Exceptional "John A. Macdonald" Presentation Robinson Model 1872 Repeating Rifle by Adirondack Firearms Co.

Serial #5, .44 RF, 25" octagon barrel with a good bore that has some spots of dark pitting within the grooves.  This is a very handsome rifle, built on Orville Robinson’s April 23, 1872, patent, and utilizes a manually-operated toggle lock that rides in a mortise along the top of the receiver operated via a knurled handle on the right side.  The frame has retained 85-90% of the original nickel plated finish, with flaking to the underlying brass along the edges and projections, most noticeably on the underside of the frame ahead of the trigger guard bow.  The frame has a lovely full-coverage floral scrollwork motif with punch-dot background, geometric patterns on the lower tang, and a deer head on the top flat at the breech.  A large rectangular panel is present on the right side just above the early, spring steel, Winchester type loading gate that reads "John A. Macdonald" in flowing script.  Unlike every other known example of the Model 1872, the barrel of this rifle is not secured by a transverse pin, but rather by a screw entering from the right side.  The bolt and spring steel loading gate have visible traces of their original bright fire blue finish, with the balance turned to a mild blue-black patina, and muted color case-hardening can still be seen on the rear toggle link and hammer.  The barrel retains traces of the original blue finish on protected areas, while the balance has an overall plum-brown patina that has silvering and gray fading at the muzzle and along the edges of the barrel facets.  The magazine tube retains more of the original blue, with some mild fading and plum-brown on the balance.  The barrel is equipped with a period bead front sight mated to a shallow V-notch elevation adjustable rear sight, as well as a vacant socket on the top tang for a no longer present aperture rear sight.  The nicely figured walnut buttstock has minor handling marks scattered throughout the original varnish, which has flaked lightly at the wrist on either side.  While there is no documentation attesting to whether the name on the frame is in fact the same John A. Macdonald who became the first Prime Minister of Canada in 1867, there are some clues that support it: first, the general quality of the engraving is quite high as compared to some later engraved examples, particularly the script used to write the name; second, the fact that the middle initial was used in the first place (Sir John A. Macdonald was joint premier of the Province of Canada with his political ally John S. Macdonald prior to Confederation and use of middle initials helped remove any confusion that might arise); third, its very low single digit serial number; but most importantly, the fact that one of the most noticeable flaws of the Robinson design – the use of a barrel pin – was corrected for this example, and only this example as far as is currently known.  Certainly, the rifle possesses added refinements suitable for presentation to the head of state of a neighboring country, especially one with a capital less than 150 miles from Plattsburgh, NY.  This is an extremely nice example of a high grade engraved Robinson rifle, with a likely connection to the first Prime Minister of Canada, and would make a wonderful addition to any collection.  Antique

Orville Moses Robinson was an upstate New York gunsmith and inventor who received three US patents for breech-loading and repeating firearms.  In 1870 Robinson, in partnership with A.S. Babbitt and two others, formed the Adirondack Firearms Co. to manufacture rifles based on his patents at their manufactory in Plattsburgh, NY.  The firm is known to have employed Daniel Wilkinson (possibly J.D. Wilkinson, another upstate New York gunmaker and inventor) and Robinson’s son, William (who would’ve been about 10 years old at the formation of the company!)  Adirondack Firearms Co. operated until 1874, ultimately producing what is thought to be slightly fewer than 1,000 rifles of all types, when it was purchased by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and permanently shut down.  The Adirondack Firearms Co., and Robinson’s repeating rifle designs, represent an interesting footnote in the then rapidly advancing field of repeating breechloading long guns.