This Merrill, Latrobe and Thomas sporting rifle is chambered in .40 caliber and listed as a used antique long gun. It has a 29 1/2-inch octagonal barrel and a faucet breech patented by Merrill in 1856, marked on top of the breech, with the loading lever carrying a charging apparatus underneath. The bore is good with light pitting in the grooves, the rifling remains strong, and the listing grades the rifle very good plus to excellent overall.

A rifle of this type suits a collector of mid-nineteenth-century American breech-loading designs, or a buyer who wants a display piece with a documented patent marking. The adjustable double set triggers and excellent stock checkering add to its appeal as an example of the period. Because the bore shows pitting, the listing does not present it as a shooter, so judge it as a collector's piece. Check antique firearm rules in your state before you order.

Key features

• .40 caliber, 29 1/2-inch octagonal barrel
• Merrill patent faucet breech, marked 1856
• Adjustable double set triggers
• Light pitting in bore grooves, strong rifling
• Used; listed very good plus to excellent

Firearms ship to a licensed FFL dealer you name, where you complete Form 4473 and pass the background check.