Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have really cool case of mistaken identity. This is a Frank Wesson Second Type Two-Trigger Sporting Rifle. First of all, no, Frank Wesson is not the “Wesson” in Smith and Wesson…hence my opening sentence. Frank Wesson, however, is the son of Dan Wesson of Smith and Wesson. These guns were around during the time of the civil war and probably did better in sales than they should of because of the name confusion. The Smith and Wesson brand was a nationally known and well-regarded brand. These are single-shot rimfire guns. One trigger fires the cartridge and the other trigger opens the pivoting action to load. These were not beloved by troops using them due to their lack of an extractor and the difficulty therin in reloading.
“Manufacturer: Frank Wesson
Model: Two Trigger
Type: Rifle
Gauge: 44 RF
Barrel: 28 inch octagon
Finish: blue/nickel
Stock: walnutManufactured around 1863-1876.”
Lot 6130: Frank Wesson Second Type Two-Trigger Sporting Rifle. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1032/6130/frank-wesson-second-type-twotrigger-sporting-rifle.
