Samuel & Charles Smith, sons of William Smith, ranked amongst the finest of London’s mid-19th century gunmakers. Samuel had patented an “Imperial” cap in 1830 and the form of the hammers indicates this rifle was built for use with these proprietary caps. The locks have an unusual triple bent tumbler, a feature favored by the Smith brothers. With browned damascus hexadecagon barrels with sunken concave rib signed “SAML. & C. SMITH. PRINCES ST.T, LEICESTER SQRE. LONDON” and with raised block mounted bead front sight and blued rear sight of one standing and folding leaf. Casehardened breeches respectively marked “SMITH’S” and “PATENT”, each with small platinum plug, and engraved with a spray of stylized foliage on the rib section. Scroll engraved casehardened standing breech and rounded bar locks, the latter each signed “SAML. & C. SMITH/PRINCES ST. LONDON” and with sliding safety catch locking the hammer, each hammer finely engraved with a checkered pattern. Furniture including blued trigger guard and buttplate, each engraved with further scrollwork, the trigger guard also engraved with a charging bull elephant and the tang of the buttplate bearing the serial number. Figured walnut half-length stock with checkered grip, the wrist inset with a large rectangular blank silver initial escutcheon, the underside of the butt with a sling eye, the corresponding sling eye mounted beneath the central ramrod pipe. With brass mounted ramrod with worm. London proof marks.