Whitney-Kennedy Light Frame Sporting Rifle manufactured by the Whitney Arms Co., c. 1879. The rifle has the first style, serpentine loading lever. The three-digit serial number with no letter prefix indicates that it was probably manufactured during the first year of production, 1879. The rifle has a special order part-round/part-octagon barrel with full length magazine. The barrel has a 'Rocky Mountain' style front sight with nickel silver blade and sporting style, buckhorn rear sight. The hammer has impressed knurling on the spur. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trap door and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod with brass tip. The barrel, magazine, receiver, forearm cap and lever have a high polish blue finish. The loading gate is fire blue. The hammer and buttplate are color casehardened. The straight grain, American walnut, stock and forearm have a high polish 'piano' finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "WHITNEYVILLE ARMORY. CT. U.S.A. KENNEDY" in a single line in front of the rear sight. The caliber designation "44 CAL" is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll stamped: "PAT'D JANY. 7-73./AP'- (2)MAY 13 & AUG.12-79" in two lines. The serial number "210" is stamped on the lower tang behind the trigger. The Whitney-Kennedy Light Frame Sporting Rifle was an improvement of the Whitney-Burgess-Morse lever action rifle. Total production is estimated at approximately 15,000 rifles between 1879 and 1886.

Very fine. The rifle is all original and retains 85% of the high polish blue finish. The blue on the barrel and magazine is about 80% finish and is fading to a plum patina on contact points. The factory legend and caliber markings are crisp. The forearm cap has half of the blue with the balance an attractive plum patina. Most of the high polish blue remains on the top and sides of the receiver with light-moderate handling wear on the sides and bottom of the receiver. The blue on the bottom of the lever and upper tang has faded to a plum patina. Most of the subdued case colors are present on the hammer. The case colors on the buttplate have faded to a silver-gray. The stock and forearm are both in excellent condition with scattered minor handling and storage marks. Most of the high polish piano finish remains. The action is tight and functions perfectly. This is an exceptional example of an early production Whitney-Kennedy Light Frame Sporting Rifle.