.44 caliber. 31.25" pinned octagonal barrel. NSN. Oxidized metal, iron furniture, smooth hardwood halfstock with raised cheek rest, crescent buttplate and pewter forend cap. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle with semi-buckhorn rear sight, large dovetailed front sight, double set triggers and a brass tipped wooden ramrod. Single screw commercial percussion lock is slightly ill fitting and is marked "JOSEPH GOLCHER" in a ribbon, and is lightly engraved. Barrel is stamped "T. CAMPBELL" in individual dies in a sans serif font that is not typically 19th century and is also stamped "ST. LOUIS" in what appears to be a gang stamp with a more typical 19th-century style font. The rifle appears to have been restocked in more recent time, and could be a composite with the barrel, lock and stock all having different origins.

Tristam Campbell was a "journeyman gunsmith and gunmaker" (Sellers) who worked in St. Louis circa 1842-1860. He worked for Christian Hoffmann & Co circa 1842-1855 before apparently working with Samuel Hawken for a period of time and then working on his own, producing the classic half-stock, iron mounted percussion rifles typical of that era in St. Louis. {ANTIQUE}

Good. Bore good, moderately oxidized with some areas of brightness and decent rifling. Metal moderately oxidized with a thick brown patina that may be chemically enhanced and some even pitting, mostly around the breech. The authenticity of the "T. CAMPBELL" stamp is suspect and no original, verifiable barrel marks could be found to compare the mark to. Lock is mechanically functional. Gun appears to be composite with the lock, stock and barrel all of different origins with the stock more likely to be circa 1960 than 1860. Wood very good and in better shape than the metal, which is uncommon for a rifle that has been together since its inception. Wood with some scattered bumps, dings and mars. An attractive representations of a "Plains" style rifle, although smaller in size and bore than the typical example.