I have been researching this rifle for months. The only markings are the lock maker TRUITT BROTHERS, a serial number 25 inside the forward trigger guard, and the Lawrence patent markings on the Sharps style rear sight.
It is incredibly rare. It is 44 caliber percussion chambered for a metallic cartridge like the Maynard cartridges. 30 inch barrel. The breech opening is milled with a notch for shell extraction. The bore is MINT. 6 groove rifling in a relatively tight twist. The stock is American walnut. The ONLY other example I can find is in the Smithsonian at The National Museum of American History. . It is Id Number AF.75789M and bears serial number 33. I show it in the attached images numbers 13, 14, 15. That is the only other specimen I have located after hundreds of hours of online research. The total lack of manufacturer markings makes a patent search very tedious. You must look at the drawings of EVERY breech loading patent issued.

The Smithsonian describes their gun as a Truitt Brothers rifle. They are likely incorrect. Truitt brothers made Pennsylvania (Kentucky) rifles and locks. They do not hold any US patents for breech loading firearms. I do note that Frederick W. Howe holds numerous 1860s patents for breech loading firearms that utilize a trigger to open the breech and another to fire the weapon. These are very similar to the 2-trigger breech on the Frank Wesson carbines. Howe supervised rifle production at the Providence Tool Co during the Civil War, and had been supervisor at Robbins and Lawrence prior to that. Though his patents are similar to this gun, they are not an exact match. This is a marvelous mystery. I will pay $500 to the first person who can correctly identify this rifle! UPDATE! The odd feature on this rifle is the milled notch in the face of the breech. Upon reflection I believe this may be the key to unlocking the mystery. The metallic cartridge for this rifle would have had a flange on the head that protruded through the milled-groove and extended beyond the outer diameter of the barrel. This would function as a novel, easily extractable metallic cartridge.. Frederick Howe was very interested in cartridge extraction. In my patent drawing research I saw one or two 1860s patents bearing his name relating to guns with mechanical cartridge extractors. I believe this gun-s design is an earlier idea of his and that this rifle is likely a prototype intended to use a unique metallic cartridge which was also Howe-s brainchild. The presence of the Lawrence (of Robbins & Lawrence) patent rear sight indicates the production period was likely 1859 to early 1860s. The Smithsonian states their rifle was made in 1863. More patent research should tell the tale. I had previously searched for patent improvements on breech loading firearms. I think a search on patents involving metallic cartridges might shed some light.



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Very good to Fine