Polygonal Bore Percussion Rifle

[36g]

I ran across a polygonally rifled percussion rifle yesterday (hexagonal I believe) in an antique store. It was approx .45, had a double set trigger, was approx. 50" long (OA) and had a globe type of front sight (no rear sight although cut for a regular dovetail and an additional top barrel cut for possibly some type of adjustable type of sight. The stock was very artificially striped (looked like a paint/varnish). Rifle was old so not a modern piece. Had a nice patina/old browning. I failed to take a picture as I thought it was priced higher than I was interested. Does this sound like a familiar style of percussion rifle to anyone?

[LAGS]

I can not remember for sure,
But back in the ‘60s I watched my grandfather Forge muzzleloader barrel in his side yard.
He heated up the steel and pounded it with a steel rod that kinda had twisted ribs that were not sharp threads on it in the bore.
I would think that was some type of polygonal forming device.
He was a gunsmith at home.
But he only built muzzleloader the last ten years of his life.
He built the whole rifle including the locks and stocks too.
By chance was that rifle engraved “ Garrett Wade Smith “ ?

[swamp]

Parker Hale Whitworths were hex bore.
swamp

[Good Cheer]

The Rifleman once had an article featuring a .36 caliber with a hexagonal bore. There were shallow grooves at the six corners. Not rifling but rather remnants of the cutting process.

[Bigslug]

Look up various images for "Whitworth Rifle" and see if that's a match.

Those sold by the Brits to the Confederacy in VERY small numbers for sniper rifles were basically three-band P-1853 rifle-muskets in general appearance but with the hot-rod Whitworth barrel, and probably no consistently uniform sighting system. If it's the real deal, I would expect it to be EX-PEN-SIVE

It was a very accurate system using mechanically-fitted, .451" paper-patched hexagonal bullets of over 500 grains, but you'll also see commerical/civilian target rifles with half-length sporter stocks, different calibers, and generally more sophisticated sights. They also made them in 12-pound cannon format - there's at least a couple of them parked at the north end of the Gettysburg battlefield.

[36g]

It was not a military configured arm at all, looked more like a percussion Kentucky/hunting style with at least a target style front sight.