The muzzleloader pictures included below are owned by Bill Paton, and are included here with his permission. They show an interesting antique full stock side-by-side percussion combination gun that was made and signed by the Bedford County, Pennsylvania gunmaker John Nicholas Mathesiee.
The first photo shows the entire right-hand side of this unique 19th century muzzleloader. The cap box appears to me to be a commercial product. I say that because it appears to be virtually identical to the cap box in a photo someone sent me from Tennessee, and seems to be virtually identical to the unfinished cap boxes found with gun making tools and other gun parts on the Alonzo Lepley farm in Somerset County in the 1970s. The back sights are mounted over the ramrod entry pipe. The forearm shape transition at the ramrod entry pipe is abrupt.
The next two photographs provide right-hand and left-hand views of the lock area of the Mathesiee cap lock combination gun. The rat-tail locks appear to be silver plated. The front of each hand-made lock is retained to the curly maple stock with a screw. A transverse screw with a recessed head that is located just forward of the hammers connects one lock to the other. The flat, unbeveled lock plates are engraved in a characteristic Mathesiee style. In my opinion, Mathesiee's gun locks appear to be the inspiration for some of the cast 20th century Bedford County-style locks marked "Sutter". The percussion nipples are mounted on bolsters with built-in flash guards, and each bolster has a vent screw. The flash guards help to protect the shooter's eyes and nearby surfaces of the gun from the detrimental effects of percussion cap detonation. A double set trigger assembly is protected by the bow of a spur-type cast brass trigger guard. The set trigger is curved, and the hair trigger is a rod that has the appearance of being lathe-turned. The wrist has a thumb plate on top and an engraved teardrop-shaped inlay on each side. The forearm incorporates a saddle plate.
The next image shows the cheekpiece side of the buttstock of the Mathesiee double barrel muzzleloader. The buttstock has a nicely engraved lanceolate-shaped cheekpiece inlay and well-executed deep relief carving with stippling that is located under, on, and rearward of the cheekpiece. This is remarkably good carving, and in my humble opinion it shows a distinct European influence. The carving under and on the cheekpiece is like the carving on the Mathesiee rifle shown by Plate 140 of Calvin Hetrick's booklet "The Bedford County Rifle and Its Makers". The lines of the comb and belly of the stock are straight (as typical with Bedford County muzzleloaders) and the top of the cresent-shaped buttplate is well-aligned with the comb. The buttstock is fitted with a fairly long toe plate.
The following oblique view is included to show how the pointed barrel tangs converge to allow a narrower wrist on this double barrel black powder gun. Also notice the engraved elliptic thumb plate on the top of the wrist, and the inlay rearward of the lock panel of the stock. The photo also provides an oblique view of one of the lock panels of the stock, promoting our understanding of the relationship between the panel and the wrist. The lock plate of the percussion lock appears to be substantially flush with the surface of the raised stock panel.
The following muzzle view shows that the right-hand barrel has six cut rifling grooves and wide lands, while the left-hand barrel is smoothbore. Both barrels have front sights. Both barrels are full-octagon and relatively thin-walled, and they are not joined together with a centrally located rib. The nose cap is formed from sheet metal. The front of the nose cap is open, exposing the end grain of the forestock, and giving us a glimpse of the side-by-side barrel channels.
The following image shows that both barrels of this unique Pennsylvania muzzleloader have rear sights, and the sight on the rifled barrel is adjustable. One can also see the location of the gunmaker's engraved initials "J.N.M." on the upper facet of the rifled right-hand octagonal barrel.
The following photo provides a larger view of the barrel inscription on this black powder double gun. The upper facet of the unsigned left-hand barrel is decorated with an engraving scheme patterned after the engraving on the right-hand barrel.
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