindig believed that N. Beyer worked from the late Revolutionary War period (early 1780's) to the mid-first quarter of the 19th century (ie 1810-1815).  Kindig states that "The men of this school -- N. Beyer, ..., produced some of the finest rifles of the early period."  The tiger maple full stock is crisply and profusely raise carved behind the cheekpiece, under the cheekpiece, forward of the cheekpiece, around the wrist and forward of the 4 piece engraved and pierced brass patchbox.  In addition there is crisp raised and incise carving around the barrel tang and around a blank silver escutcheon initial plate on the wrist.  There are also raised panels around both the original flintlock and the brass sideplate.  There are relief carved beauty lines running the legnth of the forestock terminating in flourishes of incised carving on either side of the rear ramrod ferrule as well as relief carved beauty lines running on either side of the lower butt line to the buttplate.  The early Germanic style flintlock is original to the rifle and is in its original flintlock configuration and was probably made by Beyer himself.  The full octagon 50 cal. barrel measures 44 13/16 inches in length and retains its original deep rifling and a bold "N * Beyer*" signature in script on the top barrel flat.  The rifle's eighteenth century origins are substantiated by the stock dimensions of a 1.6" wide butt and a 1.45" wide wrist as well as its early flintlock with an internal frizzen spring screw**SOLD**.

Condition:  Pristine with no restoration.  It retains its original flintlock in original flintlock configuration.  The stock retains its original mellow golden brown surface but has an in-period wrist crack (which can be seen in posted pictures and in the Kindig book as well).  The iron lock and barrel retain a untouched original mottled surface.  The original flintlock hammer has an old crack running parallel to the lock near the top of the lock, which probably follows a forge line.

Provenance:  ex-Joe Kindig Jr. Collection

Publications:  "Thoughts On The Kentucky Rifle In Its Golden Age"  by Joe Kindig Jr.; Rifle No. 95, Pg.239 & 234.