This combination gun has an approximately .56 caliber rifled barrel over a 10 gauge (.75 caliber) smoothbore barrel. The upper barrel is fitted with a German silver blade front sight and an elevation adjustable notch rear sight and is marked "E. K. PURDY/SCHOOLCRAFT/MICH." The lower barrel is unmarked/ The breech and locks are engraved. The right lock has a bird scene and is marked "MOORE." Two ramrods are fitted on the sides of the barrel group. It is mounted with a straight wrist buttstock with brass buttplate. Little is known about "E. K. Purdy." He is listed in "History of Kalamazoo County" (1880) and the "Kalamazoo County Directory . . . 1869 and 1870" Both Edgar K. (b.1816) and Elijah K. Purdy (b.1843) are listed as gunsmiths in the latter work and both show up on the area's 1850 census. Erastus Purdy (b.1826) also appears on the census as a gunmaker and may have been Elijah's younger brother as they both were born in New York. At least one other multi-barrel combination gun has been attributed to Elijah. Schoolcraft is a village in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, first settled in 1828. Cooper's Island, the setting for James Fenimore Cooper's 1848 frontier novel "The Oak Openings" is nearby.

Very good. Most of the metal surfaces display an even brown mix of finish and patina with some areas of brighter gray. The brass has an honest aged patina. The markings and engraving patterns are mostly crisp. The stock is very good with some wear at the breech and otherwise mostly smooth surfaces with only light scratches and pressure marks. The locks and triggers function fine. This is a solid example of a Michigan made over/under combination percussion gun.