Unique Rotating Single-Shot Percussion Rifle
Percussion Long Guns
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7m 54s
This is a very unusual single-shot muzzleloading rifle. It is devoid of markings that might identify it, but appears (to my eye, anyway) to have been built from what was originally intended to be a turret rifle. It has a central puck-shaped block with a single chamber drilled in it. This puck sits inside a ring attached to the barrel. To load, the barrel is rotated 90 degrees, lining up a loading port in the ring with the chamber. To fire, a percussion cap is affixed to the back of the ring and the barrel is rotated back into line with the stock. What appears to be a front trigger is actually a manual cocking lever. The date of manufacture is unknown, as are any details about who it was made by or for, although the lack of proofs and the Kentucky-style stock suggest an American origin.
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