Liddle & Kaeding first began when Robert Liddle and Charles van Buren Kaeding purchased the Bogart Brothers Sportsmen's Emporium in 1859. The firm was initially known as R. Liddle & Co., but became Liddle & Kaeding in 1866 when Kaeding became a full partner. They were the largest firearms dealers in the Bay Area in the 1870s and became Liddle & Co. in 1889 providing a rough date range for the date of manufacture of this rifle. The firm finally closed in 1898. The rifle has the classic lines and styling of an American plains or mountain percussion rifle but is a breech loading centerfire cartridge rifle with a break action design and appears to have been manufactured in Belgium given the Liege black powder proofmarks and "crown/AF" (Francotte) markings on the barrel. The rifle is chambered for a bottleneck 44 caliber cartridge with a Mauser type "A" rim. The rifle design is similar to a number of American designs, including both the Powell & Son and Barber & Lefever breechloaders. Like a traditional muzzle loader, it has a back action lock, rod in the stock and ferrules (second section absent), an octagon barrel (turned down for a starter/false muzzle), and a traditional checkered straight wrist stock with rifle buttplate, toe plate, extended trigger guard with curled tail on the grip extension, and a silver initial plate on the left side. The latter and the breech end of the barrel have "H. T. Harvey" markings. Harvey appears to have been an avid shooter out in California given other known late 19th/early 20th century firearms with his name on them. His exact identity is not known but an H. T. Harvey Jr. appears in some records in the 1890s in San Francisco. The barrel also has larger "LIDDLE & KAEDING SAN FRANCISCO CAL" markings behind the adjustable notch rear sight and a blade front sight with wide base. Formerly in the collection of former Gun Digest editor John T. Amber (sold 1986 at Bourne Auction Galleries).