The signature on the smoothbore barrel is faint and difficult to identify other than a the first letter "C" and what appears to be an "S" and "p" letters in the surname. These visible letters are similar (we cannot verify!) to known Christian Siple signed rifles. Siple apprenticed under Jacob Haeffer in Lancaster at the tail end of the 18th century and then moved to Middletown/Swatara Township where he worked as a gunsmith from 1808 to 1825 and is believed to have died in 1827. This fowling piece has clear Lancaster School influences in the design of the patch box. It has a blade and notch sights and a small enough bore to be considered a "smooth rifle" also sometimes simply called a sighted smoothbore. They are capable of surprising accuracy with proper round ball loads and were also capable of using buck shot, "buck and ball," and bird shot loads making them very utilitarian guns. The stock has molding along the forend, swirl carving below the "Roman nose" comb, and additional scroll carving behind the shallow cheekpiece. The side plate has been crudely scratched with "1817," and the lock is stamped "RIGBY" on the outer face and "WR" on the underside possibly for William Rigby of John Rigby & Co. and William & John Rigby of Dublin in the early 19th century. It has a waterproof style pan similar to the style found on high end British fowling pieces from the same era.

Good as reconverted to flintlock configuration. The barrel is a mostly dark brown with some light pitting and a lighter section over the signature. The lock has a mottled brown and gray patina with primarily light pitting and is functional, but the mainspring is not secured. Most of the brass displays an aged patina, but the patch box is cleaned to mostly bright. The reoiled stock is also good and has some chips and slivers absent along the edges, some repairs including breaks in the toe and at the ramrod entry pipe, and some attractive striped figure.