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"EXTREMELY RARE BUFFALO HUNTER'S RIFLE PACK BOARD PERCUSSION PLAINS RIFLE KENTUCKY PISTOL & KNIFE. SN None. This extremely rare rig consists of the rifle pack board built around a 3/4" thick board that is about 13" wide and about 47" long. The face is covered with buffalo hide with the hair on with a laced cover. Underneath the cover is a strip of heavy buffalo hide which holds the rifle in place underneath the covering. The top of the board has a padded leather covered notch and the tapered bottom has a forked shape with pointed ends to be driven into the earth with the top used as a shooting stand. The buffalo hunter would carry this rig in his wagon or on horseback until a herd was located. At that point he would select a shooting position on high ground and proceed to shoot the animals on the down-wind side so as not to spook the rest of the herd. In this way he could leisurely shoot many animals from one stand. Accompanied by an unmarked short barreled percussion rifle with 28" medium weight oct bbl, about caliber 54, that has tiny German silver front sight and fixed rear sight. It has an iron rib on bottom flat with two guides containing a hickory ramrod. Lockplate & hammer are lightly engraved & marked "R.A. S---DRE / & SON". It appears that the bbl has been set back at least once and has a drum conversion type nipple arrangement. Mounted in a straight grain, uncheckered half stock with raised side panels & pewter nosecap with brass furniture, secured with a sgl key through German silver escutcheons. Trigger guard is long with a flat bottom and decorative finger rest. Buttstock has a shallow cheekpiece with German silver inlay & a semi-crescent buttplate with toeplate. Top tang is long & narrow and engraved to match lockplate. Pistol is an early Kentucky pistol, caliber about 45, with 12" oct bbl, brass front sight and fixed rear sight attached to the top tang. Mounted in a rock maple full length stock with brass furniture which includes a serpentine sideplate with a narrow band at the nose and a sgl guide and a spear point shaped nosepipe containing a wooden ramrod. It has a simple trigger guard with a simple fleur-de-lis finial and round sheet brass buttcap. There is an oval brass thumbplate. Lockplate is plain & simple, about 4-1/2" long, slightly curved with flat side hammer and drum ignition. The knife is of a type that has been previously associated with the Confederacy but no one is certain of its origins. It has an 8-1/2" thin flat blade that is 3" wide with a 4-3/4" clip point/false edge and heart shaped cutout in the forward area. It has an oval hard wood handle with iron ferrule. This rig is from the days of the great buffalo herds of a type rarely ever encountered. CONDITION: The rifle pack board is sound with numerous small nail holes and showing great age with a fine patina.  The leather appears to be completely intact with some old repairs but is still reasonably soft & supple.  Rifle is good to very good with the iron a very dark chocolate brown patina with numerous dings and light rust.  Stock has a crack in the left side panel, otherwise wood is sound showing great age patina with moderate to heavy wear, mechanics need attention.  Pistol also shows great age patina, having been cleaned in the distant past and has moderate to heavy rust pitting over bbl & lockplate.  Stock has a minor crack in front of lockplate & shows heavy wear with a wonderful patina.  Knife shows old grind-stone marks with a mottled silver/brown patina and moderate to heavy pitting.  Handle is sound.  Altogether a rare buffalo hunter's rig. 4-32070 JR448 (10,000-12,000)"

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