The photos below show an antique percussion long rifle made by the gunsmith Charles Monroe Knupp of Bakersville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. His aunt Barbara Knupp was married to the gunmaker Jonathan Dormayer (aka "Dunmeyer"). This rifle is a nearly exact copy of a rifle by Jonathan Dormayer that was auctioned in early 2020, and is nearly identical to another Jonathan Dormayer rifle that is included on this website.
The first photo provides an oblique view of the right-hand side of this full stock percussion muzzleloader.
The next photo shows the patch box and wrist area of the Knupp rifle. The features are the same on typical Jonathan Dormayer rifles, but the Dormayer engraving is executed a little better. notice how the incised carving at the wrist and the engraving on the patch box lid engraving mimics the floral shape at the front end of the patch box finial. Also notice how the incised engraving on the wrist transitions to relief carving to define a vestigial comb. These are all Jonathan Dormayer features.
The next photo shows the cheekpiece side of the buttstock on the Knupp rifle. Notice how the incised carving for and aft of the cheekpiece is inspired by the floral shape at the front end of the patch box finial.
The next photo shows the lock bolt plate and mating panel of the stock. Jonathan Dormayer rifles use this same shape of the lock bolt plate, the same tri-level effect on the front of the stock panel, and the same beavertail on the trailing edge of the panel.
The next photo shows the uniquely-shaped percussion gun lock that is sometimes found on rifles that were made by Charles M. Knupp and his uncle Jonathan Dormayer. Even the engraving is based on Dormayer engraving.
For those who are interested, some larger detail photos of the same Knupp-built black powder muzzle loading rifle are included below.
The two preceding photographs show the deep cut rifling on this muzzle-loading rifle.
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