This unique rifle is the only known surviving examples of a Beerstecher Patent 1855 rifle. Frederick Beerstecher is recorded as operating out of Lewisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the second half of the 19th century. He is most noted for his 1855 patents for dual ignition Derringer style pistols and percussion Kentucky rifles. Beerstecher designed these interesting guns to fire two superimposed loads by use of single hammer with offset strikers. The right striker with folding extension hit the forward load and then could be folded down to allow the second striker to hit the rear nipple firing the second load. The included documents detail the more well known Beerstecher pistols which used the same patented mechanism. The heavy octagon barrel is equipped with a blade front and fixed notch rear sight and is marked "F. BEERSTECHERS/PATENT 1855/LEWISBURG PA" behind the rear sight and has a silver band adjacent to the foremost bolster. The lock plate is similarly marked but without the address. It is equipped with double set triggers. The straight wrist maple half stock has what the consignor notes indicate is a "St. Louis style 'beavertail' raised cheek piece" along with German silver furniture including an oval patch box. It includes a wooden ramrod with brass tips (one absent).

Fine. The rifle retains 70% of the original brown finish mixed with a brown patina. The lock has dark oil quenched case colors while the German silver components have an aged patina with some yellow tones showing. There is some pitting on the right near the breech. The stock is very good as repaired (break at the wrist and some hairline cracks) with some minor scratches and small dings scattered across the surfaces. Mechanically fine with clear markings. A solid example of a unique mid-19th century concept.