Large frame Whitney-Kennedy Lever Action Rifle manufactured by the Whitneyville Armory c. 1882. This rifle has the first style serpentine loading lever used through mid-1883 with full-octagon barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel has a nickel-silver "Rocky Mountain" style front sight and folding leaf rear sight graduated to "8". Loops for detachable sling swivels are mounted on the stock and forearm. The crescent steel buttplate has a sliding brass trap door, and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed steel cleaning rod with brass tip. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped: "WHITNEYVILLE ARMORY Ct. U.S.A. KENNEDY" in one line ahead of the rear sight. The caliber, "45-60", is stamped in small numerals on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "PAT'D JANY. 7.-73/APL 1 (2) MAY 13. & AUG.12-79." in two lines. The serial number is located on the lower receiver tang. The rifle has a blue finish with niter blue loading gate and casehardened hammer. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnished piano finish. A development of the Whitney-Burgess-Morse Lever Action Rifle, the Whitney-Kennedy rifles were manufactured from 1879 to 1886 with an estimated production of 15,000 rifles.

Extremely fine. The barrel and magazine retain 90% of the original blue finish with some scattered and very minor age spotting. The barrel legend was lightly rolled and is faint but legible. The caliber markings are sharp. The finish on the forearm cap is thin. The receiver has 85% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish with light edge wear, some minor scratches and some age spotting. The lever retains 90% of the blue finish. The crescent buttplate has 75% of the blue with high-point wear and scattered age spotting. The loading gate retains 90% of the fire blue finish, and 97% of the case colors are present on the lever. The stock and forearm remain very fine-excellent and retain 90% of the varnished piano finish with scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. This is a very fine example of a desirable large frame Whitney-Kennedy Lever Action Rifle that is rarely encountered in this condition.