Signed John Leckner, Littlestown, PA ca 1800

Little is known about John Leckner at present. It is known that Leckner lived with and worked with the Sell family in Littlestown and moved west to Ohio with the Sell family. It is hard to say how many unsigned Frederick Sell rifles are Leckner's hand. Nearly all artistic details of this magnificent rifle are seen in Frederick Sell's work. However, the bird finial is singular and spactacular thus the rifle is a masterpeice. Pictured and discussed in Kindig (#140) describing the bird finial as "purely Pennsylvania Dutch" and one of the most artistic he had seen.

Fine relief carving in the Sell style appears in all the usual places with precise execution. The curly maple is of average grain, much easier to carve, the surface of the wood is most pleasing. The lock is original to the rifle and is an excellent reconversion. The restored barrel is now 44 inches long and about .45 cal. About 12 inches of the forestock supports the restoration. The fore end cap appears to be replaced. Though restored this is one of the finest examples from the Littlestown School.

Ex Coll. Joe Kindig Jr, William Nitterhouse, Van Pitman

SOLD 2/26