^Lot 120 Target Percussion Historic Cincinnati Griffiths & Siebert Marked Percussion Half Stock Shooting Priz

Manufactured by Griffiths & Siebert of Cincinnati, Ohio, this fine trophy rifle features a heavy 33 inch octagon barrel with a globe front and fixed iron rear sights, and manufactured for a false muzzle, (absent). The top barrel flat behind the rear sight is marked "GRIFFITHS/& SIEBERT/CIN TI O". The back action lock is unmarked. Iron finger grip trigger guard, double set triggers, hickory ram rod and fitted with a nicely figured smooth straight grip half stock with a crescent buttplate. The right side of the stock has an inset silver oval and shield. The oval is inscribed "Presented/to the/Prairie Shooting Club/of Cincinnati/by/Jacob Strader Esq./1855". The shield is inscribed "PRIZE OF HONOR/Winners/at annual trap match of Prairie Shooting Club/Horace E. Perry 1855 Jno. W. Beesley 1856". Frank Sellers "American Gunsmiths" lists Griffith & Siebert as being in Cincinnati, Ohio 1852 to 1854. Jacob Strader Esq., (1795-1860) was a steamboat owner, lawyer and was listed as President and solicitor of the Commercial Bank in 1851. He was on the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Medical Center, President of the Little Miami Railroad and in 1853 the side-wheel Steamboat "Jacob Strader" was launched in Cincinnati and was built for the U.S. Mail line running a Cincinnati to Louisville route. During the Civil War the boat carried supplies to Union troops for the U.S. Sanitary Commission and also transported sick and wounded soldiers.
BBL: 33 inch octagon
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 40
Finish: brown
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN
Condition: Very good. The barrel has a brown patina with scattered minor pitting. The remaining metal surfaces have a smooth grayish mottled patina. The stock is very fine retaining almost all of the original finish and showing a small chip and minor crack on the left side near the breech, and overall some minor dings and scratches. The plaques remain bright for the most part, showing some small spots of discoloration on the shield. The barrel markings are legible. The action is excellent. A very nice trophy gun with Cincinnati history. More research may reveal additional history.