Rifle meas. approx. 47.08 inches long. The heavy octagon barrel meas. approx. 28.50 inches long and is .50 in size. An iron false muzzle with a ball front sight is attached. False muzzle adds another 1.25 inches to the muzzle’s length. Bore has excellent rifling. Barrel surface is turning a plumb brown throughout and is free of any pitting and shows only light wear. Left and right flats show some signs of vice marks. The breech and tang are of plated iron and show wear from rubbing. This was a separate piece and was screwed into the barrel. Original nipple is present on the bolster. There is a 1.25 inch tubular front sight mortised into the muzzle with another mortise right behind it if it is desired to move the sight back. The rear sight is circular and is screwed into the wrist. There is a traversing bar on the sight that can be turned for windage while the sights elevation is controlled by turning the sight base. The top flat of the barrel is marked forward of the breech with “N. LEWIS TROY.”

The elongated lockplate is plated and is set flush into the stock. It has no markings but does have some light wear.  Serpentine hammer is engraved with scrollwork. Action is dull and has no half-cock. Double-set triggers work properly.

The half-stock is finished a dark brown and is in good condition showing only very light surface wear of a few scratches from age and storage. However, there is a 6.00 inch horizontal crack running forward from the bolster. Stock has a 0.50 inch plated iron nose cap. Left side of the butt has a large cheek rest. Plain heavy iron buttplate is shaped to fit securely into the shooters shoulder with an upper and lower extension that ends in a round quillon. There is no patchbox.

Triggerguard is iron with decorative elongated ends and finger rests. There is a screw running through the bottom of the forearm and into the barrel anchoring it to the stock. This screw is surrounded by an escutcheon with a similar decorative motif as the triggerguard.

There is no ramrod but there is a well-fitting iron platted brass ball-starter.

Nelson Lewis was a general gun maker from Troy, New York. He was known for making flintlock pistols but later made target rifles. He died in 1852 and his son James carried on the business until 1861. [ad]

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