This is a great looking Pennsylvania rifle by prolific barrel maker Henry Deeds (1811-1888) of Berks County, usually listed among Wyomissing Creek gunmakers and reputed to have learned the trade from William Pennypacker (Pannebecker,) his eventual father-in-law, who ran a shop in Mohnton. The buttstock and patchbox are illustrated in Kentucky Rifle Patch Boxes and Barrel Marks by Ray Chandler. The octagonal barrel measures 38” and is stocked full to the muzzle. The barrel bears a brass blade dovetailed front sight, short v-notch rear sight, and the forestock bears three German silver oval escutcheon plates for the barrel keys. The butt has a classic Roman-nose profile of the Reading area and the cheek rest bears an 8-pointed starburst, also in German silver. The rest of the mounts, including nose cap, ramrod pipes, hand plate, side plate triggerguard, buttplate, lower cheekrest plate, and patchbox are brass. The lower, triangular check rest plate conceals a shepherd’s crook vent pick. The lock is a Joseph Golcher marked percussion lock with floral decoration on the hammer, fore and aft on the plate and at center over Golcher’s name.

The wood is a beautiful warm, honey-brown with prominent grain striping throughout. The surface is very good with only a few scratches or handling marks. The edges are quite good, showing some rubbing, but no substantial wear and the wood to metal fit is tight. The hammer does not hold at half cock and is stiff beyond that. The bore is dirty, but has visible rifling. The 4-piece patchbox has some open floral scroll engraving on the door. The sideplates are solid, but with undulating edges, each incorporating two crescents, which are picked up by the addorsed-C grip of the triggerguard handrail. The finial is openwork, not engraved, but showing rather classical rococo curving and recurving lines that reflect in somewhat softer fashion the curves of sideplate profile and the handrail.

Pennsylvania rifles are a great combination of history and art with tremendous eye-appeal and a classical American art form with lots of regional differences and variation.  [sr] [ph:L]

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