This is a scarce example of a deluxe grade revolving 12 gauge shotgun manufactured by Roper Sporting Arms Company circa 1869-1876 in Hartford, Connecticut, based on designs by Sylvester H. Roper. They are some of the first metallic cartridge repeating shotguns. Roper was also the designer of the first shotgun choke and later went on to invent the first commercially successful pump-action shotguns with Christopher Spencer of Spencer Repeating Rifle fame, steam powered bicycles and buggies, and others. The drum holds four shots, and the casings return to the drum after being fired. Cocking the hammer extracts the fired cartridge and advances the action to the next round. It features a variable threaded choke at the muzzle, Damascus barrel numbered "63" on the bottom, a steel post front sight, a sighting groove along the top of the frame at the breech, "202" on the bottom of the action at the breech, smooth forearm with pewter end caps, hinged loading gate marked "ROPER. REPEATING RIFLE CO./AMHERST MASS/PATENTED APRIL 10 1866," and checkered buttstock with a smooth buttplate.