Description
Physical description
Heavy octagonal barrelled sporting/off-hand target rifle on Frank Wesson action, which is opened by pulling the upper 'trigger' when the rifle is on half cock. Blade fore sight with ivory insert, three leaf rear sight (one standing), aperture rear sight on wrist (incorrectly installed and back-to-front). Well figured stock (cracked and repaired) with German silver crescent butt plate.
History note
The style of this rifle's butt and trigger guard echoes that of late muzzle loading hunting rifles that remained popular in New England into the 1860s. Quite a rare rifle. Frank Wesson, brother to Daniel B. Wesson, began rifle manufacture in 1859, including a few percussion rifles. His speciality was single shot rifles for hunting and target shooting, some on his tipping barrel action, some on an action very similar to the Alexander Henry. He was briefly involved with his brother and Horace Smith in the Wesson Firearms Company (1867-1870) that made a high quality double barrel shotgun designed by DB Wesson, which, however, was not commercially successful. He later was involved in Wesson & Harrington.
This gun was one of a number of weapons provided for Home Guard use in 1940 by an American organization called the American Committee for the Defence of British Homes. They mounted a public appeal for firearms and binoculars which could be sent to aid the defence of Britain.
Officially, the weapons sent by the Committee were supposed to be returned after the war. This did not happen in all cases however and, after the Home Guard was stood-down in 1944, the Imperial War Museum was given a small collection of weapons from this source.
On lower tang
5903
Roll engraved on top of barrel
FRANK WESSON WORCESTER MASS. PAT'D OCT. 25. 1859 7 NOV.11. 1862