The oldest firearm in the Missouri State Museum belonged to Missouri’s very first governor, Alexander McNair.
MoDNR photo by Ben Nickelson
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The rifle is an American longrifle made in 1806 by gunsmith A. Dunseth, who is known to have worked in both Pennsylvania and Ohio. Originally, this muzzleloader was a flintlock and experts believe the octagonal barrel was once four inches longer.
History has it that McNair paid a $500 debt owed to a friend, Solomon Wells, with this rifle. McNair served one term as governor from 1820-1824. In 1849, John C. Sutton purchased his rifle from the Wells’ estate, and later, the famous Hawken gunsmiths remodeled it into a modern percussion cap and set trigger action and likely shortened the barrel. The rifle was donated to the Missouri State Museum by Warren Sutton in 1926 and is a prized piece of the state collection.
The Missouri State Museum houses an impressive collection of exhibits portraying the state’s natural and cultural history. Plan your visit by visiting the Missouri State Museum webpage.
