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LEMAN AND TYRUITT BROTHERS MARKED TREATY GUN

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This percussion Pennsylvania/Kentucky style rifle bears a small “US” stamp in the wood just below the triggerguard, placing it in the category of a “treaty rifle” acquired by the government as a gift in treaty negotiations with native American tribes or supplied under treaty obligations. This fits the general type in being about .36 caliber, presumably deemed sufficient by the government for hunting, but not war, and decorated in brass, though it more strictly follows Pennsylvania rifle lines than many in being fully stocked to the muzzle, said by some to be characteristic of those made by Leman, and also has double set triggers. The octagonal barrel is 39-1/2 inches long and sharply marked “TRUITT BROS. & CO / PHILADA” with a leafy branch fore and aft and the lock is marked “LEMAN / LANCTR, PA” with cursory foliate scrolls engraved on the rear of the lock plate and side of the hammer, with and eight small circles stamped in the flat side of the bolster. Leman is often connected with these guns, and the marking by Truitt Brothers, a hardware and importing firm, would date it 1847-1862 according to most sources, the firm changing its name in 1863.

The brass elements include a nose cap, two ramrod thimbles and a rear entry pipe, a scalloped sideplate for the single-screw lock that has a very bat-like profile, the brass triggerguard with recurved or spurred handrail, oval patchbox with elongated finial, and deeply curved crescent buttplate with a simplified acorn/urn finial on the toe. The left butt stock has a cheekrest, that is rather simply carved and the stock bears rather cursory, but dense artificial paint graining/striping that extends from muzzle to buttplate.

The condition is very good. Both sights are in place, and the rear sight is buckhorn style. The barrel is brown, but smooth metal back to the breech, which shows pitting from firing. The wood is very good, with nice color and surface, some wear, but no breaks or repairs and the finish shows rubbing only where we would expect it, on the underside of the forestock where a shooter’s left hand would balance it. The bore shows evidence of use in being dark and dirty, and could use a cleaning, but we have not touched it. The mechanics might use some tinkering- the hammer will hold at full cock only if you set the rear trigger. Again, we have left it untouched.

This dates pretty clearly to the 1850s and is interesting both in the connection it has to U.S. relations with Indian tribes and, in this case, in the rather traditional Pennsylvania look the maker decided to give it with the full stock and use of simplified, but still neo-Classical finials on the patchbox and underside of the buttplate. It is generally felt the decoration of these guns is meant to imitate more expensive and elaborate weapons, but they als0 tend to be pretty solid and functional. This would fit well in a collection of early western guns, trade and treaty guns, and also rifles by Pennsylvania makers. [sr]  [ph:L]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire.

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